WOW! Off your meds today?
Lately, I only visit the strip maybe once a year, mostly to check out how a given vehicle may be running with more miles on the clock, or establish a baseline for a new one. I used to be more interested until I got into running on road courses. Over the years, a few hundred passes at various strips. I would say almost definitely less than a thousand passes, although I haven't kept a count, obviously. I started in 1963.
But, how is this in any way important? Drag racing particulars are available to anyone who cares to learn about them, regardless of actual track experience. On one of my earliest visits to a strip, I visited the tower and asked stupid questions about how it all worked, and they were glad to explain it all - in detail.
There is no, repeat no, difference between time trials and actual racing, bracket or otherwise. The ET clock in your lane starts when your tire leaves the beam - not before.
I do in fact watch the NHRA cars on TV from time to time, and if you do as well, you'll see that on any given Sunday that you have been laboring under a misapprehension. It's routine for someone, sometime during the coverage to be late on the lights (and thus probably lose the race), but his or her ET will be right in line with their other passes.