Fun events! I've done the Chicago event twice now before they lost the venue (they still have yet to find a new location). Pretty simple to just punch it and go, really. Even the launch isn't as critical for your end speed, unless you're really being competitive and dragracing the guy in the next lane. My only advice would be to make sure your brakes are good to go.
Take it easy the first time so you can get a feel for the runway surface. I was hauling the mail down one of the lanes once and hit a nasty bump just past the 1/4mi marker pushing 140mph at WOT. That was...unsettling. Not a huge deal really, but I chose to run the other lane after that. The other lane had a dip during high speed braking at the far end. You can see it yank my wheel slightly when I hit it at about 120mph or so in the M6 video.
I don't do 1/2 mile events in my BRZ since mine is slow. However, my other car is a lot of fun with them. Here are a couple videos from the two events. First year was nice and cool and I ran 164mph. The next year it was hot as hell, heatsoak was a problem and ran 157mph. The ZO6 is 638rwhp and weighs about 3160lbs without me.
Have fun! Make sure your brakes are good to go. Your using the same tires I did, lots of grip!
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