This Sunday I'm going drag racing for the first time. Some friends and I are bringing a variety of cars to try our hand at bracket racing. I don't really care about the bracket racing part, I mainly just want to see my ETs. I'm taking my Formula 5-spd.
I have a variety of questions, some of them pretty stupid. Let's start with the less stupid one. Launch technique.
I've done some Pro Solos so I'm familiar with lining up at a Christmas tree. I also figured out how to launch optimally on the shitty old crumbling asphalt lot we used to autocross on. I'm sure launching on the sticky surface of a real drag strip will be different.
My "shitty old asphalt" technique was to hold the RPMs at 3500, anticipate the last yellow, sidestep the clutch and pin the gas. The tires would spin most of the way through first gear and would hook up just before the 60' mark and just in time to shift to second. This got me 60' times in the 2.1 range. I think that's pretty slow by drag strip standards but on this lot the only vehicles that beat me were an ASP 911 at 2.0 and a 125 shifter cart at 1.8 or something.
Tell me what to do differently on a real drag strip. More credibility points (and positive ratings, of course) will be awarded for first hand experience in a 2.8 5-spd Fiero.
Now for the stupid questions. Once I pass the 1/4 mile mark, then what do I do? Obviously I have to slow down, turn around, and come back, but will this be obvious once I get there?
And when and where do I pick up my oh-so-precious time slip?
Gotta prove I ran 12s, you know.
I'm going drag racing. Advice requested.
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Doug Chase
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The Dark Side of Will
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I don't have any experience with the 2.8, but a sub 2.0 short time is no trouble for a Fiero to pull off. I think the big difference you'll find is traction. You may end up raising your launch RPM a bit... BanditBalz has a lot fo 2.8 drag racing experience.
With the Northstar I bring it up to 2500-3000 RPM and feed the clutch and throttle in unison... Difficult to pull off and hard on the clutch but it keeps the tires right on the edge of spinning until the clutch is fully hooked up. My best 60 before the Konis was 1.92, limited by wheel hop. I should be able to cut a 1.8 with the Konis, but I haven't been back to a strip.
Go and find out exactly where the trap lights are before you run. I have a hard time figuring out exactly where they are, especially at night when I've done most of my runs. One of the strips I've been to has a light on the outside wall that will light up once you trip the trap lights. Just get on the brakes and turn aroun.
Where to get a timing slip varies from strip to strip. It's usually a shack on the road back to the staging lanes. Ask your buddies or complete strangers.
With the Northstar I bring it up to 2500-3000 RPM and feed the clutch and throttle in unison... Difficult to pull off and hard on the clutch but it keeps the tires right on the edge of spinning until the clutch is fully hooked up. My best 60 before the Konis was 1.92, limited by wheel hop. I should be able to cut a 1.8 with the Konis, but I haven't been back to a strip.
Go and find out exactly where the trap lights are before you run. I have a hard time figuring out exactly where they are, especially at night when I've done most of my runs. One of the strips I've been to has a light on the outside wall that will light up once you trip the trap lights. Just get on the brakes and turn aroun.
Where to get a timing slip varies from strip to strip. It's usually a shack on the road back to the staging lanes. Ask your buddies or complete strangers.
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Doug Chase
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I thought Will answered your questions well.
In my 4-spd 3.65 final drive 2.8, I launched at 3k or just under if I was getting wheel spin.
My slips suck though.
I gotta get my car finished up so I can see what I can do with the 4:10 gears.
In my 4-spd 3.65 final drive 2.8, I launched at 3k or just under if I was getting wheel spin.
My slips suck though.
I gotta get my car finished up so I can see what I can do with the 4:10 gears.
Doug Chase wrote:Rained out.
I'm disappointed in you pansy-ass wanna-be bench racers. I got more replies to this question on Old Europe.
Any other input? Bueller? Bueller? Banditbalz?
I'll make it out eventually.
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Doug Chase
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Shaun41178(2)
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Well basically you are going to have to experiment to get the best times
AS in launch rpm and shifting rpm.
Track conditions play a roll as to your launch rpm as well. So does tire pressure and such.
So many little things affect ET.
I had my old 85 GT dialed in pretty well. Took me a summer to get there though but I learned a lot and havent' forgetten anything
Trial and error si what it is all about.
go have fun and drive the piss out of the car.
AS in launch rpm and shifting rpm.
Track conditions play a roll as to your launch rpm as well. So does tire pressure and such.
So many little things affect ET.
I had my old 85 GT dialed in pretty well. Took me a summer to get there though but I learned a lot and havent' forgetten anything
Trial and error si what it is all about.
go have fun and drive the piss out of the car.
This info is very helpful since I'll be doing my first track run this coming Tuesday. Hopefully I don't fuk up too bad.
I'm going to Indianapolis Raceway Park to try my 3.4 for the first time. I never had any intention of going to a track but the guy I bought my most recent fiero from invited me to go with a couple other fiero guys.
One question for those who have been to the track: do they typically give you your 0-60 time as well?
Dave
I'm going to Indianapolis Raceway Park to try my 3.4 for the first time. I never had any intention of going to a track but the guy I bought my most recent fiero from invited me to go with a couple other fiero guys.
One question for those who have been to the track: do they typically give you your 0-60 time as well?
Dave
If you do make it out, you might want to find out what to do after the lights. Here the right lane (the lane closet to the road back) always goes first. So if you are in the left lane and beat him, you have to wait for him to turn and turn in behind him. They are pretty serious about this stuff, but never bother to tell you until it's too late.
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The Dark Side of Will
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well, I dont have much experience, but I understand what your looking for.
The luanch - yes, the track is MUCH stickier. on the street, I do 3000 clutch dumps all the time. 2nd run at the dragstip - blew the case wide open. all depends on your tires & clutch. 1st 2-3 runs, dont worry about the luanch - be easy on it, and concentrate on your shift points & shift speed. a good luanch is nice, but every car is diffrent, so, its hard to tell ya how to luanch. I would say 3000 RPM, but a easy clutch realease
The run - I'm assuming your running a 2.8/3.1/3.4, no turbo/NOS. keep the motor cool. there is a 0.2 second difference between how & cool motor. no thermostat, keep it off until time to go, keep heater cranked. shift early. doesnt feel right, but you dont want to run your motor out. your powerband peaks at around 3500 and starts to drop, and over 5000, you'll make more power in the next gear at a lower RPM
The finish - stay on it untill well past the finish line. what lane your in decides your turn around. inside, be nice, brake fairly hard, but dont warp your rotors - you arecoming down from 80-90 mph, and hit the ealeist, eaiset turn around lane - usually more than one. outside lane, brake, but watch for the inside guy, he determines what you will do.
The luanch - yes, the track is MUCH stickier. on the street, I do 3000 clutch dumps all the time. 2nd run at the dragstip - blew the case wide open. all depends on your tires & clutch. 1st 2-3 runs, dont worry about the luanch - be easy on it, and concentrate on your shift points & shift speed. a good luanch is nice, but every car is diffrent, so, its hard to tell ya how to luanch. I would say 3000 RPM, but a easy clutch realease
The run - I'm assuming your running a 2.8/3.1/3.4, no turbo/NOS. keep the motor cool. there is a 0.2 second difference between how & cool motor. no thermostat, keep it off until time to go, keep heater cranked. shift early. doesnt feel right, but you dont want to run your motor out. your powerband peaks at around 3500 and starts to drop, and over 5000, you'll make more power in the next gear at a lower RPM
The finish - stay on it untill well past the finish line. what lane your in decides your turn around. inside, be nice, brake fairly hard, but dont warp your rotors - you arecoming down from 80-90 mph, and hit the ealeist, eaiset turn around lane - usually more than one. outside lane, brake, but watch for the inside guy, he determines what you will do.
I guess this means I know my black car was never to the track :salute:
hehe, I love the 1/4mi. You will have a blast, it is so much fun.
Don't do a burnout in the pit. Drive around it if they let you, they should. Burning out will do nothing for street tires, but make them wear faster. And with a 2.8l Fiero, tire spin shouldn't be a big issue. Funny, my black car won't spin them on water. Damn altitude.
Next, leave when the light goes green, not yellow. R/Ts (Reaction Times) don't matter. They are merely bragging points when your E/T sucks. The timer doesn't start until your wheels leave the line, period. But if you leave to early and red light, your run is wasted. The timer won't count, and nothing is there telling you you red lighted. So you just ran your car all the way down the track for nothing. IMHO, it is better to have a 1.5 second r/t than a red light with no e/t.
As for the finish line. It SHOULD be obvious, but most of the tracks I run at it isn't. Run your frist race up to 90-95mph, then see what your 1/4mi mph is on your timeslip. From here, add 5 mph, and let off at that point every run. My Z34 was trapping at 92-94mph, so I'd run it to 98 (redline 3rd), then let off. This ensures you won't let off too early assuming you are remotely consistant (I was anything but...).
Then just slowly slow down, and keep an eye on the other driver. In the tracks I went to, generally the winner would turn off first becuz he was ahead. They really didn't have a set pattern, just use common sense. Then there will be a road that returns you to the side of the track, and you will go by a booth with a person that will hand you your timeslip.
They will not give you a 0-60 time. Most tracks give the following:
reaction time
60 foot e/t
1/8 mile e/t
1/8 mile mph
1000 foot e/t
1000 foot mph
1/4 mile e/t
1/4 mile mph
hehe, I love the 1/4mi. You will have a blast, it is so much fun.
Don't do a burnout in the pit. Drive around it if they let you, they should. Burning out will do nothing for street tires, but make them wear faster. And with a 2.8l Fiero, tire spin shouldn't be a big issue. Funny, my black car won't spin them on water. Damn altitude.
Next, leave when the light goes green, not yellow. R/Ts (Reaction Times) don't matter. They are merely bragging points when your E/T sucks. The timer doesn't start until your wheels leave the line, period. But if you leave to early and red light, your run is wasted. The timer won't count, and nothing is there telling you you red lighted. So you just ran your car all the way down the track for nothing. IMHO, it is better to have a 1.5 second r/t than a red light with no e/t.
As for the finish line. It SHOULD be obvious, but most of the tracks I run at it isn't. Run your frist race up to 90-95mph, then see what your 1/4mi mph is on your timeslip. From here, add 5 mph, and let off at that point every run. My Z34 was trapping at 92-94mph, so I'd run it to 98 (redline 3rd), then let off. This ensures you won't let off too early assuming you are remotely consistant (I was anything but...).
Then just slowly slow down, and keep an eye on the other driver. In the tracks I went to, generally the winner would turn off first becuz he was ahead. They really didn't have a set pattern, just use common sense. Then there will be a road that returns you to the side of the track, and you will go by a booth with a person that will hand you your timeslip.
They will not give you a 0-60 time. Most tracks give the following:
reaction time
60 foot e/t
1/8 mile e/t
1/8 mile mph
1000 foot e/t
1000 foot mph
1/4 mile e/t
1/4 mile mph
88GT 3.4 DOHC Turbo
Gooch wrote:Way to go douche. You are like a one-man, fiero-destroying machine.
Re: I'm going drag racing. Advice requested.
didnt notice this was such an old thread...lolDoug Chase wrote:This Sunday I'm going drag racing for the first time. Some friends and I are bringing a variety of cars to try our hand at bracket racing. I don't really care about the bracket racing part, I mainly just want to see my ETs. I'm taking my Formula 5-spd.
......
March 16, and was going sunday....
so, what did ya run?
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Doug Chase
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Re: I'm going drag racing. Advice requested.
Pyrthian wrote: didnt notice this was such an old thread...lol
March 16, and was going sunday....
so, what did ya run?
Doug Chase, Sun Mar 20, 2005 4:02 pm wrote:Rained out.
I'll make it out eventually.