flewbyu

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cekim

Well, I first have to admit having lapsed about a decade since making to the track (trying to get back this weekend), but some things don't change so here goes...

1. TCS - OFF!

2. Tire pressure - have not experimented with THESE tires specifically (hoping to this weekend), so I will leave that to others.

3. RPM - with 4:10's and anything close to stock radials, you are going to spin easily...

In a perfect world with lots of traction (big softwalled slicks), you'd want to leave a little above your peak torque number. Torque is what gets your car moving off the line...

BUT unless you are putting on some different tires, you are going to be fighting wheel spin off the line, so you will have to experiment, but provided you feather the clutch a bit, I would think you should be able to start at ~3-4K as a starting point...

Where you go from there on RPM is a function of which you want to roast more (tires or clutch)...

Good luck!!!

cfr865

Get some good drag radials (M/T) or you'll be all over the track. I make about the same rwhp as you and I spun all he way through first gear with the a/t. Your 60 ft. times will hurt you without traction, so your 1/4 mile e.t will suffer. Maybe with the stick you will be able to control the spin better, but traction is the key to a good e.t., I will not race again until I have some drag radials. My best time was 13. 107mph. I know I'd be in the 12's with traction.

RodeoFlyer

Everybody's different, but with my car i lower the stock pirellis down to 20-22 pounds. The key is with your LEFT foot - not the right.
I launch at 3000. IGNORE YOUR RIGHT FOOT. It's strictly a feel thing that you will pick up. SLIP the clutch out - don't let it slam. The shock will break the tires loose. Once rolling nail it. This all happens really fast obviously lol. It takes practice. DO NOT go through the water box!!!! You will see newbies thinking they are cool and doing burnouts on radials. DUMB. Even drag radials don't need a long wet burnout. All you do is get water in the grooves, which goes on the ground, which means spinning. Go around the burnout box, wind it up and dump the clutch to clean off the tires. Pull up very slowly so the second amber flickers on. Watch the third amber light. When you see color let ift fly.

Good Luck!

p.s - air your tires back up before you go home. Her *** will be all over the place on the highway with them aired down that low lol

Rock36

+1

I struggle sometimes with keeping my right foot steady while releasing the clutch. Sometimes I get ahead of myself and start pushing the throttle in before the clutch has fully engaged....that will ruin your chances for good traction.

flewbyu

Cekem---Hmmm, I thought TC would be on to help you not spin as much when taking off? Perfect example of why we ask these questions!!! I will work on the RPM thing around town. I have a quarter mile strip on a street here (its on a slight curve though) that I can start from dig and relpicate a track run. However I can only do it when no traffic is around. I will practice it. I will not be changing tires. I only want to run with what I would run on the street. So its what I have daily only.

RodeoFlyer-- I will try the lower air pressure thing. I assume they have tanks around to put the air back in at tracks?? As mentioned above I will practice on the RPM and clutch. So I am clear, you say there are 3 lights, becareful on the first one, watch for a flicker on the second one and the next light is the green right? Is there a certain amount of time from the flicker to green? Like can I count from the flicker to green or I just gotta watch? I think my time does not start until I cross a line so does it really matter as long as I dont start early?


cfr865--Sorry, I dont know what 1/4 "et" stands for except that alian guy with the finger?? As mentioned above no drag radials, I will on run on my street tires. I will not be changing tires on the street so I only want to run how I am in the real world. You say your best time was 13 but you think you would be in 12's with traction, to all posters so far, I did not really get my answer to what "I" should shoot for. I need to take my car out today to see how much I spin with 4.10's did not seem yesterday while driving like I would spin more but I have not got on it yet.


Are the times cfr865 mentioned right for me? Or should I expect to be mid 12's? low 12's mid 13's? Thats what else I need to hear.

I will work on the other tips. Thanks for the replys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rock36

Every track is different based on track prep, weather conditions, altitude etc....


But I think if you could nail around 2.0 second 60' time I think you should be able to break into the high 12s.

ET stands for elapsed time.

I've run my street tires at 20 psi with some decent success. I have a little portable air pump to refill my tires, it takes forever but it does the trick.

Traction control factors into more than the launch....the torque nanny will appear in other parts of the run like your 1-2 shift and your 2-3 shift. With practice you can modulate the throttle yourself to maintain traction when you need it AND get all the power out of the engine the instant the tires do grab.

cekim

See Rock36's response - TCS's response to loss of traction is fine for the street, but costs too much at the track... Just like the rev limiter - it does what it says, but you sure don't want to let it do that!

Good luck - careful with that practice... I find empty straight on-ramps with good visibility to the highway are better for that...

cekim

The "flicker" are the "staging lights" (amber)... Just go slow...

Once you are staged, usually they are setup to go:

yellow <- bring up RPMs if not up already
yellow
yellow <- hit the gas/release clutch here!
green

You want to hit the gas as soon as you see the last yellow - usually if you shoot for that between the delay in your reaction time and your car's delay, you will end up with a decent time...

You will still get an accurate time report if you red-light, so don't worry too much your first time out...

No point in "counting" - too much "thinking" to count - just clear your mind and wait for the last yellow and go...

You will see a difference if you haven't been launching with some RPMs - with TCS off, your first few attempts might result in a nice burn-out...

Don't worry about ET - focus on the launch... That is what you are there to do - practice launching and shifting fast - ET will take care of itself...

flewbyu

Thanks Rock36 and cekim for the follow up! Next week I hope to try it out. Still trying to get use to the 4.10's now.[sm=gears.gif]