I am new to the drag racing world, and I have a couple questions. How can a car pull off a 14.5 (just a random number) with a 105 trap, and another car pull off a 14.5 with a 100 trap? Shouldn't they be equal? What am I missing? How does a lower 60 make you trap slower? Or am I wrong?

 

someone who runs 14.5 @ 105mph probably has traction issues...probably severe problems at that...for that matter, someone who runs 14.5@100mph isnt getting the best traction either...a car with good traction is going to run a better ET because it is accelerating faster, to eventually reach its maximum velocity, but when youre tires spin, you are still moving, but youre not accelerating as quickly...

thats not the best description...but it should do...i think.

 

I am pretty sure that a 100mph et should be around a 13.5 range nay be faster??? My friends 300ZXTT ran a 13.6 at 114 LOL he had a lot or tire spin..

 

A great lesson in racing is to remember that HP = MPH not low ET's. Your HP dictates your MPH and how quickly you make HP and hook dictates ET's.

 

i believe it has something to do with where in the run your car does most of the accelerating. ROTM summed it up pretty well. if ur car pulls a 13.5 at 100, you probably got a good launch and kept consistent acceleration. but a 14.5 time at 105 could be the result of no traction, then pulling like a mother****er to get to 105. the more time is spent spinning, the higher your ET will be, but you can still get up to a high speed in that time.

 

I'll tell you how to get a 15.2 @105mph...... skip doing a minor burn out on cold street tires and see what happens. [8D] Only did that once and it'll be the last time I do that.

 

im impressed that you trapped 105, hav...thats a pretty healthy mph...

 

on the opposite side of what they are saying

a car such as mine with lousy traction is capable of trapping in the 101-102 range on a terrible 60' and lousy ET

however by cutting the 60' down, and bringing the ET down, ive also managed to trap at a 14flat with a 99.09mph

my goal for 13.6's will probably yeild a high 98 trap speed if the trend continues

 

[JDaniel]If I could only hook up I'd trap at least 140mph. I know I only trapped 122mph, but if I dead hooked it'd be soooo much higher! You ignorant people, you trap higher when you hook harder! DUH![/JD]

[8D]

If (A) car runs 13.0 @ 105 mph, and (B) car runs 14.0 @ 105 mph. Then A car is faster than B car from a stop due to a better launch/suspension/driver/etc....however, A car and B car would be damn near even from a roll b/c they're both making nearly identical power. As already said, trap speed shows the cars power/potential, while ET's show how well the car/driver is getting the power down.

 

friend mike (if anyone is in sacramento...black 03 cobra with plate "chini") ran 13.7 @117. talk about traction issues!

anyway, the best way to describe why better 60' equates to better ET but LOWER mph would be along these lines:
getting traction off the line means a harder launch and better 60'. in the same sense that a good launch gets you to 60' down the track in less time, it would also get you to 1320ft down the track in less time than a bad launch (in theory). however, since you got there quicker, your car had less time to accelerate up to its maximum potential speed (trap speed). because it was accelerating for less time while physically within 1/4mi, it did not have enough chance to get up to a higher speed vs. a run with a good launch, BUT it got to the end sooner. this results in lower ET, as well as a lower trap speed.

there are many more complicated logistics behind it, but that is the basic premise as far as i know it.