This might seem off-topic but I knew I'd get the best responses in here. What is the significance of trap speeds? Say two cars go down the 1/4, one does 14.0 at 90mph while the other does 14.0 at 105 (not sure how realistic those are, those are just examples). I know one could hit low end power and drop off while the other is just starting to hit his power near the end, but is there more to that?

 

It's often an indication of a car's potential with relation to its power. A high trap speed with a not-so-great ET usually indicates a lack of traction. Take for instance a slip I'm looking at right now where I ran 13.85 @ 104.35. That trap speed shows that the car is obvioulsy capable of better.
BTW, I cut a 2.24 60 ft on that run. Not good.

 

Well trap speed can show if a car has more low end or top end power. Not only that but cars who launch better tend to get a lower trap speed. The trap speed is also indicative of how a car would do on a role race.

Although both of those theoretical cars run a 14, the guy with the 105 trap speed will destroy the 90 guy from a role since he is going much faster at the end.

 

Trap speeds dont really matter in terms of your ET.. but it actualy tells you a lot about your run and the other persons run. If you pulled a 14@105 (which believe me ive seen happen), it means you launch like dog ****. Plain and simple, you sat and spun then took off.. means your car is capable of a HELL of a lot better ET.

I'll give you a personal example
I ran a 12.8@105 and the guy next to me ran a 12.5@98. The big difference? I had a 1.9 60' and he had a 1.4 60' on slicks. It shows that my car will trap higher and would have run him down pretty easily if we had kept going, but that his car launches better. Also shows if our 60' was the same I would have been way out ahead of him.

Another thing is that the lower the 60' the lower your trap speed will probably be, and the higher the 60' the higher it will be (to a point). If your pull a 2.6 60' spinning your tires and stay on it your oging to trap a lot higher... by the time you passed the 60' mark you were probably moving faster than if you had just shot off the line with no tire spin. Your ET will be crap, but your trap will be higher.

Trap also makes a much bigger difference when your talking street.. a car that traps higher will usualy win on the street because its pretty rare that people mark off an accurate 1/4.. and hte fact that almost no one brings true slicks on the street. lol.

 

Thanks for the great info guys, that makes a lot more sense now.

 

Hav did a great job explaining it.

That's cause we're the smartest. Stick around long enough and you'll see that as well. [8D]

 

IDK, the V6 section might have you![&:]....j/k

 

Woohoo! I am teh smartiest!

 

lol We all know you pm'd me and asked me this same question I just read your message before this thread.