So last night was my first time at the strip, I went out to countyline dragway outside of miami, it is an 1/8 mile track.

Conditions: it was pretty hot outside, high 80's with a good amount of humidity, nobody was running great that night, track wasnt hooking very well

Car: remove spare and mats, pop charger, injen ses td, 18lbs rays, stock psi on oem tires

This was my first time ever at a drag strip with any car period, and only my third or fourth time ever launching the car. Take a look at my slips

first run, was wayy to nervous, spun bad etc



second run, moved the other lane, was a bit more calmed down, better launch



last run, same lane...not a great run either



how can i improve, does it seem like my car is making ok power, any suggestions would be really appreciated, thanks!!

 

Iknow this is your first time so be understanding if we give you some constructive criticism...R/T has nothing to do with your E/T,but you're taking a long nap at the launch pad and in heads up racing you LOSE!! Everything got better with each run so just keep practicing. Are you in a 6mt or an AT5?

 

I know r/t has nothing to do with e/t so yes, i was taking a ton of time to go but i understand this and was not concerned with it at all during the time. I am a 6mt

 

Cecil County Dragway, MD 05/2005

The first time is to familiarise yourself with the car and safety. And have fun. Few if any 350Z drivers will see 2.0 second 60-foot times the first time out. BTW I have competed in 1/8 mile racing. Very difficult. 660 feet allows absolutely no room for errors.

 

I have a feeling this thread is not going to go very well.....

 

why, i understand how everything works. My friends just told me not to worry too much about the timing and just focus on getting a good launch, obviously next time i go things will be different

 

Your 1/8th mile time and trap speeds are far less dependant on the power the car makes than on the drivers ability to utilize it and the grip the car has.

I used to run better 1/8ths in a BMW with significantly less power or rear grip - but that was with a REALLY good launch and perfect shifts. I'd get low 9's with 76/77 mph speeds through the 1/8th.

Get good at being smooth with your clutch. You need to be able to move the car completely without touching the gas, then maintain exactly 1500 RPM's while getting the car to move, all while NOT adjusting throttle input. Clutch modulation and smoothness is key at the track and you have plenty of time to work on it, but it definitely is your weak spot.

 

It's alright, dont stress about it.

Just practice, practice, and practice. We have all been in your place.

Try different methods of launching; different RPM's, clutch drop or feather, and see which one works the best for you.

goodluck.

.

 

I dont think the clutch drop approach works very well. I would suggest just slipping the clutch and finding the rpm that works for you. Its all about being smooth. You did improve with every run, so you just need to get out more.

 

we ALL werent.. jk


just keep it up, just try to be smooth, driving a car is like ****ing a cat, you dont want to be too fast and forceful... ok, i am really kidding

 

If your going out for fun runs, absolutely. Worry about your launch. RT's only matter in competition.

 

not to be blunt...but your 60fts suck... get off the line better and your 1/8th mile will improve.

Just call me capt. obvious.

 

Nice analogy Jeremy...

Congrats to you going to a track. I have yet to hit a track... You'll get better with seat time and practice. We were all told as kids practice makes perfect. And then we were told nobody can be perfect, then... o fugetaboutit

 

Practice makes better. Thats the truthful statement.

WOW, you weren't kidding about his 60' times. Haha. Thats ok though. You will improve with time in regards to that. Running street tires? Drop your PSI to below 30 and launch around 2000 RPM's. That should help. I'm still learning to launch, as the best I've been able to muster so far was a 2.2 60'.

 

More RPM, and don't drop the tires too far - the stock tires have stiff sidewalls and will pull tread off the track surface.

I was at 25 psi my first time out, probably try about 27 next time just to get used to the launch (not to mention the clutch overheating being the ***** anyway).

 

drew, i live at that track now...lol. trust me when i tell you that its going to take tons of practice before you can master a good launch at this track. the prepping is not the best so you really got to baby it out of the hole a bit if you want to get traction. i usually launch anywhere in between 2.5k-3k and just feather it until i feel the wheels hook and then just dump the clutch. the key here is to feel out the car until you have that sweet spot that you feel the tires hooking and always shift at redline. your always going to be nervous you first few times at the track but that go's away so just keep practicing. the best i've done so far at this track was a 2.0 60ft and 8.8 et and that took tons of practice.

by the way, i got the new y-pipe now, i also got a few pics of the issue we talked about. i'll try and send them to you tonight if i get the time.