Tomorrow I will be making my first run on the drag strip at the Test & Tune at Kilcare Speedway in Xenia, OH. I will be running my currently stock 1995 Firebird Formula LT1, automatic with street tires.

Questions:

1.) I assume I should run with traction control off to prevent bogging on my launch?

2.) I've been practicing launching at street lights/stop signs, and it seems that a good way for my car to launch is to hold the revs at 1500 - 1800 RPM and then ease off the brake. Anybody else have different experience with this?

3.) Since I am running on normal street tires, burnout or no? I understand I don't need to heat up the tires but I've also heard of some people just "cleaning off" the tires before their run.

4.) Assuming I get a good launch and the track is well-prepped, I should expect around what, low 14's?

Thanks all...

 

Depending on what type of street tires you are on I would at least spin off all the crap that is on them from the street if not heat them up a little. (No big burnout or anything)

Then remember the track will hook a little better than the street so you might try launching just a tad harder than on the street.

Other than that have fun and give 'er hell!

 

Its an automatic so you don't need to worry about bogging. Track conditions may or may not be good. Some tracks really don't clean up the surface very well on test and tune nights...

You should do a short brake stand just trackside of the water box. This will clean the crap off your tires prior to the launch.

Courtesy stage. If you light the prestage bulb first, wait for the other guy to prestage. Then stage. If he lights it first, he is supposed to wait for you to prestage before he stages, but often on test and tune nights people simply don't understand this concept so don't worry about it if he just lghts both bulbs.

Let the tech inspector know this is your firat time and ask him important stuff like where the staging lanes are, the bathrooms, the turnoff road, the ticket booth for timeslips. It will reduce your stress level to have a handle on basic stuff.

Watch how the other drivers burnout and stage before you try it. Watch how the track personnel direct the cars. Don't speed on the pit road or in the pits. Be courteous at all times. Follow the rules. Real racers will respect good behavior.

 

1) Don't know much about the t/c, but since you're learning try it both ways.
2) It depends on how the track is prepped for your launch. Just experiment. I'd start by stalling it as much as possible and on the green give it about 3/4 throttle (unless the tires break traction of course) then mat it to the floor shortly out of the hole.
3) On regular street tires, I'd just clean em off. Maybe about 5 secs or so.
4)Stock 95 TA should run a mid to low 14, but it depends on your gears. 2.73's suck! imo. But GMHTP got their TGOW Z w/2.73's to run 13.7's - how?, I'll never know. I haven't run that and I've done a few things to my car.

btw, if you have to back up to the burnout area, don't forget to put it back in "D"! It does look funny when you see newbies start a burnout in reverse!!!

Don't worry if you don't run as fast as you'd thought you would, just have fun learning!!

 

Quote:

Its an automatic so you don't need to worry about bogging.

The bogging I'm referring to is what occurs when you have traction control on and the tires lose traction.

Any other advice from anyone?

 

I would not recommend traction control at the drag strip. It will slow you down. Traction control is intended to make your car safer, not faster. Turn it off at the drag strip as you can do better than the computer.

 

Yep that's what I plan on

 

If you're after a good ET then turn off traction control and try to learn not to overpower the tires. In a bracket race I would recommend using traction control. Since you're after consistancy and not speed, TC is just another way to eliminate a variable like wheel spin.

We have a 2000 Blazer that races locally. Using traction control, the truck is extreamly consistant. Enough for him to finish in first place in the points standings last year in Sportsman ET brackets. Nothing like running 18 second 1/4 miles and winning.

 

Well, I ran the track, could've done better, but I only got ONE run in and I shut down early, whoops...

I ran a 14.6. I can post the entire timeslip later. I had an awful 60-foot. I think my MPH was like 95.

Not bad for my first track run ever though.

 

stock a4's are pretty straight forward..not too much to it..put it in d,traction control off..and stall it up, might take a few pratice runs to get the rpms to launch at just right...you should see low 14's autos are pretty consistant

 

that car has atleast another 4-5 mphs in it and 3-4 tenths...keep practicing

 

I know it but like I said, I only got ONE run.

And I let off early. I couldn't really see where the end of the 1/4 was.... doh.

 

Yea i had that problem my 1st few runs...didnt know when to stop hehe

 

I felt like an idiot.

 

Don't let it discourage you. I bet next time you'll be better. Let us know what happens the next time you go out to the drags!