explain to me what the groove is!
what am I looking for as i'm pulling up to stage as far as where i want to be lined up at?
anyone have any pictures to go along with the explanation?

Steve

 

the groove is where all the rubber is laid down from previous cars. pictures might help,but sometimes you have to walk the line to find it,and it varies lane to lane track to track.

basically you are looking for dull spots in the track,avoid shiny ground.

 

You'll notice as you pull up to the lights it's a lot darker patch, most likely in the center of the lane. More rubber is layed down there, so it hooks better. And DEFINITLY avoid any shiny spots.

 

You can kind of see them in this picture.

Maybe a little in this one too.

 

Jackie, can you arrange for me to follow Rick all season. He made the groove bigger.

 

excellent! thank you for the pics

 

you on street tires or slicks?

if on street tires, don't tear up the groove for the rest of us slicked up cars, hahaha

 

how do you guys feel about that with drag radials?

 

it was mostly a joke.

Tuff showed me one RSD night how the tread and the thick "blocks" on the tire that hare harder material then what a slick would be, he showed me how it tears it up and wears down to the concrete. You can see a lot of it from the import crowd.

There is a difference though. People who run street tires and TRY for a good launch and try not to spin are fine. But the people who just mat it and spin all to hell are the ones that really tear it up.