Is it necissary to do a burn out with street radials?
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 168
From: Bmore, MD
Is it necissary to do a burn out with street radials?
Question is in the subject. I would think i dont need to, and might be counter productive. OH, any tips for a first timer?? Ill be going to the track this friday if the weather is ok
Thanks.
Thanks.
Registered User
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 1,122
From: Memphis, TN, USA
Well, I'm a rookie at this also ... went to the track for the first time 2 weeks ago and am going tonight. (Tonight will suck as the track is cold and the air is nasty)
Drive around the water box. Don't get ANY of your tires in the water. When the guy gives you the signal, just turn the tires over once to clean the debris off of them and zip on up to the staging beams.
Hit the pre-stage light and then inch into the stage beam. It's a courtesy to pre-stage and wait for the other guy to pre-stage before staging .. but at a TnT night, nobody will really care.
When the tree starts coming down, go on the 3rd amber.
If you've got a M6 tranny, rev up to about 2700 and feather the clutch off the line. If you have the A4, hold the brake and rev it up to about 2,000 - 2,300. Experiment with these numbers to find the highest you can go before the tires break loose when you start off the line.
Don't worry about the reaction time or the tree since this is your first time. You can sit at the line 5 seconds and still run a good ET and trap speed. The timer starts when you leave, not when the light turns green.
When you go out there, all you need to worry about is finding the staging beams (look for a white box about two inches tall). Once you find the beams and get staged, go when you see the 3rd amber light as the tree comes down. If you redlight ... who cares?
At the other end of the track, you should pass two orange markers. Once you pass the 2nd one, you have completed the course and you're done. (I never saw the markers until the 3rd run ... I just kept my foot in the floor until I passed the signs with the times on them)
Once you clear the traps, let off the gas and ease a little on the brakes ... ease on ... ease off ... ease on ... etc ... you don't want to jab the brakes at 100 MPH.
Most tracks have 2 turnoffs. Don't even bother looking for the first one. Keep driving down to the end of the track and there should be a long sweeping turn. WATCH FOR THE OTHER DRIVER Don't ever cross into the other lane until the other driver has passed. If you are on the inside lane, the other driver should wait for you to turn off before he/she crosses over (unless they are WAAAAY ahead of you). But, you can't count on them watching for you ... this may be their first night, too.
Once you make the turnoff, head for the timeslip booth. Take your slip, (say thank you) and keep driving. DO NOT STOP AND LOOK AT YOUR SLIP! As soon as you passed the traps, the starter got the next pair started on their burnouts. They are about 20 - 30 seconds behind you .... don't stop in their way.
Head back to the pits or back to the staging lanes again. Now you can look at your time slip.
General stuff ---
Once you enter the gates of the motorsports park ... turn off the A/C and don't ever turn it back on until you leave for the night. Blower fan and heat are OK, but no A/C. You don't want to drip water condensation down the track.
Parking lights ... turn them on. Most tracks don't like you to have your headlights on, but they do want the parking lights. (If you have a Camaro with auto headlights and you haven't modded that yet ... the track will just have to get over it)
Windows up! You can have the windows down in the staging lanes, pits, turn off, etc ... but once you leave the staging lanes and head into the burnout box ... roll the windows up. Once I pass through the traps at the other end, I roll down the window. It gets stuffy in there!
Radio off. Turn it off. You don't need the distraction.
Seat belt. This is a DUH item. Buckle up!
Helmet -- if you are running 13.99 or faster, most tracks require a helmet. If you don't have one, go out and run anyway. If you pull a 13.99 or faster, they will either ignore it or ask you to get a helmet. Borrow one from one of your friends at the track if you have to. The local track here usually doesn't get picky on the helmet until you're running 13.5 or lower. Personally, I think everyone should wear a helmet no matter how fast/slow they run.
Staging lanes -- there are multiple lanes. You'll see which lanes have street cars, which lanes have pro cars, and which lanes have bikes. Get in the street cars lane. At some point they will stop the street lanes and let the pro cars and bikes go before rotating back to the street cars.
Above all else ... watch! The first time I went out, I let the person in the other staging lane beside me do everything first. Then I just followed him. I watched where we went to go into the burnout area. I watched him drive to the staging beams, and then pulled up even with him. I left the tree late on my very first run so that I could get a feel for the track. The other driver was about 10 cars ahead at the end of the track, so I followed him through the turnoff and over to the timeslip booth. Watch and Learn!
If you can resist the temptation to run full throttle on your first run, try to do your first run at about 80% throttle. You need to run through the entire sequence of events first. Then, on your second run ... it's ***** to the wall!
And finally .. HAVE FUN ! That's the number one rule! Enjoy your car and the people at the track. That's the whole purpose of the track in the first place.
Drive around the water box. Don't get ANY of your tires in the water. When the guy gives you the signal, just turn the tires over once to clean the debris off of them and zip on up to the staging beams.
Hit the pre-stage light and then inch into the stage beam. It's a courtesy to pre-stage and wait for the other guy to pre-stage before staging .. but at a TnT night, nobody will really care.
When the tree starts coming down, go on the 3rd amber.
If you've got a M6 tranny, rev up to about 2700 and feather the clutch off the line. If you have the A4, hold the brake and rev it up to about 2,000 - 2,300. Experiment with these numbers to find the highest you can go before the tires break loose when you start off the line.
Don't worry about the reaction time or the tree since this is your first time. You can sit at the line 5 seconds and still run a good ET and trap speed. The timer starts when you leave, not when the light turns green.
When you go out there, all you need to worry about is finding the staging beams (look for a white box about two inches tall). Once you find the beams and get staged, go when you see the 3rd amber light as the tree comes down. If you redlight ... who cares?
At the other end of the track, you should pass two orange markers. Once you pass the 2nd one, you have completed the course and you're done. (I never saw the markers until the 3rd run ... I just kept my foot in the floor until I passed the signs with the times on them)
Once you clear the traps, let off the gas and ease a little on the brakes ... ease on ... ease off ... ease on ... etc ... you don't want to jab the brakes at 100 MPH.
Most tracks have 2 turnoffs. Don't even bother looking for the first one. Keep driving down to the end of the track and there should be a long sweeping turn. WATCH FOR THE OTHER DRIVER Don't ever cross into the other lane until the other driver has passed. If you are on the inside lane, the other driver should wait for you to turn off before he/she crosses over (unless they are WAAAAY ahead of you). But, you can't count on them watching for you ... this may be their first night, too.
Once you make the turnoff, head for the timeslip booth. Take your slip, (say thank you) and keep driving. DO NOT STOP AND LOOK AT YOUR SLIP! As soon as you passed the traps, the starter got the next pair started on their burnouts. They are about 20 - 30 seconds behind you .... don't stop in their way.
Head back to the pits or back to the staging lanes again. Now you can look at your time slip.
General stuff ---
Once you enter the gates of the motorsports park ... turn off the A/C and don't ever turn it back on until you leave for the night. Blower fan and heat are OK, but no A/C. You don't want to drip water condensation down the track.
Parking lights ... turn them on. Most tracks don't like you to have your headlights on, but they do want the parking lights. (If you have a Camaro with auto headlights and you haven't modded that yet ... the track will just have to get over it)
Windows up! You can have the windows down in the staging lanes, pits, turn off, etc ... but once you leave the staging lanes and head into the burnout box ... roll the windows up. Once I pass through the traps at the other end, I roll down the window. It gets stuffy in there!
Radio off. Turn it off. You don't need the distraction.
Seat belt. This is a DUH item. Buckle up!
Helmet -- if you are running 13.99 or faster, most tracks require a helmet. If you don't have one, go out and run anyway. If you pull a 13.99 or faster, they will either ignore it or ask you to get a helmet. Borrow one from one of your friends at the track if you have to. The local track here usually doesn't get picky on the helmet until you're running 13.5 or lower. Personally, I think everyone should wear a helmet no matter how fast/slow they run.
Staging lanes -- there are multiple lanes. You'll see which lanes have street cars, which lanes have pro cars, and which lanes have bikes. Get in the street cars lane. At some point they will stop the street lanes and let the pro cars and bikes go before rotating back to the street cars.
Above all else ... watch! The first time I went out, I let the person in the other staging lane beside me do everything first. Then I just followed him. I watched where we went to go into the burnout area. I watched him drive to the staging beams, and then pulled up even with him. I left the tree late on my very first run so that I could get a feel for the track. The other driver was about 10 cars ahead at the end of the track, so I followed him through the turnoff and over to the timeslip booth. Watch and Learn!
If you can resist the temptation to run full throttle on your first run, try to do your first run at about 80% throttle. You need to run through the entire sequence of events first. Then, on your second run ... it's ***** to the wall!
And finally .. HAVE FUN ! That's the number one rule! Enjoy your car and the people at the track. That's the whole purpose of the track in the first place.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 861
From: Philly Suburbs
Originally posted by cenman
when i used to run street tires, i always found it helpful to do a short burnout. it cleaned them off and it also picked up some of the sticky rubber left off from the guys using slicks.
when i used to run street tires, i always found it helpful to do a short burnout. it cleaned them off and it also picked up some of the sticky rubber left off from the guys using slicks.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,326
From: Fort Myers Florida
I run with the radio on. I have the radio dialed into the track PA system. Every once in a while you get a tip on your bracket race(in the middle of the race). Like "oh no he may break out", or "oh wow they both have close RT's" etc. Any advantage helps. 
Jackie, I got that one from Rick. and it got me 2 wins this season.
Jackie, I got that one from Rick.
and it got me 2 wins this season.
Last edited by kazman; Oct 30, 2002 at 09:48 PM.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 39
From: Medford, NJ
You can turn your radio to the track PA system? Do all tracks have that? 
Also, some tracks like Atco for example, make you wear a helmet regardless of your times. Smart idea, I think.
There's no way to drive around the water box at Atco either. Doesn't seem to hurt things, just clean your tires well, and drive slowly through the box so you don't kick water up into the wheel well.
Also, some tracks like Atco for example, make you wear a helmet regardless of your times. Smart idea, I think.
There's no way to drive around the water box at Atco either. Doesn't seem to hurt things, just clean your tires well, and drive slowly through the box so you don't kick water up into the wheel well.
