Drag Racing Technique Improve your track times

Not first time at track but need advice...

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Old Sep 3, 2005 | 03:49 AM
  #1  
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Not first time at track but need advice...

I'm gonna try to ice the intake for a little bit. Get a towel then ice up the intake manifold for a good 30-45 minutes before a race. I have BFG KDWS, should I get water on them and do a 2-4 second burnout, or just pull in front of the box and do a quick burnout, or none at all? I have an a4, so what about brake torquing it? I hear people brake torque it when they launch, how do they do it, just hold the brake till I get in the upper RPM's then launch it? Wouldn't that make my R/T go way up? It would look kinda funny if I'm brake torquing it before the light turns green! I'm confused on how to brake torque it off the line. Since these aren't wrinkle wall tires, should I just leave the pressure the same, or drop it a couple pounds?

Last edited by blind527; Sep 3, 2005 at 03:53 AM.
Old Sep 3, 2005 | 09:39 AM
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Re: Not first time at track but need advice...

With regular street tires, the general idez is to avoid the water if possible, do a very quick burn to clean them off (too much heat makes them more slippery), try about 26-28 pounds to start with and adjust from there (too little pressure makes them "cup" and too much creates a stiffer sidewall), stage as shallow as possible if you want a good ET, launch close to idle and see if you hook up. If you hook up you can try launching a few hundred rpm higher. Stage the same way each time. If your reaction time sucks you can go in deeper but it is easier to to just pick a spot to launch sooner at if you are just doing this a few times a year.

Since I usually race every weekenbd for points I would rather adjust the car than the driver but when driving different cars at different tracks just for fun I will adjust my style to comensate for the many differences.
Old Sep 3, 2005 | 11:40 AM
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Re: Not first time at track but need advice...

Everytime I've gone to the track they've directed people IN the waterbox. Should I just try not to do a burnout and see if my tires hook? If I do a quick burnout it will have to be in the waterbox? What about brake torquing it, you said I could probably try to launch at higher RPM's, how do I do it? I know how to brake torque, obviously, but at the stage line for launch confuses me.
Old Sep 10, 2005 | 01:21 AM
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Re: Not first time at track but need advice...

Usually you can still go around if you want. I always see a bunch of crap on the edges of the waterbox so i roll through. When you roll through you need to make sure you pull far enough forward that your not sitting in puddles of water though. When ready just hit the gas as you would when playing on wet roads or whatever to get them spinning good (no holding the brake though, we arn't doign a burnout) and roll on up to the starting line

I've found better results on street tires leaving from an idle. edge into the stage beams and nail it. If you find that your car is sticking, try pre-staging, hold the brake, bring the rpms up a couple hundred (say 1k to 1300rpms or whatever is higher than idle) and ease off the brake until the stage light comes on, hold the car still, wait for your spot on the tree and floor it.
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 07:58 PM
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Re: Not first time at track but need advice...

You have the same tires as me and they're good for 2.0 60 foots.

I always leave the tire pressure at 30 psi, turn off the traction control, avoid the waterbox, never burnout and pull right up to the tree. I hold it to around 1,000-1,100 RPM and when the last yellow light flashes, I quickly let off the brake and ease into throttle as fast as possible without spinning and then floor it. All of this needs to happen in a split-second.

I know it's easier said than done, but it takes practice. This technique always gets me 2.0-2.1s and it doesn't seem to be too hard on the drivetrain. Seeing how you have an LT1 and make more low-end torque than me, you might want to start launching at 800-900 RPM and see where you're comfortable at.
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 08:13 PM
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Re: Not first time at track but need advice...

Originally Posted by SFB767
You have the same tires as me and they're good for 2.0 60 foots.

I always leave the tire pressure at 30 psi, turn off the traction control, avoid the waterbox, never burnout and pull right up to the tree. I hold it to around 1,000-1,100 RPM and when the last yellow light flashes, I quickly let off the brake and ease into throttle as fast as possible without spinning and then floor it. All of this needs to happen in a split-second.

I know it's easier said than done, but it takes practice. This technique always gets me 2.0-2.1s and it doesn't seem to be too hard on the drivetrain. Seeing how you have an LT1 and make more low-end torque than me, you might want to start launching at 800-900 RPM and see where you're comfortable at.

What do you mean never burnout and pull right up to the tree? If I don't burnout I'll just stage and just floor it when it's my time? I'll be getting a 3500 stall soon.
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 08:17 PM
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Re: Not first time at track but need advice...

Originally Posted by blind527
What do you mean never burnout and pull right up to the tree?
I mean I do not do a burnout and drive from the lanes (where the cars are waiting to run), right up to the tree without touching the waterbox.

Originally Posted by blind527
If I don't burnout I'll just stage and just floor it when it's my time? I'll be getting a 3500 stall soon
No, don't floor it as soon as the light turns green, you'll spin and ruin your run. Do as I recommended and you'll lower your 60' time.

Don't get a stall until you can master launching.
Old Sep 12, 2005 | 08:38 PM
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Re: Not first time at track but need advice...

I'll give it a shot. I didn't have any problems spinning flooring it off the line before, but I did put full exhaust on so that might change I'll hold the brake and gas it just a little bit *not to the point where they spin* till about 1k, the light turns yellow, release, then gun it right? I don't see how that can cut down on my 1/4 time, what if I don't spin off the line?
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