Dave88LX

I've always been taught to drive around the water box, but I notice at the track I go to (Crapitol), the lane is coned off so that you can only drive through it. Any reason for that? Don't really want to drive through it, but, not left with much of an option.

adam85

It just depends on the track sometimes. I was always told that if you have skinnie fronts just drive through, but if you have regular tires go around. At my local track BIR, everyone just drives through even on the bigger events.

AL SS590 M6

Our track still has a drive around and I really appreciate that as I race the 'street tire shootout' and if everyone drove thru the water it would be a dissaster.

redneckgames

Motor mile dragway in VA has theirs set up where you cant go around it. I HATE that. I went there once for t&t. Never going back.

5thgen69camaro

Ive never been to Capitol. Is there a staging lane leading up to the cone or even close? Generally the guy running the staging lanes should always have the next round of cars ready to go and will usually throw a cone in front until then.

I cant imagine why they would do that.

Do you bring a buddy with you? Is there an official in the burn out box? Do other people's buddies move the cones on other cars before they run? If so Id just have a buddy move them for you maybe sweep it out so you dont get crap on your tires. If noone else moves them you can always ask the official. If youre forced to go through the box, I personally would sweep out ALL of the water gunk and crap so not to screw up your own run too bad.

I dont know how it is now, but when I worked the burn out box at MIR I was adimate about trying to get guys like you to go around the burn out box so they didnt track up water or more importantly rocks.

Then again that was 96-98 and at the time cars were purposely offset when they came around the corner to be to the left of the burnout box where the rocks would not hit the cars in line. Now the cars waiting to run are directly behind straight in the line of fire and I have no idea what the reason for that was.

Not to single you out for your tracks policies but according to your post Id have to wonder how bad the rocks, water and dirt are at your local track. The Rocks come up from everywhere behind the burn out box, but also from the box itself. The box is usually Concrete which the tires of the nicer cars dig out. In addition you don't want the water going past the box. Im guessing since they just let you drive through it they probably arent constantly cleaning it like they should. Its hard enough to keep up with it when youre enforcing keeping radials out of the box.

If I had a car around 9's or faster I might take a serious look at that as a safety issue as well as risking my car. I know you mentioned that happens at bigger events but I wouldnt personally run that risk.

adam85

Nice to hear from someone that worked at a track. On the street legal nights its almost impossible to make a clean pass. For real race events when there are 7 and 6 second cars going down the track it hooks really well. the only other strip that I have been to here in MN, was running the same way with driving through the box. There were some really fast cars there also. Personally I would rather back into the water.

5thgen69camaro

Backing into the water would eliminate your front tires getting wet at all and is ideal. I hope your not doing a burn out with normal radials because this doesnt help. You said its impossible to make a clean pass. Is that because of the pebbles, rocks and water being tracked up and getting stuck in your tires? You sound like you do this a few times so I am assuming you are lined up in the groove(the two tire tracks from every car thats ran). If we caught someone out of the groove, our starter would usually back him off and line him up sometimes to make sure they had traction.

The reason you are hooking really well on real race events or Shows I would assume is due to the rubber being left from the slicks. On a good day it will take your shoes off as your walking across it. Although any day slicks run consistently with out much downtime on the track you can get that kind of traction. Hotter days the track tended to stay hotter and the rubber left from the slicks would be sticker on the track.

You said 2 race tracks pulling cars straight through the water even with radials. Maybe Im missing something. Only thing I can think of is its a pain. Maybe its not worth the aggravation to them? Not everyone listens to the officials in the burnout box. I only made a little over minimum wage doing it. Some drivers with slicks who pull around like you ask dont understand you want them to back into the water if they want to do a burn out.

By the way, the waterbox sets the pace the tracks runs by how fast they send you up to the line and pull the cars into the water behind.

adam85

Yes, I agree with everything you said. I have only been racing for about 4-5 years. I line up in the groove like you mentioned and I run mt drag radials not regular tires. There is always a track official in the burnout box at BIR and they signal you when to start. They usually let you start your burnout when the previous cars are almost off the track. The only time I see cars go completely around the water box is when they are on street tires. I wish I could get out to other tracks more to see what they do.

5thgen69camaro

Oh, I somewhat misread your earlier post. Sorry for the confusion. Was half asleep when I read it like I am now. You said everyone drives through the water box which I assumed included radials but you also said cars with radials drive around. Thats not quite as bad but its not ideal because thats a lot of water on your rear tires.

Doesnt sound like you're in bad shape.

Its always best to go with a buddy who can sweep out the box for you if possible. Ideally you want the water box swept out.

You dont want a ton of water in there or its going to be thrown in your rear fenders and drip on the slicks as your sitting on the line. just sprayed enough to where you know you the wheels will slip and not kill your drive train when you start your burn out.


The water at the end of the burn out box has to be straight across. To me that is ideal because you have to line up both tires there when you start your burn out.

If not possible make sure you start your burn out both tires in the water and try to keep spinning at least out of the water until your happy with it but are out of the water.


So if you pull straight through:

- Half way through the water blip the throttle Spining the tires one rotation or so just to throw the rocks off your wheels but dont take off.

- Pull your car up to the end of the water so your rear tires are half on and half off the water. Having a buddy guide you knowing what you want helps.

- Start your burn out when they let you. If you have a line lock thats even better. The water behind the tire will keep the wheels slick but as they heat up will dry it up a bit.

- let off the line lock let it catch as you pull up to the line.


If you pull around the water:


- Back up into it until your wheels are half way in.

blip the throttle Spining the tires one rotation or so just to throw the rocks off your wheels but dont take off.

- Pull your car up to the end of the water so your rear tires are half on and half off the water. Having a buddy guide you knowing what you want helps.

- Start your burn out when they let you. If you have a line lock thats even better. The water behind the tire will keep the wheels slick but as they heat up will dry it up a bit.

- let off the line lock let it catch as you pull up to the line.




Hope this is some help...


EDIT: 4-5 years isnt a short period of time.

adam85

^^^^^ That's some good info thanks.

5thgen69camaro

My pleasure. If someone wants to make this a sticky so others might get something from this, that would be great. Or I can create a new thread to make sticky if everyone wants.


Thats based on what I was taught and the rest on what I refined over 3 years based on what I found I thought worked best. The idea is to heat up the tires more or less slightly melting them evenly until slightly sticky like you would glue in a hot glue gun.

Adjust it to what works for you.


If you find youre still sitting on the line and water is dripping down on your slicks causing you to loose traction which our starters noticed on occasion you can always change the part you start your burn out to be just past the water. A hand full of racers did this but not the majority.

Some racers did a burn out driving around the water and not backing into it at all. This can be really hard on your drive train. your rear axle is trying to move forward while your line lock is holding your car still. This can sometimes be violent like wheel hop, or it could be the wheels just pushing forward while the car is pushing back against them. To each their own but sometimes it was like watching a train wreck and was painful to watch. At the same time they eliminated water causing slippage on the line entirely. I wouldnt recommend it. I would suggest what I posted earlier before trying this method.

redneckgames

Good information.

Since this thread is based on what to do at the waterbox, Can someone please go into detail the dangers of letting off the throttle completely during a burnout? Ive heard it can break parts doing that when the wheels suddenly catch. Can you explain that and how to avoid it?

5thgen69camaro

Before I guess I have to preface this with I dont know how letting completely off the throttle could hurt.

I am not trying to avoid directly answering your question. . Ive seen cars do a burn out and completely let out. The Slicks gain traction and slow to the speed the car is coasting up to the line at and that is it from what I could tell. I couldnt see anything violent or obvious to me that struck me as damage was being done but that does not mean it wasnt. Maybe someone else has a better take on it.

I can see what youre saying where they catch, but there is no power behind it other than the centrifical force of the slicks. So if this is causing stuff to break Im afraid Im not much help there but Id want to learn that answer myself.

As far as avoiding damage while doing a burnout.

Keep in mind, the entire point of the waterbox is to make the ground slick so that your tires that should otherwise hook will slip while you heat them up. Water takes a lot of strain off the drive train when you spin the tires. Sometimes too much if you think in terms of why your drive tires slip in a rain storm. Same idea. So use the water when doing a burn out to limit damage done during a burnout is my best advice.


EDIT: This reminds me a little of the Mythbuster knightrider episode Law of inertia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYlstdCWzCY

MuscleParts

The track I race at has a water trough so you need to drive around it. On tracks that just put water down on a flat surface... drive on through.