First time at track .Help.

Don't expect too much. If you don't already have "track" experience then go ahead and get some passes in to get the feel of it. Look around at other GTs and see what type of setups they have and see what helps them out for traction, etc...

Have fun is the biggest thing. So many guys go out expecting to make stellar passes, and when they don't it ruins their experience. Like Steve said, don't expect to much.

Remember, the launch is 90% of the race (other 10% is shifting, which aint to hard, lol). If you're on regular street tires, DO NOT DO A BURNOUT!! Street radials only get greasy when they get hot. Just spin them a little bit to get all the dirt and crud off. AVOID THE WATERBOX!! Even if you get all the water off the tires, water will still be splashed up in the fenderwells, and can drip back down on the tires during the race, not good.

Try slipping the clutch (do not just dump it, that will result in either tirespin, or bogging) at different RPMs. Might start out at around 1500, then maybe 2500. Before I did my rear suspension, I would slip the clutch at 2000 and that seemed to work the best. Keep in mind that was at the track, on the street it would be 1500. Now with my control arms, I can slip the clutch at 2500+ on the street (even launched at 3000 a few times) and hook pretty good. Just get a feel for how your car responds and have fun.

Oh, and don't worry about reaction times, they don't effect your ET's. Your time doesn't start until you roll forward and trip the beams, so don't be nervous about beating the other guy at the tree. Good luck, let us know how it went.
-Chris

Dont start in second gear. Just as CMan said, ride the clutch out. I go from about 2000 rpm also. About the burnout thing though, Id say it depends on the tires. With my Bridgestones (soft compound), a burnout helps out a good amount. Nothing big, just 3-4 seconds. Get some smoke going and let off the gas. I got my best 60fts doing that. Just experiment. I remember my first pass was in the 16s .

Good luck! I made my first 2 passes this past Friday. 9.4 and 9.3 in the 1/8th @ 78mph both times. Was going easy on the launches to get the feel for it.

Launch on green your first few runs. Once you are comfortable you could try to shrink your R/T and 60 ft a little, but with street tires you will find this a little difficult.

Here's my .03

Relax, Relax, Relax.... and I would add a side order of "no radio" to go along with that. Anytime I have stupidly had music on in the background I have had horrible runs. This is why dragsters don't have radios.

When you are ready to try and improve your initial times, start your launch on the third amber light, as this is when the timer actually begins. Many racers launch on green, however, the timer has already been ticking slightly at that point. We are talking fractions of a second but every little bit helps.

You can easily take a .221 R/T and turn it into a .051 R/T as I have by starting to slip your clutch out on the 3rd amber light.

You will only Red light if you launch on the 2nd amber. I usually watch the tree when the cars ahead of me are launching in order to get my mind ready for the amber intervals. I basically count with the light. One, two, and let the fun begin.

Do not get distracted by the car in the other lane and do not get nervous if you do not line up with the staging lights. If you pass them, back up, line up and relax. There is actually more time on that tree that you think, but the first few times you race it may seem ridiculously fast in your mind, until you relax.

Totally agree with CManT's comments on wet tires and burnouts. Both are bad math for street tires.

Everyone has a bad run or even and sometimes an entire bad day at the track. My worst run ever, resulting from two mis-shift attempts at third gear was 21 seconds. i was so mad and I didn't want to blow my trans. so I just gave up and coasted down to the end of the track in disgust. My brother refuses to let me forget about that run.

I'm sure there is someone else on this forum with a similar worst run of all time story. You should feel pretty confident that you will beat 21 seconds. Stock 94/95's generally run in the 15's

With some minor mods you'll be in the 14 seconds. It's about at this time that you will start having dreams of running in the 11's.

Have fun!!!

fushnicken said:

With some minor mods you'll be in the 14 seconds. It's about at this time that you will start having dreams of running in the 11's.

Click to expand...

And I give it about a week before he realizes how much freakin $$$ it takes to go fast and gets disgusted, lol.

I am the king of bad runs and missed shifts.

My third run ever I ran against a blown alcohol injected vette that ran 8's whn it got traction. I was so nervous I stalled my car on launch. Was kind of a good thing though the vette turned strait left from the tree and crossed my lane.


I still miss shifts and have bad runs but it is hella fun. That is the key have fun.

what track in NC are you going to?

also go in a stright line. Pick a spot at the end of the track and use that as your refrence point. Shortest distance between two points is a stright line so dont be weaving back and forth in your lane.