Well I am going to go to the track again Wednesday (weather permitting) and take some of your tips into advice. Thanks for the advice adrenaline. Hopefully it won't be that packed so i can get about 4 runs in. Gonna try and remove some excess weight too. The car is a basic Coupe GT with ABS, and all the goodies.
Help me decode Time Slips
- Thread starter mackey
- Start date
mo_dingo
20+ Year Stangneter 
Get there early, at least 1/2 hour before tech opens. That way you are first to run. If it's like my track, it gets really busy about an hour or 2 after it opens. Just stay there until the track closes. I usually get 9-10 runs in each time I go, unless someone spills oil/water all the way down the track.
Like me, you need practice. The street provides a great place. Just don't do it on public roads or in front of cops!
Desolate parking lots at 3AM will work just fine. You need to get the feel for you car. Try this. Rev the motor to 2000 rpm's, and DUMP the clutch. If you clutch grabs well, your car should either stall, or the tires will spin. If the clutch doesn't grab well, this could be good. Keep raising the rpm's until the tires spin off of the line. Watch the tach the whole time; don't be concerned what is in front of you. Once the tires have hooked and the car is accelerating, you can let off and stop, then try again.
So, lets say at 2700 rpm's (random number, yours will be different), the clutch grabs well enough to make the tires spin. If "2700" is the lowest rpm your tires will spin. then you know that at "2500" rpm's the tires will not spin if you dump the clutch. Watch the tach, and try to keep the rpm's right at "2500" by pushing/releasing the gas pedal.
Practice this for a while; getting a good feel for how the car will act. It will take a few launches to perfect it. Now, you can practice the ideal launch for the track. If "2500" was the ideal spot to launch from when you dump the clutch, then you need to try add some clutch work. This will allow you to launch at a higher rpm, and get a better 60' time. Peak torque is around 3500 or so. Anything after 3500 is just gravy!
So, lets try 2800 rpm's. Now, you don't want to "dump" the clutch, here you want to slip the clutch. Stay in the clutch just long enough for the car to start rolling a little so you don't spin the tires. Now you have to be careful doing this. If you stay into the clutch too long, you will roast your clutch disc. (HINT: If you start smelling clutch, stop what you are doing, and let the clutch cool down).
So, keep slipping the clutch until you get the optimum launching point. In this analysis, My guess would be 3000 rpm's.
Remember, I picked random numbers; Yours may be different. Also, what happens on the street may not emulate the track. You may have more traction when you get to the track, so you can up the rpm's some, or vice versa. You never know what the conditons will be.
Whatever the case may be, you need to be higher than 2000 rpm's. Otherwise, the car will feel like it's "bogging". This is not an optimum launch speed; You need to get to higher torque area of your powerband.
Scott
Like me, you need practice. The street provides a great place. Just don't do it on public roads or in front of cops!
Desolate parking lots at 3AM will work just fine. You need to get the feel for you car. Try this. Rev the motor to 2000 rpm's, and DUMP the clutch. If you clutch grabs well, your car should either stall, or the tires will spin. If the clutch doesn't grab well, this could be good. Keep raising the rpm's until the tires spin off of the line. Watch the tach the whole time; don't be concerned what is in front of you. Once the tires have hooked and the car is accelerating, you can let off and stop, then try again.So, lets say at 2700 rpm's (random number, yours will be different), the clutch grabs well enough to make the tires spin. If "2700" is the lowest rpm your tires will spin. then you know that at "2500" rpm's the tires will not spin if you dump the clutch. Watch the tach, and try to keep the rpm's right at "2500" by pushing/releasing the gas pedal.
Practice this for a while; getting a good feel for how the car will act. It will take a few launches to perfect it. Now, you can practice the ideal launch for the track. If "2500" was the ideal spot to launch from when you dump the clutch, then you need to try add some clutch work. This will allow you to launch at a higher rpm, and get a better 60' time. Peak torque is around 3500 or so. Anything after 3500 is just gravy!
So, lets try 2800 rpm's. Now, you don't want to "dump" the clutch, here you want to slip the clutch. Stay in the clutch just long enough for the car to start rolling a little so you don't spin the tires. Now you have to be careful doing this. If you stay into the clutch too long, you will roast your clutch disc. (HINT: If you start smelling clutch, stop what you are doing, and let the clutch cool down).
So, keep slipping the clutch until you get the optimum launching point. In this analysis, My guess would be 3000 rpm's.
Remember, I picked random numbers; Yours may be different. Also, what happens on the street may not emulate the track. You may have more traction when you get to the track, so you can up the rpm's some, or vice versa. You never know what the conditons will be.
Whatever the case may be, you need to be higher than 2000 rpm's. Otherwise, the car will feel like it's "bogging". This is not an optimum launch speed; You need to get to higher torque area of your powerband.
Scott
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