Help the newbie analyze his first track slips.

[Fett]

Went to the track today for the first time, I felt that I did pretty good but I know could do better. I was wondering if you guys could look at the slips and see where I could use improvement, where I did well, and over all impressions.

It was 95+ degrees out today, nasty sun.
Car is an 88 coupe 5.0, WC T5, King Cobra clutch.
Stock bottom end, stock E7 heads that have been gasket matched. Stock springs and valves. E-cam, 1.7 rockers, Edelbrock Performer intake, 24lb injectors/Pro-M 24lb MAFS. Fuel pressure set at 40psi, timing 15 degrees adv, MSD 6AL. 3.73 rear gears, tubular control arms, boxed upper both with urethane bushings. 26" slicks. I left the gate at 5k rpms.

The first run I had a horrible 60ft, I left at 3k and bogged bad. The second run was better, but the rest of the runs were pretty consistant. Between 1.7/1.8 60ft, 13.2 @ 102mph...slight variances.

I was shifting at odd times because I don't have a shift light...which I should get...but I have never had my car dynoed so I have no idea where my power comes in and goes out. I tried to shift as close to 6k as possible...but tended to be between 5400-5900.

Any suggestions, comments, ideas to better myself? I am hoping that with lower outside temps, and my electrical issues fixed, I would hope to see 13flat with the current setup. Hopefully with a little more track time and better outside conditions I can get 13.0 or 12.9 as the car is now. Then I can move on to heads and maybe a power adder. I am happy with it as it is now, I was hoping to see 13.9 today...and I got that my first run...so I am very happy. As I started consistantly hitting those numbers, I figured I wasn't going to get any better today, so I shut it down.

 

[Fett]

Oh yea, ignore my RT. I wasn't trying to cut a light, I was just trying to see what the car (and me) could do. So I pretty much just waited until I saw green then dropped it.

 

[dragnazz5.0]

f0r th0se m0ds and being the first time t0 the track with that car id say th0se are damn g00d times. id just get the shift light and keep 0n running it. maybe back the fuel pressure d0wn a little like 2 0r 3 psi and see h0w she runs next time. g00d j0b man

 

[Tonys96Cobra]

Looks pretty good to me! Just keep praciticing with the different shift points, but you may want to get an aftermarket tach, the stocker is notoriously bad....

 

[Fett]

Yea, I am thinking either tach...or hooking a shift light up through the MSD.

I really need to hit a dyno to get my A/F set...plus I think I might be too advanced. The car doesn't ping or anything....but at the track at about 5200 rpms I could hear detonation.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[dragnazz5.0]

well the det0nati0n is pr0bably due t0 the fact that the it was really h0t 0utside. 15 isnt bad at all, but if its det0nating than i w0uld back it d0wn a degree 0r tw0. what grade 0f gas are y0u running?

 

[Fett]

93 octane. I have never had the RPMs that high, so I don't know if it would detonate with cooler weather. I don't street race, so unfortunatly (actually fortunatly) I only get to see these conditions at the track.

 

[thehueypilot]

Oh yea, ignore my RT. I wasn't trying to cut a light, I was just trying to see what the car (and me) could do. So I pretty much just waited until I saw green then dropped it.

Next time drop the hammer when you see the last amber light.

 

[Fett]

I was trying to focus on my launch and shifting more so than the light....I was a nervous little sissy-man the first run.

I was less sissy-man as the day went on...but I was still nervous. I didn't include the two slips where I missed a gear, once I missed 3rd and pulled a 13.8, the other I missed second...if you can believe that. So I just cruised down the track and pulled a 19.5.