New member-first time to track-what a blast-now what?

Funmoneypit

New Member
May 20, 2010
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Hi everyone. New to this forum.
Well I went to the dragstrip last night. First off, what a blast!! First time I have taken the Mustang and first time I have raced since about 1980. First run I forget to turn off the traction control and when I go to do my burnout.....it stalls. Well needless to say I was embarrassed so I just went up to the line and ran. Still spun big time which I don't get. I spun all the way through first gear, shifted and still spun all the way through second gear and finally grabbed in third. I ran a 14.35 at 103mph. I get back to the pits and then realized I forgot to turn off the traction control. So...I go back in line and just keep telling myself "turn off the traction control". I do a good burnout, get staged, look down again for the traction control and then what RPM's I am at, look up and the tree is already green. ****!! I get a little better launch and run a 13.74 @ 104. Ok, that is getting better. I do one more run. Better launch but still spinning once I shift into second. Run a 13.69 @ 106. I take it to the pits to cool down. I am pretty happy with the progress so far. I let it cool for about 30 or 40 minutes. I am in the staging lanes now and the starter comes over to my car. I am thinking oh crap, am I leaking something or what? I roll down my window and he says "you know, the fastest you can run is 13.99 without a rollbar"? I am like, WHAT!!! He says go ahead and run it but let out at the end. I have a vert. Well that sure brought the fun out of it. So I practice on my launch and hitting second gear, run through third and then shut it down each time. One time I get a really good launch and second only spins a little. I feel real good about this one and go through third. I know I am going a little too fast so I even hit my brakes at the end before I go through the traps. I get my time slip, 13.72 @ 84 mph. Now I am concerned. I park in the pits and let it cool. I get back in the staging lanes, get up to the starter, and sure enough, here he comes again. I roll down my window and he says "you are really going to have to think about getting a rollbar before you come back". I tell him I will and he still lets me race! I figure what the hell, let's make this the last run. I get a good launch but it starts to spin like hell in second (and I am granny shifting) so I let out and get back into it. I run it hard all the way through. I get my time slip and ran a 13.53 @ 105.8. I park it and start to get ready to go home.

I know it will run a lot better. With a little better tire and more refinement of my launch and second gear shift, I can do much better.

Best time is above. Best reaction time was .0256 which I was really happy about. Best 60 ft was 2.09 with a lot of room for improvement.

So....now I just have to figure out if I want a rollbar or not. I really love the racing part and would like to continue but I also don't want to ruin the looks of my car with a rollbar. If I had a hardtop I wouldn't care 'cause you don't really see the bar anyway but with a vert, different story.

Here is a vid of one of my runs when I had to shut down on the end. You will see my brake lights come on before the traps but I still run a 13.7 and only 84 mph...lol I have since called the strip to ask about the 13.99 time as I thought it was 13.49 and the idiot at the starting area was wrong, it is 13.49 so I was fine. I do know though that the car will go faster than 13.49 so I still have the rollbar dilemma.
http://

I guess at this point I am interested in a roll bar but don't really know where to go to get one. Any ideas?

Sorry about the long story.
 
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I don't know how well you read my story (I know, long) but I do need one if I want to go back. Anything under 13.50 needs a roll bar. I will easily be under that once I get better at getting off the line and shifting to second gear.
 
I don't know how well you read my story (I know, long) but I do need one if I want to go back. Anything under 13.50 needs a roll bar. I will easily be under that once I get better at getting off the line and shifting to second gear.

I don't know where you live but these guys do excellent roll bars and cages. Some of our convertable club members have their roll bars.
 
I don't know where you live but these guys do excellent roll bars and cages. Some of our convertable club members have their roll bars.

Hi, thanks for the reply. I am sorry but I don't see who you are talking about. I am refering to "these guys". I am interested in whoever can do the best job so I would like to know who you are referencing. Thanks again.