Tell me about your first time at the track
- Thread starter Stever89
- Start date
ill advised
Member
I would say first and foremost observe the rules and what's going on around you. Watch how to do things like taking your time to line up, using the water box, etc. Sounds simple enough but you see people getting that stuff wrong all the time. I spent time observing from the stands before going in for my first run. By the time I staged though my adrenaline was pumping. Blew the launch to hell, missed a shift, and my friend in the other lane (89gt) didn't do much better. It was a mess. By the second run we were much more relaxed. Either way, I was hooked. We were regulars at the track from then on. Unforunately, that was years ago and the tracks nearest to me have long since closed. 
More than anything I miss the atmosphere. Take advantage.
More than anything I miss the atmosphere. Take advantage.
My first time was like something out of a movie. I had just spent a week on the neurology level at University of Cincinnati hospital, getting prodded and screened for every disease you can think of that may have been causing swelling in my brain. When they finally decided i needed a biopsy to make sure it wasn't cancer, i had a week until the surgery was scheduled and i was sent home to wait for it. I decided, if it IS cancer, i may not have long left, so i'm going to race my car before i never get a chance to. I wore a bandana to cover these metal connector tabs they glued around my head that are used during surgery. It was evening, just getting dark when i got into the staging lanes. When it was my turn, as i pulled around into the water box and got my first view of the track from the starting line, the lights along the outside of the track lit up almost like they lit up just for me. Of course, the car was bone stock back then and i blew the tires to pieces and ran a 14.7, but i'll never forget it. Lucky for me i didn't have cancer 
ill advised
Member
That's crazy. Glad everything turned out okay. Looking down the 1/4-mile for the first time was almost surreal. It seemed to go on forever.My first time was like something out of a movie. I had just spent a week on the neurology level at University of Cincinnati hospital, getting prodded and screened for every disease you can think of that may have been causing swelling in my brain. When they finally decided i needed a biopsy to make sure it wasn't cancer, i had a week until the surgery was scheduled and i was sent home to wait for it. I decided, if it IS cancer, i may not have long left, so i'm going to race my car before i never get a chance to. I wore a bandana to cover these metal connector tabs they glued around my head that are used during surgery. It was evening, just getting dark when i got into the staging lanes. When it was my turn, as i pulled around into the water box and got my first view of the track from the starting line, the lights along the outside of the track lit up almost like they lit up just for me. Of course, the car was bone stock back then and i blew the tires to pieces and ran a 14.7, but i'll never forget it. Lucky for me i didn't have cancer
betke76
20+ Year Stangneter 
in a 91 lx 5.0 all stock nervous,hands shaking, missed 3rd ran a 16 something. my buddies make fun of me to this day
Anyway, as far as real advice goes...spend some time watching before you go out. If you're on street tires, don't bother doing a big burnout..you're not going to improve anything. Go AROUND the water box, and do a quick burnout just to clean your tires off. You go around the water because you don't want to track water to the starting line with you, which will hurt your traction off the line (this is far less of an issue for guys who are on slicks).
Behind that...inch up on the staging lights, you wanna just barely brake the light beam to get the two yellow stage lights. This is known as "shallow staging". Leave on the last yellow light...don't wait for the green to light up. If you're on street tires, don't mash the gas off the line...even if you're good at pedaling for traction on the street, you'll have less traction on the track on street tires and you'll blow the tires off. Try to leave just hard enough to hear some sliiiight tire squeal, but not any harder than that...think "chirping". Don't pound 2nd gear, you'll probably spin there too.
Behind that...inch up on the staging lights, you wanna just barely brake the light beam to get the two yellow stage lights. This is known as "shallow staging". Leave on the last yellow light...don't wait for the green to light up. If you're on street tires, don't mash the gas off the line...even if you're good at pedaling for traction on the street, you'll have less traction on the track on street tires and you'll blow the tires off. Try to leave just hard enough to hear some sliiiight tire squeal, but not any harder than that...think "chirping". Don't pound 2nd gear, you'll probably spin there too.
Kdubslugga
Active Member
I raced a GTP Grand Prix. I was in an 88 GT basically stock, just exhaust. I ran an 15.03 at 91mph. I beat the GTP by like 0.02 seconds lol. I was instantly hooked!
gritchy5.0
New Member
If you are driving a street car on street tires NO John Force burnouts, you will look like a tool. If you go past the beams when you do your burnout and have to reverse dont forget to take it out of reverse (Ive seen this more than once) hard to live this down. My first time was in my dads 65 nova when i was 16. I red lighted missed 3rd and ran 14.11 in a 12.0 car lol. Just remember to have fun and dont sweat all the "pit talk".
Ummm... was the original question about drag strips, or road courses? 
I've done both.
Greatly prefer road courses! 
I've done both.
Greatly prefer road courses!
Ummm... was the original question about drag strips, or road courses?
I've done both.
drag strips
That depends on who you ask and how far you feel like debating it. Technically they're street tires since they're DOT, but i've also seen video of a kid getting pulled over with brand new DR's that were so new they still had stickers stuck to them and the officer said they didn't have enough tread to be legal.
Anyway as far as how to do a burnout with those...i'm probably not the best to give advice there even though i've ran BFG's. I didn't have a LOT of luck with them, but they were worlds better than regular radials. I have seen the Modular Depot Mustang running 11s all motor on the same tires, and when he did his burnout it was for about 3 seconds at WOT, just enough to get them smoking and then he walked them out until they squealed. Tire pressure is another thing...with DR's i've heard anything from 12psi to 16psi, i ran mine all the way down to 12 and got the best times. For regular street tires leave the pressure where you would any other time...lowering it doesn't help you at all.
) many times. lol
5.0Droptop
...all those nights we shared, and you're a dude??
Special Agent Mukity-Muck Whats in Charge Round Here
My first time to track...
As soon as I get there and start watching, a vette launches and somehow shifts his auto into reverse and broke his driveshaft just after the 60ft mark.
Then I hear some guy trying to start his firebird and it would not start he cranks and cranks nothing....he gets out looks under the hood gets back in and then holds the gas pedal to the floor BOOM!!! It sounded like a grenade went off.... he blew his intake off... . His fuel pump had went out. The car had an old dry nitrou kit on it and he still had the power switch on.. when he floored the pedal the tps switch activated and sprayed the dry nitrous in and KABOOM!!!!blew a big hole in his intake....
My first trip down the track was like others described... Nervous I missed shifts and done poorly. Once the newness wears off then you can learn what to do and not to do...
As soon as I get there and start watching, a vette launches and somehow shifts his auto into reverse and broke his driveshaft just after the 60ft mark.
Then I hear some guy trying to start his firebird and it would not start he cranks and cranks nothing....he gets out looks under the hood gets back in and then holds the gas pedal to the floor BOOM!!! It sounded like a grenade went off.... he blew his intake off... . His fuel pump had went out. The car had an old dry nitrou kit on it and he still had the power switch on.. when he floored the pedal the tps switch activated and sprayed the dry nitrous in and KABOOM!!!!blew a big hole in his intake....
My first trip down the track was like others described... Nervous I missed shifts and done poorly. Once the newness wears off then you can learn what to do and not to do...
Well, I was pretty drunk and she was older than me...
*Clears throat* I mean, uhh...
In all seriousness, aside from the obvious racing techniques, something to be mindful of is just proper staging lane etiquette. Always make sure to follow the signals from the track employees, give them time to get out of the way before your burnout, etc. Also be courteous of the other racers, a lot of times at test-and-tune nights, you'll have guys who want to race their buddies, and so they'll sometimes want to swap places in line, so just be aware of that.
Another thing is, if your track has a website, be sure to check it out and read all you can about the test and tune nights. A lot of times they'll have the rules laid out and sometimes, what to bring, what to expect, where to go, etc.
First time using slicks, obviously. Thats a weird feeling when your use to fighting fish tailing on the street. No fish tailing, just neck pulling. I missed third my first time out too. All good advice above. Pay attention to track officials, don't start burn out until they signal you to and don't pull up to stage before you are told to. All things I have done and caused some irritation with those around me.
