I'm here to report on my first ever attempt to drag race at a track. Friday night I went to VA Motorsports Park to run in test and tune. If you wanna know the stats on my car ('89 CRX) check my Bio. I borrowed my friend's slicks. These were some short little tires. We tried to keep them at about 14-15psi. I was pretty nervous and it was freaking cold... 44 degrees, very cold track racing after dark from 6pm till 11pm. Cold air good for engines, bad for traction. Here's the run down.

1st run, I get up there and do a burn out, RPMs too high and I pulled out of the box without getting the tires good and heated up. Other car (80s Monte Carlo SS) was already staged. I pull up, get staged, look at tachometer to get revs up where I want them, then look up to see the lights are already going, I drop the clutch and run. Miss 4th gear and kinda let up, I didn't realize I was still int he quarter... oops. Here's my slip:


I'm car 934, on the right, each time.
Shows my bad reaction time from not watching the lights, but I did blow the Monte Carlo away!

2nd run, get up there beside an S2000. While in line he was beside me. I heard he hadn't run good his first time. He opened his hood and I noticed an aftermarket air intake, then he pulls the air filter off, I guess he meant business this run. I do a perfect burnout, get the little M/T slicks nice and warm. the S2000 is staged. I get up there and the same thing happens, I don't have enough time to look to get my revs up and watch the lights, I launch and run through the gears, the S2000 out of reach. The slip:


Reaction time was hardly better.

3rd and last run. I am beside some big old Nova with a small block. I get up and do another bad burn out like the first one. It's then that I notice that he is still doing his burn out so I hurry and stage so I can get my revs where I want them and watch the lights. I'm sitting around 4000rpm and see the 3rd yellow and dump it. The car bogs because I didn't follow through with the throttle. The Nova gets away from me fast. The slip:


I was happiest about my reaction time. Time still gets worse. I'm gonna have to put the blame on the weather getting colder and colder as the night went on.

Anyway, feel free to analyze my slips and tell me what you think I should concentrate most on. For my first time I was happy. It was fun. I can deal with just 3 runs. I could have run more except that 2 cars hit the wall and had to be cleaned up (over 30 minutes each) and one truck dumped it's antifreeze (another 30+ minutes). regardless, I had a blast.

 

60 foot time sucks since you were on slicks.....

 

what really sucks is that monte carlo SS you raced against in the first run. dayum!!! i've never seen an SS that freakin slow, he must have been running on 2 cylinders or somethin. not bad tho..15.6 in a ZC rex is pretty decent.

 

Well, the monte spun tires like mad, that was also his first time running, ever. Nice guy, he got the car to run a 16 before the night was over.

 

i always miss the damn tree
dont worry tho, r/t not counted against you usually. just launch well and run i guess. the 14.5 by the s2k is kinda slow. usually 14.2-14.3 around here.

 

LIke I said, as cold as it was people were not happy with their runs that night.

 

o ic. I the cold

 

I also have problems reving and watching the tree. glad to see not everybody on here gets perfect 60'' ft. Was it yellow,yellow,yellow green or all three yellows and then green?

 

Don't worry we're not all pro racers. My r/t 's are usually in the 6 and 7 range sometimes I get the odd 5. But your 60 foot times are something like mine . What size slicks did you use?

 

yellow, yellow, yellow is the Sportsman tree and the other one is Pro tree.
Also when I race (sportsman) on the second yellow let off the brakes and put the car at rev limiter for launch.

 

these are D15 ET's right?????

 

What are D15 ET's?

It was sportsman tree.

Let off brakes? Onced stage I sat there with foot on clutch, other foot trying to hold around 4000rpm, no brakes involved.

As for the size of the slicks... ummm, pretty small, they are mounted on 14x6 stock VW jetta steel wheels. Look at the pics:

http://boyracer.endoftheroad.ca/weekend/

 

nope, dohc ZC in his rex.

 

Not everyone runs the same times as you. His times are about average with a zc rex.

 

 

I hoped you were running a low power D15 engine. The slicks in the picture are 20x6x14 MT and 14 psi would be the correct pressure to run. Second gear burnout, launch at 6500+ rpm and hope tranny holds.

14.85 with a SOHC VTEC motor and skinny slicks.

 

 

I'm sorry but I don't bash people into the ground when they don't get times you hope them to get or are not up to your standards.

There is always a exception to the rule and good for you your sohc can beat his first time ZC time but don't insult the kid by posting your time in a totally different setup than his, give him some help.

 

floor it jm

 

Thanks for backing me up.

 

No problem

And floor it

 

I'm not bashing, just he needs more practice. I understand it was his first time out. Now go another 50 times to hone the skills.

I spent almost 2 summers at the dragstrip on Friday T&T, learning to drive MY car and tune it.

I was first FWD to bring slicks. I helped get local Import Day going.
Goto the strip and have FUN and LEARN YOUR car.

Almost as good as sex, almost!

 

Mista Bone,

I couldn't help but notice your impressive 13.09 at 103mph. You must have done that w/ your 1.8 60'. I'm just curious about your launching technique because I'm going to try to better my times. I've got a decent mph but my 2.2 60' foot sucks...and that's on MT slicks mounted on 15" rims. BTW, I was also launching at 4k and dumping it. Should I be launching at 5k or higher? I'm also gonna be running 12psi of boost so I don't want to come home w/ mid 13's and a high mph. I'm shooting for high twelves...Any suggestions would be appreciated...

 

What was the car doing on the line when you launched it? I get 2.2s 60' times on street tires, no name brand all-seasons. I'm not trying to bag on you but it seems to me that's the best place to start.

If the car was bogging, launch higher. Were you preloading the clutch and launching off the ebrake? Or just holding the gas and the clutch in?

 

a good second gear burnout........(this one a little much!)



12 psi tire pressure, 7000+ rpm launch. I pull leg back as fast as possible, ZEX engages rightaway.

IMHO 22x8x15's don't hook very good. You should look into 22x8x13 and maybe some axles!


[Modified by Mista Bone, 6:20 AM 11/29/2002]