I was wonderin, whats the best way to get a 96 auto to launch? I know how to do it in a manual (if I actually had one, but I know the theories of manual launches) ... but how do you get going that fastest in the auto? Floor it of the start? ease it in? neutral drop (really stupid thing to do)? brake touqing? I just have no idea what the best way is!

 

bounce it off rev limiter slam it into drive, Pick up peice's of tranny's and swap in a manual.

 

haha, I was thinking of doing that, but I'm a broke college student and I don't have enough $$ for a new transmition :-(

 

Left foot on brake, right foot on gas. First yellow light rev to 2000 or so, third yellow light left foot up, right foot burried into floor.

 

hmm ... interesting...

This spring, I plan to go to a drag strip for the first time, any tips for a first timmer like me? For example, I was reading up on some drag strips here in Illinios, and most had all these wierd rules like something about a water box thingy where you can only burn out?! whats up with that? And what about order of who races who when? How is all that decided? (Sorry if all my questions are annoying, but I'm very anxious about this and can't wait till spring ... I'm also rather nervous cause I don't know any of the procedures or "rules")

 

Here ya go. Get to the strip earlier than you plan on running so that you can watch how everything works. At the strip I go to, it can be pretty complicated and confusing and there are a lot of fools that don't watch and think they know what they are doing and end up looking like idiots. Watch how people line up in the staging lanes (some might be for street tires and others for slicks, make sure you are in the right one). Then watch how people go around the water box, where the burnouts for people with slicks happen.

DO NOT GO THROUGH THE WATER BOX OR DO A BURNOUT ON STREET TIRES! All you will do is get your tires wet if you go through the water box. If you do a burnout, your street tires will just get greasy, not sticky like slicks or drag radials. The best idea is to do what some call a "dry hop": after the water box, just floor it really quickly and then stop before the staging lights. This gets any rocks or residual water off of your tires.

After the dry hop, line up as straight as possible and inch forward until the first staging light (usually yellow and smaller than the other lights) lights up. Then inch forward until the second staging light (same size and color as the first light) lights up. Now you are staged. You have to wait for the other lane to stage as well and then when everything is ready, the starter guy will start the tree sequence: 3 yellow lights spaced .500 seconds apart and then the green light.

Like I said before: left foot on the brake, right on the gas, rev to 2000 or so with your foot still on the brake at the second yellow light, then left foot up, right foot burried on the third yellow light. Don't worry if you don't get it right the first time, it takes practice. My first run was an 18.xxx and 3 runs later I ran a 16.346.

Other than that, set your front tire pressure upto normal, and bring a tire guage and adjust the tire pressure down as you do your runs. Look at your 60' times on each consecutive run and when they stop going down, stop lowering the tire pressure. Don't go below 20psi, which will probably be the best pressure for you. Lowering the pressure like this increases the tire's contact patch with the ground and also allows it to twist a bit more before it wants to spin instead of hook up. The rear tires should be set at the max pressure or a little bit below.

Remove anything you don't need and leave it at home. The spare tire, jack, etc. should be taken with you to the strip, but left in a friend's car at the track if possible.

In between runs, prop the hood open and ice the manifold if you want. If there is a significant line, turn the engine off, blast the heat on high, and push the car through the staging lanes. If I think anything more, I'll post it up.

 

usually they will tell you what lanes to use. (Example: Hey you in the maxima, use lanes 1 and 2 tonight !) So its up to you to select lane 1 or 2. When im coming around for another run. I try to line up to someone that will be a good race if possible.

If you see several corvettes in lane 1 ( HA HA !) instead of pulling up next to them in lane 2 just pull up behind them. Then hope that some slower cars will fill up the other lane. But for now i would concentrate on getting in a lane and practicing and having MUCH fun.

 

thanks for all the tips :-) When spring comes around, I'll hopefully know what to do :P now, all thats left is to print this and post it on my wall and save it somewhere on my HD so that I don't loose it ;-) Again, thanks :-)

but a quick question about the launch though, it doesn't make sense to me. Well, I understand it and how to do it ... but if I let go of the brake on the 2nd light, and floor it on the 3rd ... wont I get a early start or something thingy like that? The "red light" thingy?

 

The R/T (reaction time) on your slip will show if you redlighted (ie. your reaction to the green light was faster than .500 seconds) Honestly, if you leave when you see the third yellow light, you won't redlight. My best R/T with this method was 0.727 which is pretty miserable. Just remember that R/T has no impact on your time. You could sit at the line for 2 minutes and still run a 15.xxx second run. Just work on the launch first and R/T later. Have fun!

 

[QUOTE]If you see several corvettes in lane 1 ( HA HA !) instead of pulling up next to them in lane 2 just pull up behind them. [QUOTE]

Ha, too true. One of the first times I went racing, I was lined up against some 60's Camaro all decked out that ran a 12.5 quarter mile. So then here I come 3 seconds later finally making it to the end. A little embarassing, but oh well.

Troy

 

How long do you rev it with your foot on the brake before launching?

 

about 1 second. If the other guy stages first, pull up until the first staging light comes on, and begin to brake, and rev at the same time then. hold the power brake, until you inch forward enough to trip the second staging light, and you can get set up better for the launch at a higher RPM. You can practice this at every stoplight until spring.

 

Great info!!! i'm a track noob also, im going to the track for my first time in March. I gonna save this and post it on my wall as well!!

 

Hey Polish, look in the Midwest forums frequently as I am planning on trying to get a opening day track meet at Byron dragway. Which will probably be sometime in late March or Early April i think.

 

I know how you feel this march will be my first so I'm saving this too.

 

looks like I'mma get my hands on a used VB mod for $200!!! This should help my 1/4 time!!

 

I beat Xander to the punch. Polish, you and Xander follow the link and sign up to join us at Byron on April 17th. Should be tons' o fun.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=282645

Oh, and for tm96max, I got ya one better. Drove up to the strip with a friend who has a 03 Vette Z06 (405 hp), he bough the Magnacharger package, and is pushing 540hp. It's beyond me how I got to be next to him, but there I am, on his right side. Lights go, and I jump him out of hole, he cut a 1.1 r/t, I cut a .543. I hear screeching of tires behind me (and he has drag radials), then I hear blower whine (wheeeee), then I hear his exhaust (rumbly blown V8 sound) and I saw his time for almost 4 seconds, before I crossed finish line. He ran 11.4 126, I ran 15.2 91.5 mph. That was so wrong !

Cincy94Max, my method is when I see second amber, come off brake and ease into throttle. Most of the time, if I go on third amber, oops, I just cut a 1.xxx r/t. Doh!

Polish, if you come with us, we will show the ropes. Go to the link.

Fernando.