I know that I heard of people breaking engine mounts because of excessive wheel hopping. Has anyone experienced major problems?

I've seen two accidents since I've started going to the track, but never in the test and tune (close). If you get into an accident while dragging at the track, does it automatically void your insurance?

 

I personally don't think so.

 

chances are you are NOT covered unless you are in the parking lot

 

If you're involved in an accident on the track, you're NOT covered by insurance...that's why Englishtown (and I'm sure most other tracks) make you sign a waiver when you pay the entry fee to race.

SSeeya!
Steve Ragusa - North Jersey
www.bowtiepower.com
'00 Maxima SE and a resto-modified '85 Monte Carlo SS

 

I burnt up my tranny at the track!!!

 

Wheel hop can easily be avoided by simply not releasing the clutch so fast on launch. You'll get wheel hop and spin if you're too aggressive on the launch and shock the drivetrain. Contrary to popular belief, dumping the clutch usually doesn't result in the best ets. I wind up to 4000-4200rpms, slip the clutch to where I start moving, then release the clutch quickly BUT I don't "dump" it. I rarely get hop.


Dave

 

Some guys dump the clutch with a little gas modulation like theblue who happens to have the fastest NA Maxima time!

 

Yeah, I know "theblue" dumps his clutch at the track, but we must remember a few things. His track is like glue. To pull those kind of 60's with street tires and in cold weather is simply amazing. Usually a track surface is horrible for street tires. Rubber coated launch pads are good for slicks, but bad for street tires (ie slick surface). Most tracks are slippier than the street therefore you have to adjust your launching style. I'm pretty certain the theblue couldn't launch like does at the track when he's on the street. Dumping the clutch is bad. When you dump the clutch, you shock the drivetrain. This can lead to broken trannys, axles, differentials, burned clutches, broken mounts, etc. I actually think the theblue is lucky in that he hasn't broken anything yet because his track hooks so hard that that all the power is transmitted directly to the tranny and none of it is lost to spin. I suggest slipping the clutch just enough to take the initial load off the tranny. If you do it right, you won't burn the clutch. Release the clutch quickly, but don't drop you foot off it.


Dave

 

First tranny was destroyed on a launch with basic mods (intake, Y) Tire pressure at 25 psi on 225/50/16 Cooper Cobras. Launched at 1200rpm. Took off with a chirp, then about 15 ft out, wheels began to spin. I backpedaled and tires hooked with a vengeance. Broke sprag unit in tranny, and fried the band on the 1-2 upshift. Also shattered the passenger side wheel bearings and broke a tranny mount.
Over the winter, after a full on tranny rebuild and the addition of a JWT ECU. In a do-or-die effort to break into the 14's, I blew the tranny again, almost the same fashion. I had a 2400 rpm stall speed convertor, and launched with the revs at 1500. After a burnout to try to increase traction on a slick launch pad, I launched. 20 psi in the tires gave me a massive holeshot. Too hard of a launch as the tranny let go. Smoking the internals, blowing a pump seal and a couple of other things.

When the tranny came out, both side wheel bearings came out in pieces again.
I gave up racing that car after that

 

I wouldn't say that...especially at the end of the season last year, which is when he got his best time.

 

Havent broken anything but everytime i launch & NOS kicks in, i get nervous that my axles might snap. I get wheel hop in first and spin all through second in my auto. I def cannot afford any major repairs either.

 

I ran out of gas once, and another time I had a dead battery from running my neon lights too long without the motor.

as for the launching stuff, I don't dump the clutch as fast as I can get my foot off, I do it over one second which means that force hits the tranny a little less hard. I dump it because I don't want to kill my clutch from slipping it and burning it up. My track is nothing special in terms of grip, I proved that as Maxus when I ran my best time from back then (14.8 w/ only catback) three times in a row.

 

Hey Aaron, I got a seceret for you. If you take your time dumping the clutch, its called slipping!

And I thought you didn't run out of gas...it was the dead battery..

 

you can't call it slipping my clutch because its faster than that, I don't let the clutch out to counter wheelhop, I do it completly by the time I have tripped the light and then use the gas to control wheelhop. So I think its more of a drop than a slip. I think you may be right about the gas/battery thing, but I do remember paying for some gas from them one time.

 

Yeah, that was the battery day. We thought you ran out of gas because your light had been on for a while, so you bought gas and that didn't help the problem at all....so we jumped it and it started right up.

Who knows, may you would have run out if you didn't buy it.

You know when the track opens for the season? I assume early April.

 

no idea when NYIRP is opening this year, but I'm not going as mush as I did last year. 2002 is the year of autoX for me (hopefully you also) If I get anymore power mods I will want to go but apart from that I really don't think I'm going to run any faster. I do want to spectate you and your NOS

 

every raceway makes u sign the waiver..
if you get an accident, you simply tow your car off the track, park it on the side of the road, tell ur friends to help you flip your car a couple more times to make it real, then you gotta go back and drive your friend's car to make some tire marks on the road(you really have to make this convincing..you know?)...then you will get covered. :naught:
has anyone done this? well..i don't know.

 

I hear ya'. But I've gotta take the new car and see what it can do (NA as well).