Well, looks like im going to get out this afternoon and hit a dragway. It will be test n tune and I have a new intake on the car. Im not sure what to expect and im really not sure if any kind of intake would change 1/4 et.

Anyways, I wanted to see what other people did in preparation. And keep in mind im just learning about cars.

1. Popped hood and looked around. Checked fluid levels.. things look good to me. While im not really sure what im checking for. Oil good, just ahd a change.
2. Crawled around and checked out under the car. No leaks of anykind.
3. Inspect tires.
4. Weight reduction. Took out everything but two front seats.
5. Wash the car and get her nice and clean. Trying to represent best i can. Honestly I need some fresh paint and a bit of body work with several dents and dings.
6. engine bay is clean as well .. thats nice for any people that come snooping around .

Well thats about it. Will take a small tire gauge and arrive with 1/4 gas in fuel.

What do you guys do and what are some important things for newbies to include !!!

 

I just finished my first season of drags... which means I went down the track probably 18 times ever. So I'm not an expert by any means but I can tell you what I did that seemed to have helped lower my E/T.

Pull back seat and front pass seat.
Empty out trunk.. incuding spare and jack
made sure I had about 1/4 tank of fuel or less
made sure it was at least 92 octane
check or change the oil
made sure plugs are in good shape

other things to keep in mind, even if your aftermarket rims/tires are the same weight as the stock ones, you will run quicker with the smaller diameter wheel. two reasons, rotational inertia of the wheels will be lowered and your final drive ratio (gearing) will be reduced (assuming you will not need to shift into 4th) if your stockers are a smaller diameter. [edit] I forgot that you were already looking for drag radials for your 16" rims... so this is most likely old info to you.[/edit]

Also, check ECU for ghost codes. Although knowing that some sensor has gone awry just before the races will not help in most cases... this would be done at least a week before hand in case there was a bad injector, O2 sensor, knock sensor, etc. reading.

Honestly,the last time i went out to the races, I also pulled the door panels, extra seatbelts, speakers, center console and the stereo chassis. I'm sure it helped me, but OMG! what a pain in the **** to put back together. Probably won't do it again... the guys at the track thought I had a permanantly gutted-out trailer queen!

But the most important thing: get ready to HAVE FUN!

-Good luck Ceasar. And let us know how you did.

 

Wow, you guys yank your interiors!!!!

I just run with 1/4-1/2 tank of gas, 32psi in the tires, struts to full firmness, and no spare or tools. I don't remove things like floor mats, CDs, etc. I've even run with all my tools, spare, and struts on normal settings and I was marginally slower on the same night (something like 0.05 seconds and .7mph).


Dave

 

Be sure to check for leaks lol.
On friday I went to the track(been racing for around 5 yrs now, mostly my se-r) after i put my y-pipe on. I put her on, reset the ecu just incase, gassed up to the 1/4 mark, took out the spare, you know the usual. My buddy Patrick(fellow nissan enthusiast) and I drove 40 miles to the local 1/8th(yeah, that's all we got locally besides beech bend which is a nice drive). I pass the tech, everything seems kosher. Pull up to the tree and i get yelled at by the tech at the tree " get off the f***in track you are dumping fluid". i freak, back up, get out and there is a consistent dripping line of coolant following me.

I got home and realized that it was just a bad hose from the coolant resevoir which made me happy, but the wasted gas, money to race(did not refund because i "passed the tech"), and excitement of the addition of the y pipe sucked

moral to the story: check for leaks before you go to the track
-Cullen

 

dave pull out your backseat and metal plate 36 pounds. take out the floor mats .. 9 pounds ..
headrest 3 pounds.

AND ALL THE JUNK IN YOUR CAR !!!!!!!!! 125 POUNDS!

LOL ..dave would be running 14.2 without all this easy !!

 

Ice your intake.

Also, when you are in line waiting to stage, turn the heat on until you actually stage.

Make sure all electronics are off.

I also keep at least 1/4 tank. That will provide enough "consistent" pressure in your tank as well.

 

Besides in the early spring or late fall when i am gunning for a personal best time, i do nothing. I drive without a spare in my car anyways (knock on wood). My slicks are always in my trunk, my floor jack in my back seat, along with the basic tools and my helmet. Only thing I ever take out of my car is my hockey equipment should it be in there and my hockey sticks. It's just too much work to gut the interior and such unless i am close to getting a new personal record. I don't touch the pressure in my tires whether i run street tires or slicks (well i adjust the slicks but not the rear tires in that case) and I dont mess around with my shocks or coilovers. Usually I run what I brung, in addition to slicks of course should I choose to run on them that day.

 

ya i turn the head on full blast as well - takes at least some of it away from the engine. could always remove your hood and trunk lid - thats a bunch of weight

 

I don't do 1/4 racing but i drive daily with this stuff removed.

Hoodliner = 1Ib
Splashguard = 2Ibs(Under engine bay. This also keeps it nice and cool in there.)
Spare = 22Ibs
Jack = 6 Ibs.
Heatshelding = 1Ib(The thin metal around the muffler.)
Tiedown Hooks = 1Ib(There are two in the back. They are only used by the dealer when they're being transported on the trucks. The dealers are just to lazy to remove them. I would like to know if it is safe to remove the front ones or are these needed for towing?)

If been thinking about removing the metal plate behind rear seat but i always have people in there and I don't want the back collapsing. Anything else that isn't totally necessary for daily driving and racing.

 

Actually changing your oil if anything rduces horsepower slightly because it is thicker than your seasoned used oil. That said if you feel your oil is too dirty, then I would suggest changing it even if it's for nothing but peae of mind.

 

I might be going to e-town tommorow and never done any track runs before. I hope I don't do horrible. I have no idea what it is going to be like, is there anything i NEED to know. do you have to bring a helmet etc. stuff like that. The moderators should defintely make a sticky with newbie track advice or somethin it would be very useful.