Hey guys just wondering if any seasoned drivers can give me any tips for my first time to the track.

Im going down to race city speedway (calgary) for thier secret street drag night- tonight. I have never raced on the strip before and Im not sure what Im supposed to do. I dont want to look like a complete retard... even though I probably will.. Can I get some tips?

I have a 5.5 auto with all season tires, so I dont think im going to do a burnout to warm up the tires or anything, I need to save them for the harsh canadian winter.

Should I use the auto shifter to hold it to the redline? or just leave it in drive and let her rip?

Also, whats this about race gas? should I just run my usual premium (91) with an octane booster? or should I go there empty and buy some "race gas"- Im not sure what this means...

plz dont flame me, I admitted I am a noob to this, I just want some help so that nobody can tell Im a noob when I pull up to the track...

Thanks

 

Goodluck 2nite when you go. Go around the waterbox and just do a quick tire spin to clean your tires a little. You can lower your tire pressure a little bit no lower than 22 psi. No need for race gas just your usual premium should be fine. You can manually shift or leave it in drive aand see which one works better for you. Have fun and be safe

 

for starters..you dont need race fuel...thats for cars that are tuned to burn fuel at a higher octane,...dont fill up your tank all the way..less weight..and remove stuff from your trunk...leave it in drive,..and when your ready to launch..keep one foot on the brake..and one on the gas..giving it slight throttle..and then well..you should know your own car so you dont go down the track wheel hopping..g/l

 

what is a waterbox? is the ground wet for burnout or something?

any other tips?

 

yea it where they put the water for the burnout. Leave after the last yellow on the tree.

 

umm.. sorry this might sound stupid, but dont you wait for green? or does the green come so fast after the last yellow you just hit and you're moving by the time green goes?

 

Yes waterbox is for burnouts. Lower frt tire pressure to around 20-24 lbs. And most important have fun. Post times for us. Even if you are not happy with them. The more you run, the more you will learn....

 

oh yeah another noob question here...

How do I do a burnout?? Do I do a breakstand??

OH, wait, another one...

Can I lower the front pressure before I go there? (I am driving to the track as the max is my DD)
Or, should I wait till I get there and then lower the tire pressure (I have a guage so that shouldnt be difficult)

 

avoid the waterbox, powerbreak at 1800-2K, manual shift ur auto, and leave on the 3rd yellow, and the just hope

 

if you dont have to, dont burnout... pointless (only for show with us auto's) lower your tire pressure to 20-22psi

 

True - If it is a 3 yellow 1 green light, then leave on the 3rd yellow, by the time you get moving it will be green. If you wait for the green you will be a couple of tenths behind.

 

oh yeah, ever time I read your answers I have a new question...

Should I turn off traction control or leave it on??

 

that idk, i dont have TC, leave it off IMO it will try to do too much and mess up ur times, but try both ways

 

i need to take these same notes...going to track for the first time myself next saturday...

 

so what did you run?? also is your car stock?

 

also in for times

 

So I didnt get to go... mostly because of the wife... what can ya do?
Anyways, Im going this friday for sure. Im leaving her home alone if she wont come with me.

Yes the car is stock right now. If I'm lucky my injen cai will be in this week. Im still waiting for the shipping on that... I live in Canada and this **** takes forever when I order it.

I'll post times as soon as I get back on friday night.
If you have any more tips keep em coming.
Thanks for all the advice, Im sure it will pay off this week.

 

Have fun. If the rain lets up I am going to try and go to the track this Wednesday. My best time is 14.5 @ 96 with injen CAI. So good luck and have fun.....

 

loose the wheels when u run

 

man until i saw your profile, my eyes was gonna pop out my head at 14.5@96 in an auto lls

 

before u go letting air out of ur tires, run once with them fully inflated and see what happens. no sense in letting air out if you dont even get wheel spin imo.

 

Hey I have a question for anybody with auto that uses the stick to shift for racing:

When shift from 1-2 in high rpm (6.5-7k) it pops hard in 2nd gear and seems a little harsh, but it doesnt do it from 2-3 or 3-4, what gives? is it just extra torque in the low gears causing this? if so should I not be letting it rev so high?

 

 

yes it does shift a lil bit more harsh than other gears but it shouldnt be as harsh to the point where its a concern to post it on here... check that out, could be the first sign of tranny slippage or possible leakage

 

Yeah.... Im not soo sure its a serious problem. It just seems harsh compared to the regular shifting in "D". If I were to compare it to any other auto I have driven it isnt that bad. My dad has a really peppy tercel (dont laugh that little thing is smokin fast) and its shifts are way more noticable than what I am describing.

 

o.k its the norm.... in D at WOT the car shifts at about 6K so it will seem smoother

 

Alright! I finally got to go and man was that ever fun. Im going every friday until they close the track for winter.

I had to wait in line for 2 hours to race, they have to inspect the car and there was hundreds of cars there...

So I did okay for the time but not as good as I expected

I got 16.19 @ 85mph

Not bad for my first time. I realized after the fact that I forgot to turn of the damn air conditioning... not sure what kind of a difference that would make, but probably noticeably slower with ac on...

I brought my wife and gf, gave them both cameras to film it. I gave them a warning phone call when I was in the front of the line - AND THEY DIDNT FILM IT.... arg so mad about that. I didnt have a chance to run again cuz it was 11pm by the time I got to go...

Im going again in 2 weeks (vegas vacation next week), but I'll keep you guys posted to see if turning off ac makes a difference.

Thanks for all the tips, esspecially about the tree, my reaction time was 0.7xx, which I guess is okay for my first time.

My timeslip is hand written so I dont know what all the different numbers mean. Im going to post it all later so somebody can tell me what all the different numbers are...

 

yea 16's is way below avg... my first time in the 3.5 i did 18.1 , depending on the track prep you may wanna try not mashing it off the line, any info on 60'??? if i should guess i would say 2.5-2.7

 

Glad you had a good experience. Its nice to go when there aren't so many cars so you get more runs in. My first trip to the track netted me a 17 sec slip, but I'll never forget it.

Your A/C shuts off at WOT so it won't help your performance to turn it off. However A/C and the drag strip is a no no, dripping water at the line (if seen by starter) will result in them turning you back.

Nice to have another strip junkie.

PS Taking your wife and girlfriend to the same track on the same day is also a no no.

 

Wife and girlfriend? How did you manage that???? Glad you had fun. Sucks no video, seems like all my best runs my girlfriend was in the bathroom and misses it.

 

you must be doing something right!


Anyway, did you end up shifting or running in drive? Im debating which to do my first time at the track as well.

 

Hahahaha lol I just realized what I typed. No I do not have a wife and GF LOL I WISH!
I meant to say my wife and sister. now I sound like some sort of wierdo calling my sis gf...

anyway I have my numbers here and thier printer was broken so they wrote it by hand and I dont know what all these numbers mean... Can you guys help me understand this:

810 - Car #
.176 - R/T is that decent for 1st time?
2.55 - I dont know what this is
10.52 - Dont know what this is
69.57 - Dont know again
13.58 - Dont know...
16.19 - My sh!tty time... lol
86.42 - My weak A$$ speed...


I really want to get that high 14@95-99 mph ... what am I doing wrong How can I go faster? (besides $$$ mods)

 

Ya good r/t for sure.
2.55 is your 60' time
10.52 is your 1/8th mile time
69.57 is your 1/8th mile speed
13.58 us your 1000' time.

The 2.55 is what you need to improve, if necessary back off the throttle until you get traction, play with different launches. Lower the tire pressure up front by 2 or 3 psi, down to 0 and see if that helps. Leave it in D, don't try and beat the factory shifts.

 

went to the track last night and it was my first time to the track...current mods are basically stock auto 2000 with an JWT pop-charger and timing advance and also ran with 97 SE wheels since my Z wheels are heavy as crap.

R/T-.487
60'- 2.357
330- 6.599
1/8- 10.036
MPH- 72.66
1000- 12.971
1/4- 15.471
MPH- 89.44

thats was my best run of the night, i know i have to get my 60' and RT better but once again it was my first time down the track, this run was str8 auto without shifting up or anything.

 

yeah, I left the tire pressure, Ill change that next time. Also I did use it in D cuz I figured it would be easier for 1st time.

How much of a difference do you think AC makes? Im going to clean my MAF and put on my injen cai next week, that should help

 

get to the track and try both... but after running 3 different maxima's ill tell ya that shifting is for a fact at least .3-.5 seconds faster

 

that 2.55 is your 60' (probebly the most important number) lowering that 2.55 to a possible 2.0-2.2 will greatly raise your times and MPH

 

A/C on makes no difference because it shuts off at WOT.

 

lemme translate
.176 R/T- almost perfect if it was a pro tree... (red light if not)
2.55 60'- (like stated before, probably the most important number)
10.52 1000' most likely, correct me if im wrong
69.57 MPH
13.58 1/8th
16.19 1/4 (ET)
86.42 MPH

 

The r/t base depends of if they have .500 as a perfect light or .000 not if it was a pro tree or a sportsman tree. Most tracks now all use .000 as the base it was too confusing for spectators and some competitors.

1000' is much longer than 1/8 mile which is 660 so the 10.52 and 69.57 is the 1/8th time and speed. 13.58 is the 1000'.

I have tried manual shifting and auto shifting for a long time and I have never yet beat the auto shift by doing it manually. If you are, then I would suggest the auto is not shifting at the correct rpm, my auto rpm shift was around 6400 by logging not the tach which is usually over generous ie 3-400 rpm.