The local drag strip opens back up here on sunday and i plan to run my car for the first time this season any tips on things i can do at the track to improve my time? (things like lower tire pressure, no air filter, tkae out passenger seat spare tire etc.) just lookin for a few tips for me to get the best time possible

 

Slip, don't dump the clutch at 4500-6000 rpms.

 

shift BEFORE THE REDLINE

 

no! well ok it depends on weather you are turbo or not. na's, even stock should go to at least redline so as to land back in the power band, especialy after the 1-2 shift. modded N/A's should go a little bit beyond redline. why would you shift before redline unless you have a low-boost turbo?

 

I'd leave your air filter on if I were you. Just run it the way you drove up in, thats what I try to do. I'm sure I could run a tenth or 2 faster if I gutted the car, but thats just too much work to do.

Tips: Don't drive through the water if you can help it, water only helps stickier tires ie slicks. It could easily make you slower. Practice different launch techniques. Ride out 3rd, never shift into 4th unless you are trapping over 100mph. Shift fast. Make sure all of your tires are at the same psi. Launch when you actually see the last yellow light flash. Oh and have fun.

 

yeah, really. Just run it the way you drive it. That way when someone asks you, what do you run you can say XX.XX, not XX.XX without my seat, spare, floors, roof........

 

most important of all. Im sure there will be people there who can give you some advice and remember, if your driving your car there, make sure it's still able to get ya home...man wish I could hit the strip, we's still got lot's o snow

 

dont.

go to a roadcourse instead. going straight wastes brainpower.

 

that is, if u live anywhere near a roadcourse of course.

 

Besides the fact that road courses are harder to find, they are also usually alot more expensive.

AutoX is fun. Pretty cheap too.

 

going to the track is great, but is it well maintained? if not you may not want to go there. try hitting the street scene, which is usually readily available, and you get to eat more heavily moded hondas,dsm's,mustangs, etc. if you go to the right one, you could make a lot of money to mod your own car! that is unless you don't like the idea of street racing then go play at the track!

 

You sound alot like my friend Vin, he says he makes the money to tune his cars from winnings. But I know that "Just selling groceries isn't paying the bills on those cars". Personally I like autoX, and if I were to drag, I'd take it to the track, it's safer and the piggies won't hunt you either.

 

im fortunate enough to practiclly have a road course close to my house. Its not an acual course its a really winedy road around some hotels and a rich neighborhood with a big round-about and it also has a little turn around to drift across. Its quite fun (if you have suspension mods i have tokico illuminas w/ intrax springs on stock size tires and still hit the turns at 55)we are gonna be looking for an elevation chart to map out the course and start timing it. Oh yeah theres also alot of places to street race and alot of hang out spots.

 

www.turnfast.com

 

link doesn't work Amur

Consistency is a good way to improve your times.

 

Why shift before redline?????? BECAUSE, I have found in my expereince that shifting well after the redline puts the car "off balance when the next gear is engadged. Off balance is the only way i can describe it. When i shift in the RED from first to second i loose traction in second gear usually causing me to correct the car and wasting VALUBLE seconds again this occurs in 3rd to 4th. I am running a streetported motor w/ rb headers full exhaust, hks adapter and cone filter in air box. My car is no monster but if i shift BEFORE the redline the car responds better and i am ALWAYS startled by the damn redline buzzer anyways......my .02

 

sounds like you need some stickier tires if traction is that much of an issue on a n/a....

 

That sucks. It was an amazing site.


Have a look at this one, then.

http://www.nhra.com/basics/dayatdrags.html

 

holy crap project; i took the picture in your sig !

 

Ok well i didn't really have a chance to read any of these tips before I hit the track But I powershifted 1st to second at around 7100rpm, i launched at 6500 rpm, shifted to third at 7000 rpm and all on bald 205s with 20psi i ran a 15.2 in my 86 NA with intake and exhaust!!! I love beating civic si's lol

 

holy cow 15.2 for a lightly modded s4 n/a! looks like you didnt need any tips. what trap speed?

 

89.10mph trap with a 2.1s 60 ft Time Slip