jbsupra89t

hey,

going to the track tonight for the first time with my car. has just loudmouth and a cone filter, not so much worried about what the hell i run, but any hints for launching these cars? thanks

-J

Brent94Z

Don't forget about the Drag Racing forum. This post is perfect for that forum... I'll move it there for ya

TedH

Watch the other racers first. See what they do and ask questions.

Basically, two lights, pre-stage and stage at the start, once both stage lights are lit the tree will count three yellows and a green. When you see the third yellow come on hammer it and see what happens. The lights are 1/2 second apart so you have 1/2 second from the time you hammer the throttle until the green bulb lights. The goal is to to be breaking out of the beams at the same time the gree night comes on. You have probably 8-12 inches of travel before the beam is broken. A perfect light will register either .500 or .000 depending on the track software. Watch the other racers and see how they do it.

If you spin the tires launch at a loew idle and either remove or add air to the rear tires (probably remove). Bring a tire gauge, helmet, and shoe polish to the track. A roll of paper towels and some glass cleaner is a good idea too.

Before you prepare to launch you need to navigate the water box. If your track allows, just drive around it and back up just to the point where it ends. You do not want to soak your tires. Just spin them enough to clean off any loose dirt.

When you line up the car at the starting line (to pre-stage and stage), try and avoid any wet spots or areas that look "shiny".

Here are the basics for a first time launch that I use.

rear tires: 22 pounds
front tires: 40 pounds
seat up close to the wheel
hand on shifter if manual
rpms to 1200 and keep it there until the third yellow is seen than hammer it.

Also, always courtesy stage. It is often not mandatory but it it professional. Courtesy staging is when you light the pre-stage light you then wait for the other driver to pre-stage before staging the car. If the other driver lights the pre-stage light you should then pre-stage quickly.

Clean out loose debris from car. Make sure plugs and wires are good. Have clean air, oil, and fuel filters.

jbsupra89t

oops i totally forgot thanks for the move =)

thanks a lot for the info, btw! i think i'll skip it tonight and spend the weekend prepping/cleaning out the car (changing fuel filters and such, JUST changed the oil last night).

-J

5SPDCHK

Ted is the man!

Side note: If my opponent runs up and lights both beams while I'm still finishing up my burnout, I take my time. Some people use that as a tactic to "rattle" their opponent into rushing, hence, resulting in a red light.