Advice for Drag Racing Newbies

[Robofuzz]

I'm sure there are many GTO owners out there that have never been down the 1/4 mile. Myself included.

Any old hands out there have any pointers or advice for those interested in trying it out? Assume that you're talking to someone who's never been to a track before.

[Lancer-AM]

My advice goes out to the M6's out there. Practive your shifting without lifting off the gas. Your shifts should be quick enough where it isn't needed. Also practice launching before you go, find what RPM works best for your setup and get used to dumping the clutch.

[hivoltagedriver]

Get a good set of sticky tires, and feel out the track to see what it will hold. Spend the money on a good clutch (M6) or stall (A4). If you are going to be power shifting (M6), be prepared to spend some money on the tranny. If you have a 6-spd, a line-loc will be your clutches best friend. Watch the starter for directions, and don't embarass us with burnouts in reverse. :) Drive AROUND the waterbox if you are not running skinny's on the front. Have FUN!!

[Lancer-AM]

I needs me a line lock.... I needs me some drag radials too but oh well :p

[Ironmancan]

I wouldn't powershift. To much stress on the drivetrain and not enough gain. I'll give up a 10th or two. best run with just nittos was a 12.83 for me stock.

Do the burn get to the staging lights but don't set both off. Good track ediquette means you set the 1st staging light wait for the guy in the other lane to set his then you both set the 2nd staging light and get ready. Launch a tick after the 3rd yellow don't wait for the green. If you see the green you waited to long. Don't worry RT does not hurt your ET.

Try to get your 60ft down. 1 10th on the little end is 2 10th on the big end. Don't buy into the my car bogged so I have to launch at a higher rpm crap. You don't do it on the street and you launch just fine modulate the clutch properly.

That being said you do want to launch at the highest rpm your track and tires will hold. Hope this helps most important thing to me is that I have fun. Some take this a little to serious no one here is John Force we don't win big prize money loosing rubber off our tires is about it lol.

[slowgoat]

Go out and watch first.
Go out on a night when there are not many cars so that you can get as many passes as possible. Do not worry about your e.t.s
The above ^^^ are so that you can get used to leaving on a tree and get used to going down the track..
After this start working on your launches. (sticky tires take out alot of the guessing game) Then work on your shifts (if M6)
Then work on your reaction times (even though they have no bearing on your e.t.)
Be more concerned with your 60ft. & 330 times than you are with your MPH.
E.T. and reaction wins races, MPH doesn't

As someone already stated, drive around the water and barely back into the leading edge of the water..
Light one staging bulb at a time, dont just roll into both unless the car in the other lane has already lit there first light. (this is courtesy staging)
Pay att'n to what your doing from start til after you are on the return road, its not a game (until you have made 100's of passes)
Make a mental checklist in the staging lanes as to everything you need to do so that you do not forget or miss anything while making a pass.. I hear alot of well I missed a shift or did not get the tires hot enough or forgot to turn the nitrous on, these things would not happen if you were prepared and paid att'n(oops this reminds me, its pointless to do much of a burnout with regular street radial tires, getting the water or dirt off is plenty)
Do not worry about the vehicle next to you. In the beginning you are racing yourself and the clock, noone else..

This is one of my favorite videos from jsut last weekend
First of all you see the guy I am running did not courtesy stage.
Oh well i stade calm and took my time.. As you see I stopped just before staging, purged the nitrous and double checked to make sure everything is good before staging.
Next if I were not paying att'n something bad could have happened in a hurry. Luckily this has happened before so I was prepared.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0HOMJVefdw

[my first gto]

Go out and watch first.
Go out on a night when there are not many cars so that you can get as many passes as possible. Do not worry about your e.t.s
The above ^^^ are so that you can get used to leaving on a tree and get used to going down the track..
After this start working on your launches. (sticky tires take out alot of the guessing game) Then work on your shifts (if M6)
Then work on your reaction times (even though they have no bearing on your e.t.)
Be more concerned with your 60ft. & 330 times than you are with your MPH.
E.T. and reaction wins races, MPH doesn't

As someone already stated, drive around the water and barely back into the leading edge of the water..
Light one staging bulb at a time, dont just roll into both unless the car in the other lane has already lit there first light. (this is courtesy staging)
Pay att'n to what your doing from start til after you are on the return road, its not a game (until you have made 100's of passes)
Make a mental checklist in the staging lanes as to everything you need to do so that you do not forget or miss anything while making a pass.. I hear alot of well I missed a shift or did not get the tires hot enough or forgot to turn the nitrous on, these things would not happen if you were prepared and paid att'n(oops this reminds me, its pointless to do much of a burnout with regular street radial tires, getting the water or dirt off is plenty)
Do not worry about the vehicle next to you. In the beginning you are racing yourself and the clock, noone else..

This is one of my favorite videos from jsut last weekend
First of all you see the guy I am running did not courtesy stage.
Oh well i stade calm and took my time.. As you see I stopped just before staging, purged the nitrous and double checked to make sure everything is good before staging.
Next if I were not paying att'n something bad could have happened in a hurry. Luckily this has happened before so I was prepared.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0HOMJVefdw


100%...+++++....Frank

[housewolf]

Make a mental checklist in the staging lanes as to everything you need to do so that you do not forget or miss anything while making a pass.. I hear alot of well I missed a shift or did not get the tires hot enough or forgot to turn the nitrous on, these things would not happen if you were prepared and paid att'n(oops this reminds me...
This can't be said enough times.

Can't say enough about sticky tires either. Not only will you be much faster, you'll be much safer too. I've seen some pretty nice cars trashed because the owners didn't think they went to the track often enough to justify another set of tires/wheels.

[derf]

Don't forget to turn traction control off. It slows you down quite a bit.

[gamble313]

ive been lookin for a good stall, i was thinking of goin like 3600-3800 but i dont have the money to dump on stall/cam setup together. so i was gonna buy em separate. should i do this or just wait? whos a good person to buy em from

[BlownGoat]

Any of our vendors should i personally run a yanks ss3600 its pefectly fine one the street my car is also my dd but then again you should get a converter that will work with your cam. even though i got the 3600 i only footbrake it to 2200 and let it flash tthe rest helps me cut 1.47 60's on stock suspension and sticky tires


EDIT: I know I shouldn't but for you guys who street race or who have street raced launch the same way you lauch on the street and work from there

[PEETYZ]

Sticky tires are a must. Great tips above guys ^ in my experience in M6- Ive found it wheel hops less at burnout if you go through the water box and do a burn out in 2nd gear... atleast my setup has plenty of power to spin um in second and not feel like its bogging down the motor at all. I know people who even do 3rd! 1st for me seems to hop 2nd is pretty smooth. Wheel Hop breaks things quick! If you take off the start and its hoping bad just let off bc it will mess things up quick. Drag bags helped pretty well for me also.

That being said my weakest part is my 60ft.....I can launch at 5k on hot 275 nittos with 20 psi and they hook hard boging the car down just a bit. (with good track prep) I really wanna launch 5k or less gonna have to inch the tire pressure up with same launch i think. Ive bogged the first run then did one lil change like raise tire pressure 2psi and I spin. I need more seat time and practice. What do you guys usually launch at?