Advice for my first dragrace!

ozzyjim · 27-01-2005, 06:57 PM

Hi all,
if the weather holds out this sunday im off to eastern ck in my auto BA XR8, it will be my first attempt at grag racing ever and i just want some advice on:

1. how to launch?
2. how many revs?
3. best mode to do it in (4sp,3sp,ss mode)?
4. what pressure in tyres?

And basicly anything you guys think i need to know.

All help/advice appreciated

Cheers
Jim

loxxr6 · 27-01-2005, 09:10 PM

Not that I have an auto but from what I read it'll do some good to get your stall speed worked out. Thats when you press the brake first and then the accelerator to the point just before the car starts to move forward. This gathers up the revs so when you let go of the brakes you have the car higher revving and hopefully closer to the power band to move off the line quicker.

Any of you auto drivers feel free to correct me on this.

You may want to drop the pressure down on your tyres too. Don't have them running at street pressure.

You can try combos of changing auto gears "manually" but I don't think it'll make that much a diff. I could be wrong. Experiment if you like.

Don't run with a full tank of fuel. Try maybe a quarter to a half tank. I did 10+ runs (in a 6cyl tho) and never used a quarter of a tank.

Try not to launch on the last light of the "tree". Theres so many tenths or hundredths of a second between each flash. Practice taking off on the second last light....

Like I said before there's plenty of others that have got this shit down pat so feel free to correct me if I've given any misguided advice. I'm still a noob myself.

loxxr6 · 27-01-2005, 09:11 PM

Oh and the best advice.

Have fun.

XA-Coupe · 27-01-2005, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loxxr6

Oh and the best advice.

Have fun.

the most important bit of advice !!!!

You probably wont do too well .. but it is a learning curve so don't sweat it if things don't go as you expect

ExAreSix · 27-01-2005, 09:50 PM

I'm going to disagree with loxxr6 on a couple of things. (Sorry mate ;))

As it's your first time out don't worry about tyre pressures, or your reaction time. Everything else loxxr6 said I agree with.

Leave your pressures as is. Work on getting the best launch rpm as you drive it off the street. That gives you a starting point, and as you get experience and get the feel for launching, then playing with pressures will make more sense to you.

Reaction time doesn't affect your ET. As it's your first time out, take your time. Let the light go green, let the other guy zoom off down the track. Just concentrate on your launch RPM. If it takes you another 5 secs after the light goes green so be it. Take your time. Play with different stall speeds. Try launching at 1800rpm. Then increase it by maybe 50rpm each time, till you start losing traction. Compare your 60' times to each rpm to find your sweet spot. It's all about trial and error.
The sweet spot will change once you play with pressures. The track 'stickiness' will also change from day to day. There's other variables that come into it also.

Also, try to 'shallow stage'. That is, monitor your staging lights. (Two white lights atop the tree). As you creep onto the staging line the first light will glow. Now stop. Now, as slow as you can move forward till the next light also glows. STOP as soon as it lights up. Now you are (shallow) staged. Shallow staging will help you achieve a better ET, and better 60' time. You'll have that little extra speed before you break the beam and start the clock.
Your reaction time will suffer, but that's not important, until you start bracket racing.

Try to keep your staging as constant as possible. It's another variable that affects your 60' time, and as you want to concentrate on your launch rpm, which is indicated by your 60' time, you want your stage to be as constant as possible.

With the auto, just keep it in performance mode. Has given me the best results with my car.

Oh, and have fun ofcourse.

:

ExAreSix · 27-01-2005, 09:58 PM

loxxr6, just have to comment on your ET...

14.68 is a great time for an AU XR6. Nice work!! :sm_headba

But I think your mph is a bit off ;)

TruBlu351 · 28-01-2005, 06:54 PM

And when you're are ready to decimate the dude in the next lane...........

Give it hell on the last yellow light. This will minimise reaction time and allow you to get the "hole shot" head start. ie: the car launches as the green light comes on.

There's nothing better than racing a car bumper to bumper all the way to the line!

Kryton · 28-01-2005, 06:58 PM

my advice = take a mate + 1 camcorder and video it so you can watch it over and see what you can improve on.......and to show us here too of course.

Bossxr8 · 28-01-2005, 07:52 PM

I ran a 14.2 in my XR8 auto with nothing but a K&N filter. Just stall her up to 2500rpm and let her rip. I left it in performance mode and let it shift itself as it will always shift just before the rev limiter. Dropping tyre pressures to 20psi is ok and make sure you give it plenty of time with the bonnet up when you get there to let the engine bay cool a bit from the drive there.

ozzyjim · 28-01-2005, 10:05 PM

Mate if i get anywhere near 14.2 id be over the moon, i cant wait!!!!!!

Cheers
Jim

loxxr6 · 29-01-2005, 12:06 AM

Quote:

But I think your mph is a bit off

Yep. I'll have to fix that in my sig.... It should make more sense now.

Quote:

Also, try to 'shallow stage'. That is, monitor your staging lights. (Two white lights atop the tree). As you creep onto the staging line the first light will glow. Now stop. Now, as slow as you can move forward till the next light also glows. STOP as soon as it lights up. Now you are (shallow) staged. Shallow staging will help you achieve a better ET, and better 60' time. You'll have that little extra speed before you break the beam and start the clock.

How does the shallow staging help ? I might be confusing myself here but aren't the two staging lights at fixed points ? I'm not sure how staging would help your speed ? Are you saying that there is a bit of extra space to move in between the staging points therefore getting higher revs and out of the "hole" quicker ?

XA-Coupe · 29-01-2005, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by loxxr6

Yep. I'll have to fix that in my sig.... It should make more sense now.
How does the shallow staging help ? I might be confusing myself here but aren't the two staging lights at fixed points ? I'm not sure how staging would help your speed ? Are you saying that there is a bit of extra space to move in between the staging points therefore getting higher revs and out of the "hole" quicker ?

because if you deep stage then the second you move the timing goes off. If you shallow stage then you get up to a 10th as your wheels still block the beam even though you are moving. The beams are a set distance but everyone's wheels aren't so especially in a car with large diameter tryes you can get a wee bit out of it.

ExAreSix · 29-01-2005, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XA Coupe

because if you deep stage then the second you move the timing goes off. If you shallow stage then you get up to a 10th as your wheels still block the beam even though you are moving. The beams are a set distance but everyone's wheels aren't so especially in a car with large diameter tryes you can get a wee bit out of it.

Yep, spot on

:

ozzyjim · 30-01-2005, 11:37 AM

Cant believe this bloody rain! Anyway thanks for the advice guys ill have to use it next time.

Cheers
Jim

galaxy xr8 · 30-01-2005, 06:16 PM

I wouldn't shift the gear's untill you have other thing's down pat, just leave it in performance mode, as the rev's with the Boss motor come up to quick, ie 5800rpm, not like 7000rpm with the good ol windsor's/cleavland's.