1/8th mile... times or tips for a newbie?

[seabass]

Hi - I'm going to my first ever dragstrip tonight to run my 09 down an 1/8th mile. It's stock except for 3.55 gears and corsa exhaust. It's Newton Iowa so it doesn't seem like I'll be running against any other Vipers or Ferrari's but I'm curious of any tips you could provide and what a decent time would be.

Thanks,
Chad

I'll post up some pics and an update this weekend.

 

[Nine Ball]

First drag race eh? Careful, you may become addicted like many of us.

First of all, on non-drag tires, be sure to avoid the water box where people do the burnouts. Drive around it, if this track leaves a gap to do so. Do your best to avoid getting the street tires wet.

Do a small peel-out once you get the car past the water and aimed straight down the track. This is to clear the pebbles and dirt off of the tires. Do not pass the starting line, no matter how "John Force Cool" you think it may look. Passing the tree in a street car on radials is a huge newbie mistake. LOL

Roll up to the starting line slowly, watching the top two yellow bulbs on the tree. Roll up and light the first light. Look over to make sure your opponent is also lit, or if he is waiting on you. This is called courtesy staging. Only jerks roll in early and click off both lights and wait for the other person. The 'nice' way of staging is to make sure both vehicles have the first bulb lit before rolling into the second bulb.

Try various RPMs to leave at. I'd start with holding the throttle around 3000 rpm first, then gradually rolling into the throttle and off of the clutch. Dumping the clutch will result in wheel hop or breakage. If the car bogs, try it next time with more RPM (3,250 perhaps). If the car spins, try less rpm next time, or rolling into the throttle slower.

Shift at redline.

 

[seabass]

Thanks Nine Ball!!! Are you a pool player? Great advice...

 

[FastGuy68]

Well, if I had seen your PM before now I would have met you over there tonight! How did it go? My best runs were in the high 7's @ 94 mph last Friday night. They busted my chops for not having a helmet when they saw my times.....

 

[seabass]

Well I had alot of fun! I was the first loser most of the time but I learned some... after the first run I made where I attempted to do a burnout and smoked up some clutch, I pretty much gave that up. I ran it 3 or 4 times and my friend did about the same # of runs. My first time was in the high 8's and my best run was 8.2 @ 94mph... my reaction time was the problem .56s!

My friend who has dragged a little did a run @ 7.99s...

I surely didn't represent Mopar or Dodge Viper well, here are a few pics I took when I wasn't driving. Funny thing is that I can drive my Viper faster than I could run my Ducati 1098... I think I'll stick to the track.

I lost to this car my first run

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these cars without hoods are fast!

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[seabass]

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i'm not gonna show how this ended

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there was a zo6 with a lingenfelter pkg that was supposedly up to 650+hp and the poor guy made 4 or 5 runs and never could get it to shift!!! I felt bad for the guy but he kept trying and trying... my first run I challenged him to a race and he backed down saying that it was his 1st time, it was mine too but that didn't change his mind!

 

[FE 065]

Reaction times don't affect ET. If you're slow it could cost you a race, but the ETs the same.

 

[seabass]

ahhh, thanks I guess I wasn't as fast as I thought then!