Disappointing E.T.

[Steel00GTS]

I just ran my 00 GTS at moroso in Palm Beach Fl. It was my first time racing it, but I'm a good driver.
I ran a best of 12.55 @ 113 MPH. From everyone I talked to they said that MPH was very low. My 60' times were 2.05, so I don't know what was wrong other than it was very, very, hot and humid. Can that make the difference?
What is the best RPM to shift at? My first run was at 6000, and it was a 12.6, then I shifted at 5500, 12.55. Should I shift even lower?

 

[Tom Welch]

Steel,

The humidity plays a roll, but if you want to email me I can give you a few pointers...........I also have a drag race instructional video for the viper that covers everything that concerns your scenario.

Thanks,

Tom
Http://btrviper.com

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Tom. Hook me up with that video!! Unless you are selling them, Ill make an MPEG out of it so we all can learn. Well watch it over the net from my server

 

[Serious Eric]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Steel00GTS:
What is the best RPM to shift at? ... Should I shift even lower?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't shift lower. Don't be in a hurry to get to that next gear. Just remember that as soon as you upshift, you drop torque multiplication at the rear wheels like mad ... Waaayy more than you gain by dropping the engine RPM back into a sweeter spot in the torque curve for the next gear. The biggest mistake in considering all of this is to focus on engine torque ... what you need to keep foremost in mind is how to maximize rear-wheel torque throughout your trip down the 1320.

Don't know exactly what RPM you should use (you gotta pick that based on the dyno profile for your car), but I can tell you that you should try to center the HP peak between your shift points. Don't use the torque peak as your center point. Using the HP peak will give you a higher RPM range through which you will be accelerating, and will thus allow you to stay in that ever critical lower gear just a wee bit longer than the guy in the other lane and thus maintain your edge in rear-wheel torque ... which is what it's all about after all.

Give me two cars making same peak torque at different RPMs with the option to gear em any way I like and I'll take the one making torque at higher RPM and I'll win every time ... cuz I can gear it lower than the other car and make more rear-wheel torque at the same speed.