This is embarassing...but

1BADGTS

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ps HORSEPOWER IS NICE but on STOCK TIRES it really comes down to the driver .A great driver in a 450 hp Gen 2 can beat an average driver in a 600 horsepower Gen 4 .
 

Ray W

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Keith, remember when you asked. Why doesn't anyone post their supercharged times?

Now you know(because they are slow). It takes practice to get a low e.t. on street tires.

Get a fellow drag racer to help you with the launch technique and how to do a proper burnout by popping the clutch and lightly hold the brake pedal down with your left foot.
 

VIPERUSA

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Hey BM,, great post,, any one have a suggestion on "tire pressure" with the ps'2s for the track?? and BM,, where is this track?? and if you want some company ,,, pm me,, i'm about 40 min away from chucks,, i'm north of his shop,, i would love to tag along. i use to drag boats in 1/4 mile and bikes awhile back,, but havent been there with the viper yet. John/VIPERUSA




:usa::usa::usa:
 

Chuck 98 RT/10

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But I also do not think I did a proper burnout according to what I am reading here.

Don't worry about the burnout at this point. Just practice launching. Street tires just need a quick spin to dust them off anyway. Like Paul said, there is no reason to go through the water box on streets.

After you feel good about your launch, then start fiddling with tire pressures.

And when you feel like breaking something put some drag slicks on it. There's a loophole in the cash for clunkers program that will pay for damages.
 

pteam

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btw I had the same problems as you at the track as it was only my 2nd day at the track. The 1st day at the track was unsupercharged and I had very little problems. The 2nd day a year later when I was supercharged I was spinning in all gears.

As a beginer, for you, I would start launching at idle. I think my problem was also not doing burnouts, but doing burnouts in these cars is tough as the car wants to go forward and not stay there and burn out.
 

Tusc

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It goes against the grain, but I'd also suggest a tamer launch until you learn to feather the clutch and focus on the 1-2 shift the next few runs at the track. What I'm suggesting is giving your mind enough time to get everything programmed in before you get out there and break something.

There are plenty of spots in your end of the state that are far from people where you might try practicing some of this, too. Even some large, closed trucking or shopping lots. Plenty of lateral room for you to make use of if you need to instead of banging up the car (or someone else).
 

Camfab

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Thank god you listened and took your car to the track! It can be a humbling experience, and it's great to see your working on constructive improvement. I think it's really important to calm yourself down (it may sound stupid, but it helps) and go in with a game plan. The launch is 75% of the game in drag racing and you've got to use a relaxed methodical approach. A very small burnout out side the water box as suggested is all you need, I also will do a quick hop just to see if it's going to hook after I've spun the tires. Bring up your rpm incrementally with each pass just to see what the tires will hold, if the track is prepped decent you can usually launch around 3000K. Don't drop the clutch, ease it out initially then quickly finish the process. If your rpm is too high or you snap the clutch out your going to spin, if you hook with too low an rpm you'll bog. It's a fine line, but practice. Honestly once you've come close to getting the idea, a new set of stickier tires are in order. On a poorly prepped track my car can go from being solidly hooked up to down right frightening. Good Luck on your new found experience.
 

Camfab

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ps HORSEPOWER IS NICE but on STOCK TIRES it really comes down to the driver .A great driver in a 450 hp Gen 2 can beat an average driver in a 600 horsepower Gen 4 .

I've seen a stock Gen II out run a twin turbo Gen III at the strip. The Gen III driver was in waaay over his head and simply could'nt get the thing down the track.
 
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black mamba1

black mamba1

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I've seen a stock Gen II out run a twin turbo Gen III at the strip. The Gen III driver was in waaay over his head and simply could'nt get the thing down the track.

This is exactly my point. Yes, the guys at the track wanted to see a Viper run crazy low times..but, I didnt know what the hell I was doing. So I dont just want to throw more power at the problem, I want to learn how to master my car at the strip...then add power and show the crowd what a 9 or 10 second car looks like.
 

1BADGTS

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This is exactly my point. Yes, the guys at the track wanted to see a Viper run crazy low times..but, I didnt know what the hell I was doing. So I dont just want to throw more power at the problem, I want to learn how to master my car at the strip...then add power and show the crowd what a 9 or 10 second car looks like.
Very well put When your talking about running on Pilots there are a HANDFUL of drivers in the country that have the ability to drive a Viper to what the car is capable of in the 600 horsepower range .Look at the times posted for the Gen 4s the car is capable of 10 second passes .Out of all the Gen 4s EVER ran down the strip one man has run a 10 (with a very few guys in the low 11s )yet people still come on the forums and toss crazy power numbers around.Mamba it is much better that you found this out now (before you spent all kinds of money on Mods ).I might also add that if you think the car is all over the track now try making a pass when the weather is cold .
 

1BADGTS

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I've seen a stock Gen II out run a twin turbo Gen III at the strip. The Gen III driver was in waaay over his head and simply could'nt get the thing down the track.
So true without driver ability horsepower can actually make a problem worse
 

99 R/T 10

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BTW, wheel hop will lead to broken axles. If the car is hopping violently, let out completely then roll back into it. Failure to do so may mean you will be pushed off track and towed home with a broken axle. If you are hopping your time is not going to be good anyway.

Wheel hop is directly related to spinning so work on that first.


Get a spare axle just in case! Also, what pressure were you running the rear tires at? If they were 30+, it will contribute to the wheel hop. Drop the pressure to 22 PSI.
 

Nader

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I would also suspect the rear end is the culprit for the ass going sideways. When I nail my car with my stock rear it automatically drifts sideways. I think it is a result of the stock rear end. I have heard a quaiffe with keep it pointed straight and will help wheel hop some. I have motons and never even encountered wheel hop.

While I dont drag my car, I think installing a quiaffe would not only benefit me when on the track but also keeping me safe by keeping the car pointed straight. I had a few scary situations which i am sure most have had.
 

1BADGTS

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Guys its not the rear its the drivers ability .
PS if the CLAIMED power is there (trap speed will easily tell the story=525 to the tire SHOULD be in the 126-127 range )a great driver dialed in within 2 passes will easily have the car in the mid 11s stock rear ect.
 

bglmn92

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Wow, a lot of good responses here. The OP is lucky that he
didn't hurt himself.

Those guys you thought were congratulating you for not wrecking your car, are probably still laughing.

Hopefully, other new Viper owners are reading this and can
learn the easy way. Once you exceed 400 rwhp, the "pedal to the
metal" theory goes out the window. :2tu:
 

Viper X

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Nice to hear a real, honest evaluation.

Good advice above.

1 - Practice and patience are the key. Start with a "street" launch, i.e. slip the clutch at lower rpm and shift gently 1 to 2. Many beginners short shift (5000 rpm) 1 - 2 to start, then work up to what the track will hold. This is will also vary based upon track conditions. Just like on a road course, Viper likes gentle inputs.

2 - Your car likely didn't start well after 3 runs due to heat soak. I would not run more than two passes at a time on a warm day or night without stopping and cooling the engine for a while.

3 - "While I dont drag my car, I think installing a Quaife would not only benefit me when on the track but also keeping me safe by keeping the car pointed straight. I had a few scary situations which i am sure most have had."

This is why so many of us install the Quaife diff in our Vipers, especially the higher horsepower cars. It does help keep the cars straight under heavy throttle.

Good luck,

Dan
 
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black mamba1

black mamba1

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Wow, a lot of good responses here. The OP is lucky that he
didn't hurt himself.

Those guys you thought were congratulating you for not wrecking your car, are probably still laughing.

Hopefully, other new Viper owners are reading this and can
learn the easy way. Once you exceed 400 rwhp, the "pedal to the
metal" theory goes out the window. :2tu:

They might have been laughing, but who cares. I was looking to go faster and get down there in one piece. I can take the cajoling, insults, etc if it means I can learn to do this the right way....

And once I get the drag racing technique down...we will see who will be laughing at who! :D
 

2MANYTOYS

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They might have been laughing, but who cares. I was looking to go faster and get down there in one piece. I can take the cajoling, insults, etc if it means I can learn to do this the right way....

And once I get the drag racing technique down...we will see who will be laughing at who! :D


Add a quaife, better tires, or at least lower your air pressure. The quaife will help keep you straight. If your on street tires stay out of the water. Lower your rpm (if you have street tires) and practice making smooth consistent shifts. Glad you weren't hurt. Oh, and keep practicing!!!!!:D
 

09 Venom

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Alot of good advice was given here. No need to do a wet burn out with the PS2's. Drive around box and quick dry burn out. Practice easing out of the box first..with this you should drop 60' to the 2.1-2.2 range...then work on harder launches to get below 2.0
1/4 runs are always won/lost in the first 60 feet (Assuming you don't miss any shifts down the track). Drop the tire pressure a bit in the rears..then play with the pressure. Also better to run the car after a cool down period (just make sure the tires are heated) also doesn't help to have a nice day weather wise..60-68 degrees.
 

Kai SRT10

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Alot of good advice was given here. No need to do a wet burn out with the PS2's. Drive around box and quick dry burn out. Practice easing out of the box first..with this you should drop 60' to the 2.1-2.2 range...then work on harder launches to get below 2.0
1/4 runs are always won/lost in the first 60 feet (Assuming you don't miss any shifts down the track). Drop the tire pressure a bit in the rears..then play with the pressure. Also better to run the car after a cool down period (just make sure the tires are heated) also doesn't help to have a nice day weather wise..60-68 degrees.


How do you do a controlled burn out? (Serious question) I've never done a burn-out on purpose, and whenever I do spin the tires, I get launched forward at the end. Seems like I would just go flying past the starting lights.
 

09 Venom

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How do you do a controlled burn out? (Serious question) I've never done a burn-out on purpose, and whenever I do spin the tires, I get launched forward at the end. Seems like I would just go flying past the starting lights.

Not so much of a controlled burn-out but a short lived burn-out. I usually do the dry burn out to the side of the wet box before entering the staging lanes.
 

2001 GTS

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How do you do a controlled burn out? (Serious question) I've never done a burn-out on purpose, and whenever I do spin the tires, I get launched forward at the end. Seems like I would just go flying past the starting lights.

One word....Linelock!!:2tu:
 

ViperTony

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How do you do a controlled burn out? (Serious question) I've never done a burn-out on purpose, and whenever I do spin the tires, I get launched forward at the end. Seems like I would just go flying past the starting lights.

I **** at burnouts. The last time I tried one, I was certain I left parts of my clutch scattered throughout the neighborhood. The burnt clutch smell still lingers outside my neighbors house. :D
 

Casey

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My first thought is that if you can see the Crowd Come to it's Feet, then you probably should pay more attention to your car! LOL

My advice: Learn your car, practice and gain experience with YOUR car. You will improve every time out!
 

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