Question for drag racers
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 184
Likes: 8
From: Berkeley Heights New Jersey
Question for drag racers
What do you do about the traction control? Leave it active or disable it by holding down the active handling button before each run?
Thanks, Vinny
Thanks, Vinny
Tech Contributor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,731
Likes: 82
From: New Market AL
Traction control should be OFF at the dragstrip. Learn to control wheel spin by slipping the clutch and/or modulating the throttle.
Traction control will close your throttle blades and really take out a lot of power. It also takes too long to regain full power.
Traction control will close your throttle blades and really take out a lot of power. It also takes too long to regain full power.
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix AZ
Made 3 passes back-to-back during an open test an tune day at Speedworld in my '98 Z-51 auto coupe.
First time with the car, so I was curious also about difference tween traction control -- competition mode -- off altogether.
1st run, traction control on, punched it off idle = 13.87 ET
2nd run, traction control off, up on the converter a little, was 4 *hundredths* slower.
3rd run, competitive driving mode on, up on the converter a little ..was 6 hundredths slower.
Comin off at idle let the converter flash a bit more = harder launch, spun the tires a little further.. deeper into traction control response, yet the car still posted its best time.
Every run was within a tenth of initial run.
Temps were 104-105 ambient, a bit dry, runnin on runflats.
3.15 gear, 3700lb car, right at 100mph thru the traps.. hookin up about 30 feet out with a serious chirp hittin 2nd gear.
Conclusion: not much difference with stock tires.
Need sticky tires, a bit more gear (4.10's mk thx), and a converter that flashes a bit more
Then perhaps best to leave it off altogether and work the car a bit
-Frank
First time with the car, so I was curious also about difference tween traction control -- competition mode -- off altogether.
1st run, traction control on, punched it off idle = 13.87 ET
2nd run, traction control off, up on the converter a little, was 4 *hundredths* slower.
3rd run, competitive driving mode on, up on the converter a little ..was 6 hundredths slower.
Comin off at idle let the converter flash a bit more = harder launch, spun the tires a little further.. deeper into traction control response, yet the car still posted its best time.
Every run was within a tenth of initial run.
Temps were 104-105 ambient, a bit dry, runnin on runflats.
3.15 gear, 3700lb car, right at 100mph thru the traps.. hookin up about 30 feet out with a serious chirp hittin 2nd gear.
Conclusion: not much difference with stock tires.
Need sticky tires, a bit more gear (4.10's mk thx), and a converter that flashes a bit more
Then perhaps best to leave it off altogether and work the car a bit
-Frank
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 855
Likes: 0
From: Tampa FL
Made 3 passes back-to-back during an open test an tune day at Speedworld in my '98 Z-51 auto coupe.
First time with the car, so I was curious also about difference tween traction control -- competition mode -- off altogether.
1st run, traction control on, punched it off idle = 13.87 ET
2nd run, traction control off, up on the converter a little, was 4 *hundredths* slower.
3rd run, competitive driving mode on, up on the converter a little ..was 6 hundredths slower.
Comin off at idle let the converter flash a bit more = harder launch, spun the tires a little further.. deeper into traction control response, yet the car still posted its best time.
Every run was within a tenth of initial run.
Temps were 104-105 ambient, a bit dry, runnin on runflats.
3.15 gear, 3700lb car, right at 100mph thru the traps.. hookin up about 30 feet out with a serious chirp hittin 2nd gear.
Conclusion: not much difference with stock tires.
Need sticky tires, a bit more gear (4.10's mk thx), and a converter that flashes a bit more
Then perhaps best to leave it off altogether and work the car a bit
-Frank
First time with the car, so I was curious also about difference tween traction control -- competition mode -- off altogether.
1st run, traction control on, punched it off idle = 13.87 ET
2nd run, traction control off, up on the converter a little, was 4 *hundredths* slower.
3rd run, competitive driving mode on, up on the converter a little ..was 6 hundredths slower.
Comin off at idle let the converter flash a bit more = harder launch, spun the tires a little further.. deeper into traction control response, yet the car still posted its best time.
Every run was within a tenth of initial run.
Temps were 104-105 ambient, a bit dry, runnin on runflats.
3.15 gear, 3700lb car, right at 100mph thru the traps.. hookin up about 30 feet out with a serious chirp hittin 2nd gear.
Conclusion: not much difference with stock tires.
Need sticky tires, a bit more gear (4.10's mk thx), and a converter that flashes a bit more
Then perhaps best to leave it off altogether and work the car a bit
-Frank
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 5,375
Likes: 328
From: CA.
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15
On the street where the road is not sticky -driving with the TC on will prob. help you from spinning the tires too much but will kill your momentum as you move between shifts. On the draf strip--The surface is soooo much stickier it is not needed at all as with a stock combination you won't get much tire spin anyway.I would deff.leave it off.I have a heavily modded car and I leave it off and have to feather the throttle in 1st (a4) for quite a ways.At home in the street I use the TC sometimes because it is too hard to drive without blowing off the tires and i can never catch it in time to lift--It isn't the fastest with the TC on but its a whole lot safer !!!
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Verdad Gallardo
Team Owner
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 54,204
Likes: 180
From: S.W. Ohio. . . . . . NRA Life Member
some make a mistake in thinking that the C5 traction control system is a drag racers best friend. The TC system on the C5 is not designed or programmed to be a racing system. It's to help navigate on snowy - icy streets.
It's not utilized for racing performance.
It's not utilized for racing performance.
