I have 4.10's with Runflats...I know :rolleyes:
I will drop my pressure to about 24psi

But last time I launched at 2000rpm and went into a melt down! 1000-1500 is almost impossible to hold. there is so little pressure on the gas pedal it's hard to find the right position...

This time I am thinking of doing a standard agressive street launch..
Anyone successfully pull this off?

Last time I spun for 3 solid seconds...and still pulled a 13.06 @ 112mph
I am hoping to do much better this time...

 

I have the same problem with 6mn & 3.42 gears! Last time out got beat by 3000gt twin tubo. I know the runflats are part of the problem but I'm still doing a **** poor job launching the car!

maybe some can chime in with some help!!
:yesnod:

 

Don't bother with the tire pressure on the run-flats. I've already experimented with that and it never helped due to the stiffness of the sidewalls. Neither did monster burnouts. Just clean off the tires with a short burnout. The trick is going to be all in your clutch technique on run-flats. You'll have to slip the clutch some (launching just off-idle) then smoothly apply throttle until you're at WOT. If you stomp on it right away, you're done.

You won't get it right the first time. ;) Practice, practice, practice.

JC

 

You need to find the sweet spot, between bogging and wheelspin, and that will takes lots of practice and change from day to day, track to track, etc...

The more traction you get from the tires, the higher you can launch your car, and you generally want to launch above torque peak so that when the tires grab, the tach drops, and if you can work the clutch right, avoid major wheelspin, you'll launch like a rocket.

Gotta get the throttle steady when staging, an even rpm, clutch half in, half out, just about to grab, the tach dipping ever so slightly.

When the green hits, don't slam your foot down on the gas to the floor, quickly and steadily squeeze it to the floor, and gradually but quickly let out the clutch, sense too much throttle, keep it steadily continually going down and adjust the power to the wheels with the clutch, not the gas.

Now, if when you're shifting you're chirping your tires on every shift, you're losing maybe a tenth.

Find the appropriate amount of throttle to stab back down, then squeeze it to the floor.

Your car may work best with a 2/3rd stab then squeeze, or 3/4th throttle then the quick squeeze, all these techniques require practice and could change given the weather or the track.

Also, if you feel like you're destroying your clutch, you're launching properly if you feel like you preserved some of it, you're not launching right...

As the gas pedal goes down, you gotta use your left foot to regulate the power going to the wheels. Again, all motions must be fast and fluid and smooth, but also very quick <-- that's the key.

You gotta learn the feel of what it feels like just before your car is gonna break traction, and learn to kiss that edge without going over it, but to accomplish that you gotta push the envelope to learn and know where that edge is (and know that edge changes on each run, slightly).

As it hooks, you gotta "feel" the clutch pedal, you'll know when to let it out all the way, if you can.

You gotta do this time and time again, over and over again, to learn your car's nuances. Here's where it gets tricky- you can complete a run, cut a 1.85 60' time, come back study your notes, take 1 psi out of each rear tire and do the same thing but be able to launch higher and all of a sudden, BOOM, 1.72 60' time on the next run and shave 3 tenths off your 1/4 mile ET as a result, given you don't mess up your shifts as you go down the track.

Was it the 1 psi less in the rear tires? Was it being able to launch at 100 rpms higher at launch? Did you shift too early on the previous runs? Or did it all simply come together on that run?

The other key is consistency. The more consistent you can get with your runs, the better the results on the next run. Cuz you can begin to play detective and find the little things you need to tweak/correct on the next run to make it better, etc.

It takes tons of practice.

It's part science, part art, and lots of concentration, hard work, dedication, perspiration, determination, patience, and practice-- if you find those things fun, you'll "get it" eventually.

If you're just starting out drag racing, you'll make mistakes, don't waste a run, if you blow the launch, haul butt down the track and work on your shift points from gear to gear, etc. Take notes on everything, launch rpms, shift rpms, tire psi, front and back, try to weigh your car, if you can, get out your dyno sheet and study shift points, and adapt at the track when your calculation prove to be close but not quite right, etc...

Most people discount drag racing as not requiring a whole lot of skill- the people who feel that way are the ones who have either never tried it, or have and aren't that good at it, and aren't willing to work at it, to become better at it, etc. It's a world of nuances and subtleties, and a couple hundred factors to consider that are often beyond your control.

And it can be frustrating at times, you can do everything right and get crappy results- it just takes some severe stubborness and stick-to-it-iveness.

And many people don't care about the nuances needed to get the absolute best times out of their car, even guys who have drag raced quite a bit- not everyone is going to be a student of the game and study hard, absorb all the info around them to excel at it, etc.

Some people have the attitude of "Eh, it's only drag racing"- those people are usually not the ones who are very good at it... :D

 

With 4:10's I think you just have to ease it out then roll into it. Hope the track is well preped. Last time I went out, with my near stock vert, I couldn't hook up my Michelin Pilots and didn't want to abuse the clutch. I had been getting really good and consistent 60's on my coupe, but just couldn't get it together that night.

Good luck and let us know how you do.

 

Awesome reply SVEN..I wish I read that before I left..

I know I need a pair of Drag Radials bad. That may end up being my next "mod"


Here are the results guys...

I pull in to the track just in time to get my 1st run in..
Had both lanes to myself..

Got a 2.023 60' best I ever did on RunFlats.
Squeeled like a biotch in 1st but hung on...
Shifted at 6300 rpm on every shift and get to the booth to pick up my ticket...Then I had to hear it......

Too fast... Convertible Rollbar... Do not pass go..Go directly to tech...

My 1st run and booted...
I stayed in the lane anyway.. I was talking to a smart dude..Told me to run the hell out of the 1/8 mile and back off. Sweet. Why didnt I think of that...

Anyway I one crummy 1/8th in and jammed on the brakes to a 61mph finish..

I pulled an 8.641 ...not better than my 1st...

Long story short...Who makes a NICE rollbar for a Vert? There was a little Cobra (shelby) who ran 12.5 with no roof and that little metal hoop behind his head..The dude told be that the track **** ok'd that..

 

Doesn't someone sell a hardtop for the verts?
That would get you to 11.99 before getting booted.
Be like having 2 vettes in one.


[Modified by Wt99C5, 2:33 PM 11/17/2002]