Brand new to my 2005 corvette, and brand new to the dragstrip. After thinking a bit more about what I did this past Wednesday, I have become paranoid. I dont think Allstate would cover any collision damages that occur at a dragway (mechanical breakage is something I can deal with and accept). But if my car were to smack the wall, I simply cringe at the thought of what that costs to repair! Does anyone else here who takes their vette to the track occasionally worry about this too? Or is it simply something you dont think about till it happens?

I know there is a "pay to play" mentality with higher power cars, but the reality is that I doubt I could afford to repair any significant damage out of pocket. Perhaps I should be happy with the one time I went....ran a 12.64, and drove home without any incident.

 

I have all state and my car has seen a lot of drag time. Life is to short to be paranoid

 

C'mon buddy, think glass half full. You could make 500 passes without incident and drive to 7-11 and total the car (though that would be covered). As long as your tires are is good shape and you have confidence in your skills, no worries, just enjoy.

 

Your insurance will probably not cover anything that happens on the racetrack.

If you have a manual, watch the 1-2 powershift. Otherwise you should not have any issues with the wall.

Also, if you go thru the puddle, make sure your burnout dries the rear tires, or you will spin. If you are new to drag racing, go around the puddle.

 

 

You can call me a pessimist or you can call me a realist. The fact is that in all of the times I've gone to the track I have never witnessed a complete evening in which at least one guy didn't kiss the wall with his car.

 

If you can't afford to total the car, you probably shouldn't be racing it.

 

Yes, I've thought about it and heard about incidents but I think it's highly unlikely especially in a stock vette. Just be sure to leave AH on. With AH off the chance of a mishap greatly increases.

 

I seem to disagree with many posters who tell you "NOT" to go to the track!!

I have been drag racing since 1965... All types of cars.. the fastest being a D/A (D/Altered) that ran 8.03 @ 166 mph back in the late 1990's (1998)

Look my name up in yahoo (John Panuzzo) I'm "NOT" bragging, but just trying to tell you some things I've learned while drag racing...!!

No your insurance Co. will not cover you on track, however as one poster said he has never gone to a track without seeing a car kiss the wall he must be going to the Ray Charles School of Drag Racing

I go almost every weekend, and rarely see a car hit the wall... and if one does.. 99% of the time its Driver Error ..

TheMost Important thing you should learn is if you start to spin GET OUT OF THE GAS....LET OFF INSTANTLY too many inexperienced drivers start to spin either in 1st gear or when shifting to 2nd.. they start to spin, and think they can keep it floored and just drive through it and finish the run...

Well I have some News...If You Spin GET OFF THE GAS INSTANTLY .. forget about the run by spinning you will already have lost a good ET and it will be a slow run, so why make it worse by being "Macho" and keeping it floored and hitting the wall "Unnecessarily" you can always make another run later!!!!!

I am not bragging, but I've been drag racing over 45 yrs and never hit the wall... maybe I'm just "lucky" or maybe I knew when NOT to keep trying to win....

Watch the Pros on TV (NHRA) even the 8000 horsepower Dragsters will let off the instant they start to spin the tires...

Why because the drivers are "Pros" and know if you start to spin you cant win so why take a chance of crashing the car...

Now granted there are many other ways of crashing during a drag race, and many of them are "NOT" the drivers fault, but either bad luck, or equipment failure....

BUT ......... With a stock or slightly modded Vette thats runs 11 sec. there is no way you can not save it if you start to spin... With my D/A I would cross the finish line at app 165+ mph and the closest I've come to a crash is at about 1/2 track I blew the motor (it was at 9000 rpm) and oil instantly went under my rear tires... of course I had no power, but instantly pulled out the parachute, & that snapped the car straight.. and I slowed it down.. I was going app 140 mph at the time... More Corvette drivers who hit the wall usually hit it in the first 100-150 feet.. where they are in first or shifting to second gear... they start to spin and fishtail... and "THINK" they can drive through it and finish the run....SURPRUSE "They Cant... most likely I would hit the wall also if I were spinning bad, & tried to power second gear while I was still spinning... (most of the Vetts that hit the wall are running street tires NOT DRAG TIRES) and most drivers who hit the wall have been drag racing less than 1 yr!! Thats a FACT..

I'm not trying to scare you, but tell you the facts.. your chances of hitting the wall are .00001% if you do as I say above...

I hope you will race again and good luck if you do... & if you think the risk is too big, I understand, and agree you should watch racing from the stands...

Sorry for the long post, but this is one of my pet peeves..I'm only trying to get the truth to you...

 

remember jpee hes in florida the retirment state and hulk hogans son

 

How do you know he is from Fla. His Bio is blank... I have no idea how old he is or where he is from etc..etc...

 

this guy, it says it in the sig and under his avatar pic

 

Dennis.. your correct "Motorhead-47" is from Fla.. but the OP.. is the one who is worried about hitting the wall, & I was more or less addressing the OP.. not "Motorhead-47"

You may still be correct, but isn't it the OP who is worried about hitting the wall.. ??

And Motorhead-47 was just replying to the OP when he was saying he "always sees someone hit the waLL..

 

Were they street cars though?

I have been drag racing for YEARS and have made hundreds of passes and have only witnessed 1-2 street cars ever touch a wall (and when they did, it was very minor damage).

The reality is that in a street driven vehicle you are VERY VERY unlikely to ever have anything like that happen. The drag stip is without a doubt the safest way to experience the thrills of your cars acceleration.

 

Regardless, if an incident would cause financial ruin, one shouldn't be racing.

 

 

jpee i guess you need to go to florida. he was the genleman in question to the ray charles driving school comment

 

I've lost track of the number of passes I currently have on my 2007 but if I had to guess I'd say it was more than 600 with all of them from the last 20 months being in the very low 10 second range (after I installed the LS7).

Apart from always being aware of what's going on in the other lane, the one and only rule you really need to follow is this - If the car gets squirrelly going down the track, let off the gas and focus on keeping it straight.

If you do that the chances of getting into a wreck are no better or worse than they are on the street.

 

If you get in trouble with a 12 sec. car you probably should not be driving at all. The biggest problem you have is getting beside a 10 sec. or faster car that is home made by someone on a budget. Always watch the other lane. And If You Spin GET OFF THE GAS INSTANTLY

 

I know im fairly new, but thats an arrogant thing to say. 12 sec car on drag radials should give no problems, but a 12.xx car on stock runflats can make things a bit hairy.