Fuzzy Dice

I raced the Summit points event at Orlando today...weather was a bit warm...temps around high 80's and humidity the same...after some morning showers it cleared off nicely...gates opened at noon...

My first time shot I went 6.793 with a .001 red eye...an hour later my second time shot was 6.799 with a .019 light...I dropped my launch ET by 200 rpm...I can work with these numbers...3 weeks ago in SC I went 6.57 on the whomp...what a difference good air can make...

First round I dial 6.80 and catch one of my best friends...sheesh...he red lights so I run it out for info...I went 6.767...almost 4 numbers under...good grief!....this is where the on and on starts...btw, the DA had changed by a whopping 30 numbers...higher...sigh...

Second round I get a guy dialed 7.55 in a gen 3 camaro...I put 6.77 on my window...he leaves green and I chase, green also...I begin whomping at his rear bumper and take the stripe...oops...his win light comes on...what now?...another break out on my part going 6.753 on the whomp...checked the DA when I got back to my pit and it had gone up another 40 points...naturally I treed him with an .015 to his .042 light...

My car keeps defying the odds and going quicker when it should go slower...unfreakingbelievable...I did hog the stripe some by .033 but that was mostly because I was going so much faster than I should have been...oh well...

My car guy has gone over everything and the car is fine...I stage meticulously and my routine is pure...damned if we can figure this one out so it goes on and on and on...oh yeah, my logbooks say I have lost on breakout's every event for the last 9 months...it is as if I do not have a clue how to dial a car..sheesh...

Anyone with ideas, I am all ears...lol...

96collector

Make sure your throttle opening this good.

RIKKI Z-06

I was looking for something to do today, wish I would've known about this.

Fuzzy Dice

Good thought but it has been checked and re-checked already...sigh...

Fuzzy Dice

The next points event is May 19th...gates usually open at noon...stop by and see me if you come...

oklahoma

I assume tire pressures on all four tires are known for each lap as well as coolant temp. with electric water pump running. How long are you on the converter in the water box and at the line? My transmission temp gauge lags true torque converter temp by more than a min. you could be increasing your stall speed by heating your transmission fluid while waiting for your opponent or the starter to activate the tree even with the same staging RPM. If this is the case then it should show up as tire slip or improved 60' times.

Fuzzy Dice

Thanks for the reply...yes, my tire pressures were the same on all four passes...I check before each pass before I leave my pit area...I am meticulous in my staging routine...my car is sensitive about that...I staged at between 154 and 156* all passes...I final stage at 25 to 2700 rpm depending...this day I was at 2600 rpm...I am aware of when I run someone much slower...if I am up on the converter for too long I run a good bit slower...always have...this has not happened to me in a very long time...this event my short times were 1.462, 1.457, 1.458 and 1.448...

My first round I ran a buddy and we were dialed close...6,80 for me and 6.78 for him...he red lit and I ran it out the backdoor at 6.767...second round I ran a guy dialed 7.55...I dialed 6.77 and ran 6.753 on the whomp...sigh...

Something is amiss but I'll be darned if I can find it...been looking for almost 9 months now...sheesh...thanks again for trying to help...

ralph

Dan, you're already tempting fate by dialing soft. You have to assume you're always on a breakout run and squeeze the stripe. Either that or dial accordingly. That said, it sucks when you're car isn't consistent and you have no basis to determine where your competitor is at. My car would do something similar to yours (still does sometimes), but it usually works itself out in time trials. My car is usually slow on the first pass, then picks up even if the DA goes up noticeably, but usually settles in by the first round. I could never figure it out and just assumed the computer took a couple of passes to figure out i was racing. I also noticed that my car ran differently at the same oil/coolant temps depending on how i got there. Cooling to a certain temp vs. heating to that same temp....and i'd dial accordingly. I also noticed differences between tracks. Etown would pick up toward evening before the weather station ever picked it up. I'd adjust my dial based on time of day......but i know you run at several tracks and have had the same results. Check your logs....you may have to factor in the possibility of going quicker in later rounds or time of day despite the DA. As Oklahoma stated, I'm assuming you're already factoring in things like coolant, oil, tranny temps, etc.

Good luck getting it figured out.

RIKKI Z-06

kazman

Dan, this sounds nuts but if it was me I would hold another .03-04 that what you dial normally. Then if you feel like you hit the tree drive back into the stripe and take .019-.010 for starters. As you do this more you will see better and be able to shrink the mov window to .009- .005. If you feel you missed the tree dump and let your opponent take stripe.

By holding more you will have no question that your on a brake out run and will force you to drive the stripe. There will be no decision trying to figure out if you getting there, not getting there or running dead on. You know your breaking out.

Might be a work around until you can figure the car. Try using vapor pressure instead of DA to forcast a run. I haven't gotten to that level yet as my car is very sensitive to water temps. Something I need to address. I usually hold .07 -1.20 in the 1/8 until I get more date on what the car is actually going to run. Then I will have the options of dialing hard and running it out or spot dropping in addition to sandbagging.

Fuzzy Dice

Thanks guys...I am thinking about holding more but the problem is what am I holding against?....not knowing how much to get rid of is a tough deal for me...I actually think I am dialing hard based on previous runs, DA, etc...then I tighten up the stripe to .015 or less typically only to break out by a bunch...very frustrating...

I generally follow the rule of thumb to always dial a number to can reach...again, to give you guys a better idea, this is what happened at the 40K's...

On friday I rip and take the stripe by .010 only to go under by 5 numbers...on saturday I rip and take the stripe by .011 only to go under by 6 numbers...on sunday I rip and take the stripe by .012 only to go under by 6 numbers again...I was dialing off a previous run from no more than 1 1/2 hours prior and the DA at the time...same deal at Orlando...sigh....

BIGMAC

FD,

At least you have a car to run! My '98 is finally fixed (I pray) and back in my garage and I hope to make the next OSW points race. If the '98 is OK I will plan to make some shakedown runs soon in the '12 GS.

BIGMAC

hookedup

Have to agree with Ralph seems like you hold too much. If your car is picking up that much consistently might need to drop .01 or .02, you'd have won those 3 runs at the 40Ks.

Just a thought,
Dave

Fuzzy Dice

Great to hear, Mac...see you out there on the 19th...

You do have a point....maybe I should just keep quiet since this car does not break every time out....lol...

Fuzzy Dice

You are both correct...the problem is I do not know I am holding that much...I dial based on my log book, my previous run and my DA meter...that should get me within a hun or so...I can drive the stripe for that little difference...

The frustration is I do all that to dial hard and drive the stripe to tighten it up correctly and still break out by a bunch...I'm talking 4 to 7 numbers...geez!...the mph is the same so obviously I am applying the same HP more effectively to the ground for some reason...FTI tells me it is not the glide or converter...

I am picking up ET after the 60 and 330' times...the only thing I come back to is my new tires...I switched from 14x32 stiff sidewall slicks to 13 x 31.5 Pro Bracket Radials...I now run 17 lbs. in these versus 9 lbs. in the old slicks...how these radials could pick up this much in the second half of my races is beyond me....I am turning about 400 more rpm at the stripe since these radials do not "grow" down track..

I hope all is well with you Dave...haven't seen you since the last vette race in Virginia...

C5 Pete

What’s your trans temp? What fluid? Maybe that plays a part??

oklahoma

I think you have hit on the answer. Your log book is contaminated with runs with the previous tire setup but not apparent when you are focused on the short times and only becomes manifest when you examined the "back half" times in those runs. I think this means you need to dump the runs with the bias ply tires from your "working log book". Good research.

Fuzzy Dice

I do not have a trans temp gauge...no doubt the car goes a bit quicker when the fluid thins out (gets hotter) but only to a point...to hot and she slows down...

Fuzzy Dice

Good point...I am leaving the prior runs alone now and starting new with the radials...we'll see what happens...lol...

ralph

It certainly seems that you are driving the stripe well and you think your are dialing honest. It also seems, based on the recent results you've post that your car "consistently" goes quicker in later eliminations. As a band aid, you should probably assume you're going to pickup 5-7 in those rounds, but that doesn't explain this significant drop in ET in the second half. Where on the track does your car shift? Did this issue start when you changed tires? I'd have expected the radials to be more consistent, if anything.