Tonight I went to the drag strip. It's only the 1/8 mi, but that is the closest track to where I'm at. This is the first time I took my 2000 6spd vette on the track with disappointing results. My best time was 9.110 with reaction time .635 . I tried two runs with traction control and two runs without. The first run ( with TractionControl) I staged and had the rpms about 3000 at take off. I noticed that the rear wheels would break slightly then the car bogged then took off. The second time (TractionControl off) I took the rpms about 2500 and dropped the clutch slightly feathering the gas to wot, I noticed alot of wheel spin first through second. What am I doing wrong or what should I try to improve on? I've owned a 96 Impala SS that was slightly modified and have been drag racing that for about a year running pretty much the same times I'm running with the vette. This is my first vette and I've only owned it for about 3 months. Maybe I'm missing out on something? Or maybe I just suck? Any suggestion to help lower my times will greatly be appreciated.

 

You will get good answers here in this section... then again you may get better answers in the Drag Racing Section. :blueangel:

VR :cheers:

 

What were your 60 ft. times?

I have an A4, but we always race with the TC "off". With it "on", it screws up the launch. Don't worry about the reaction time just now. That comes with practice. Since I do not have a 6 sp (and could never manual shift good enough), I can't offer suggestions peculiar to your Vette. However, I do know we run right up at the red line and shift there also. Most guys start out with the stock tires, move to the Drag Radials and then to the MT ET Streets (almost slicks). You will find the launch and the first part of the run very important to what happens at the end. BTW, we prefer to run on an 1/8 mile track many times to improve and perfect the launch and the early part of the run. Besides, you can get a lot more runs sometimes on an 1/8 mile track.

And practice as much as possible. I never did and that is why I watch my son race my car! :D :D

 

Hereis Ranger's little write up on drag racing the Z06. My method is a bit more brutal... So, I'll give you his first...


Launch Techniques on Stock Tires

Not claiming my technique is the best one. But here's what I'm doing on the F1SC tires.

First off, select the best prepared and professionally run track in your area, even if it's a longer drive. Your times will be better; the racers will be more experienced; and someone will usually have a pocket weather station to give you the density altitude at the times of your runs.

Stage: Windows up. COMPETITIVE DRIVING mode. Radio off. AC off. I spin the stock F1SC tires for a second or two to clean them off. I run 23-25 lbs in the rear and 45-50 lbs up front. I shallow stage, just barely tripping the second set of bulbs. There is a school of thought that says heat up the F1SCs by doing a full burn-out. I have tried this and found that it does make for 60’ more consistently in the 1.8s than just the simple clean-off that yielded (for me) an average in the low-mid 1.9s. My recent 1.78 and 1.79 followed a full burn-out of the stock tires.

Launch: I hold 1800-3200 rpm, depending on traction/track conditions, and quickly release (not pop) the clutch with full engagement occurring in the first 4'-10' of forward movement. I let the tires hook before going to WOT, and the progression to WOT is a squeezing of the accelerator…not a stomp. Goal is to not overpower traction and thereby make them break loose again. I can usually get to WOT leaving less than 10' of rubber. This takes practice that's best done away from the drag strip.

I adjust the launch rpm up or down in 200-300 increments depending on what happened in the earlier runs. On a well-prepped track, if the launch rpm is too low, the car will bog. If this happens raise the launch rpm on the next run

Shifting: I'm running the stock shifter. I do some slight throttle lift on the shifts particularly on the 1st-2d where it's easy to spin a lot. I make the shifts 1st-2d and 2d-3d at what I believe is an indicated 6300, because it revs so fast and need to stay off the limiter. I say "believe" because I go by feel on the first two shifts while I remain attentive to keeping the car straigt. I watch the tac on the 3d-4th shift and start it at an indicated 6450-6500. I've experimented with lower shift points and found it costs me a couple tenths in ET. An early shift to 4th also cost one or more mph in trap speed.

Wheel Hop: This occurs when you overpower available traction and the wheels begin to spin freely. This kills your times. Two things can be done. (1) apply the power after the shift (slightly) more gradually or (2) do a full burn-out to warm up the F1SCs and make them sticky. BTW, drag radials never seem to suffer wheel hop.

Two other things. I wear thin-soled shoes and believe they give me a little better feel for what the rear wheels are doing. Finally, I often use the AC in recirc mode to fire up both fans before I enter the final staging area. I find this brings the H2O temp down to 194 just fine. If the track line personnel are strict on not dripping water, I jump the fan switch suing a piece of wire.

Hope this helps.

Ranger

Hey,

Thanks again folks for your generous comments. And thanks too for the calls and emails. Appreciate the enthusiasm for these awesome cars.

First, I only have 16 runs on the 02 Z wearing stock tires. 11 last year and 5 this. But I've concluded that to get sub 1.8 60s, the F1SCs benefit from being heated, just like a drag radial. My rears at 17K miles have 4 32d left; far from bald. After the burn-out (to the point of very good smoke), I brought the launch rpm down to 3100 and got the clutch out fast. Not a pop or a dump or a side-step. Just a quick release in the first few feet. Then, and only then did I begin to squeeze the accelerator to the floor over the next 20 feet of so. Minimizing wheel spin. Perhaps this won't work for everyone. But the principle is the same. Find the right launch rpm and get the clutch out fast and then squeese the throttle to the floor, but avoiding significant wheel spin.

I should add that heating the stock tires also helps to hook better the shifts to 2d and 3d. As for my "slowing down" the shifts on the 11.81 run...I was just less aggressive in banging the shifter and gave slightly more lift to the throttle during the shifts. I shift very fast but am doing some lift during the shift to 2d and 3d. I sometimes powershift to 4th, but only did that on the 11.81 run on Saturday.

As for shift points, I don't watch the tac in 1st or 2d, because things are happening so fast, but go by sound and feel instead. I try to shift at the highest rpm possible without kissing the rev-limiter. I estimate that on good runs I am completing the shift to 2d and 3d at 6500. I have pretty good leg-speed and that helps quite a bit. I do watch the tac as the engine winds through third gear and I make the shift to 4th at an indicated 6500. My 125 runs in 2002 taught me that "just kissing" the limiter wastes less than a tenth, but banging into the limiter "hard" basically kills the run. And that only happens when it surprises you, which means you lost focus and had already left "the zone."

Hope this answers your questions.

Ranger

Once I heated the stock tires, I launched as though they were drag radials, same clutch release (fast) but at almost exactly 1000 rpms lower. My launch was at 3100 rpms. Had I been on DRs, I'd have been launching at 4000-4100 in those conditions.

The practice needed to get good 60' footers came in 2002. Lot of passes on DRs (115) and a lot of practice on F1SCs away from the track on some old asphalt at my favorite "go fast" spot...an old, abandoned airstrip near here.

-------------------


My method involves more RPM and more clutch slip...

The two big things drop the rear air pressure a bit, but no too much as the run flats won't flatten out like the Z06 tires do, and do a burnout on them to get some heat in them...

 

Don't hit the wall :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

(Chanderson) sounds like you need some good sticky tires" like drag radials. :yesnod: :yesnod: :iagree: :cheers: Welcome to the forum :seeya and those times will get better. :thumbs: :cheers:

 

:smash: :smash:

 

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Don't hit the wall
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that's not so funny, I DID hit the wall; spun it on the 1-2 shift. :nopity

 

Ouch, easy John Force :eek:

 

If you're drag racing the A4 transmission, would you just keep it in "Drive" and squeeze, or would you manually put it into the 1, 2, 3 and then "Drive?" I'm sure you won't get to "Drive" on a 1/4 mile track.

 

trac control off, feather the clutch, begin low and go higher, Onstocks tires you should not exceed 2500rpm, you get too much wheel spin. Also dont worry about RT, your not in NHRA yet

 

keep it in 3 and let the computer do the work (except in my case where I shift early so the butt won't come around, sc + level 4 tranny can = disaster)

 

I'm driving a six speed, I've only had the car less than two months. I guess I've just got to get used to the feel of the clutch and how the car behaves under certain rpms at shifting. Anyways I appreciate all the help. I just installed the Vararam system and will try it out next week. Again, thanks for all the help, this forum has been tremendously helpful to this new corvette owner.

 

Welcome .. :seeya ...sounds like you raced at Sunshine...they don't prep the track all that well for test n' tunes....seat time is so important so keep practicing...come on down to Bradenton in February and race with us in the Corvette Challenge...great bunch of guys, very helpful and too much fun...keep checking the drag racing section for the exact start date in February... :thumbs:

 

FuzzyDice,
Your absolutely correct. My first run with the vette was at Sunshine on Wedsnday nights for test and tune. I've run my 96 Impala at Bradenton once, I think it was on one of those Friday nights that they let regular street cars run. The only down side to that night was that you didnt even get a run slip, you actually had to have somebody in the stands watching your times and writing them down. I'm considering going down there when the vettes are running, when and how often do they meet at Bradenton? I think I would just watch for a bit because I just don't want to embarasse myself trying to run with veteran drag racers. Let me know when the next time your meeting there.

 

Chanderson! You are recruited!! No backing out!
http://www.flacorvettechallenge.com http://www.corvettechallenge.info http://www.bradentonmotorsports.com

Schedule should be up in a week or 2!! We start again in Feb, practice Thursday nights at Bradenton (check schedule!)

Enjoy :thumbs:

 

1) This is the Drag Racing section.
2) What was your tire pressure?
3) What is the condition of your rear tires?

I feel that you need to start witht he tires. You are not going anywhere with tires that are over inflated or under inflated.

 

This serious & can happen very easily when using stock street tires.. You said you spun through 2nd gear.. Two things 1. Dont Power Shift because you will only break the tires loose when shifting to 2nd..

2. This is the Most Important !! If you feel the car starting to fishtail ABORT THE RUN INSTANTLY because it will be a slow ET due to tire spin, & It's a lot easier to come back to the staging lanes for another run than having the car flat bedded to a body shop..

I can honestly say I have never even come close to tagging the wall (my car is auto) however I had a 6 speed Camaro, & I've aborted runs many time if it got squirrely.. I know for new racers the adrenaline is flowing & you DON'T want to let off... but its the wise thing to do...

 

:iagree:

VERY good advice!! We don't want to see anyone have their fun spoiled. :cheers:

 

Advise is gonna be well taken, because the car is just too beautiful to nail the rail.