How to launch for a race?

[ihaveacamaro]

Could anyone give me tips/suggestions for how to get a good launch in a manual? like for any situation (drag racing, street racing)...

And what are the differences in the launch when starting from 0 mph compared to a rolling start?

and yes before anyone calls me out on this, i am an inexperienced driver. im only 17 and only been driving a year. however, the only car ive been driving is a manual rx-8, so i know how to drive manual pretty well.

anyways, im just trying to get better driving skills

[dmo]

The basics that I know of for a standing start are...

Hold the clutch to just before the release point.
Rev the engine and hold at 2500 to 3000 RPMs
Anticipate the Green light at a track (once it starts flashing down it follows the same pattern)
Press gas pedal to the floor
Release clutch

For Rolling starts it depends on how fast your rolling....
Say you're going 40
In my camaro I would be in 2nd gear

It all depends on your cars gearing.

[xero755]

Originally Posted by iwantacamaro

Could anyone give me tips/suggestions for how to get a good launch in a manual? like for any situation (drag racing, street racing)...

And what are the differences in the launch when starting from 0 mph compared to a rolling start?

and yes before anyone calls me out on this, i am an inexperienced driver. im only 17 and only been driving a year. however, the only car ive been driving is a manual rx-8, so i know how to drive manual pretty well.

anyways, im just trying to get better driving skills especially if the moment ever comes that i have to smoke someone on the road who's hatin on the camaro (that i will inevitably get in the future)

Should an inexperienced driver really be looking to "smoke someone on the road who's hatin on the camaro"? I think perhaps that you should worry more about getting a beautiful car from point A to point B safely. Me and all of the other members here paying the really high insurance premiums will thank you.

[2010 SSRS]

Put some slicks on and dump the clutch, go all out.

[Dan3]

Ok, I'll be that guy...

Originally Posted by iwantacamaro

and yes before anyone calls me out on this, i am an inexperienced driver. im only 17 and only been driving a year.

It's great that someone your age actually wants to learn how to drive the car, and realizes that there is more to driving than making the tires squeal in corners. For a good basic takeoff from 0, dump the clutch from around 3k rpms and adjust on following runs. You will have to experiment with your car, but a good launch will have very little to no wheel spin. Be careful how many times you do this in a row, don't overheat your tranny and break something. A very safe guideline would be 2-4 launches, then wait 15-20min at least. (i'm talking just launches, not full 1/4mile runs. If you're doing full 1/4 runs allow time between each run, don't do them back to back)

Originally Posted by iwantacamaro

however, the only car ive been driving is a manual rx-8, so i know how to drive manual pretty well.

If by "pretty well" you mean that you know where all the gears are, you don't stall the car, and you dont hit shit while driving without meaning to, then ok, I'll buy that. If by "pretty well" you are attempting to say that you are a good driver to in some way justify the next half of your post, then no. No you are not

About half the drivers on the road today fall in a range between bad, and legally retarded while driving. Most 17 year olds fall in this catagory. Assuming you are an above average 17 year old driver you would fall in the next bracket up that would classify as "unlikely to be the cause of injury or death" AKA "acceptable". This catagory only classifies as "good" drivers to insurance companies and people who fall in the bad to retarded catagory. Ask 95% of the men on this forum, most of us thought we could drive pretty damn good at 17. Almost all of us can probably say now that at 17 we were not near as good as we thought.
Only about the top 20% of drivers are honestly good or better drivers, and I strongly doubt you are there. Part of being a good driver is responsibility and good judgement. "Smokin' haters" mentality knocks you well out of that bracket. Confidence is important while driving, we al hate being stuck behind chickenshit drivers. Cockyness will result in damage, injury, or death. There is a line between the to, find it.

Leading to...

Originally Posted by iwantacamaro

anyways, im just trying to get better driving skills especially if the moment ever comes that i have to smoke someone on the road who's hatin on the camaro (that i will inevitably get in the future)

If they hate, then let them hate... or take it to a track. Road racing will not prove a damn thing. You will just wrap your car around a tree and we'll get another "Another one down" thread, or you'll wrap yourself around someone's family member or friend. Racing the dumbass beside you from stoplight to stoplight just proves that you're a faster idiot than him.


In closing...
You never know for sure who is actually in the car beside you or what their situation is.
Possible positive outcome:
No one gets hurt, you get to go brag to your friends what a badass you are.

Possible negative outcomes: You're road racing Joe Cool and...
... you lose control and hit a tree/pole/building destroying your car and injuring/killing yourself.
... someone or something steps/drives/rolls out in front of you. Best case, your car is damaged. Worst case, someone is dead and its your fault.
... you do everything right, but Joe is drunk/high/a bad driver and HE hits and injures/kills someone (or multiple someones). You're still a big part of why this happened and the cops and the victims family(ies) will be coming for you.


If you can consider all this and you're still considering "Smokin' Haters" you may now classify yourself in the "legally retarded" category, get the hell off my roads.

[ihaveacamaro]

Originally Posted by Dan3

Ok, I'll be that guy...
If by "pretty well" you mean that you know where all the gears are, you don't stall the car, and you dont hit shit while driving without meaning to, then ok, I'll buy that. If by "pretty well" you are attempting to say that you are a good driver to in some way justify the next half of your post, then no. No you are not

what u said first was exactly what i meant. i can drive manual well. and i never said i was a good driver as i clearly said "i am an inexperienced driver"

Originally Posted by Dan3

Possible negative outcomes: You're road racing Joe Cool and...
... you lose control and hit a tree/pole/building destroying your car and injuring/killing yourself.
... someone or something steps/drives/rolls out in front of you. Best case, your car is damaged. Worst case, someone is dead and its your fault.
... you do everything right, but Joe is drunk/high/a bad driver and HE hits and injures/kills someone (or multiple someones). You're still a big part of why this happened and the cops and the victims family(ies) will be coming for you.


If you can consider all this and you're still considering "Smokin' Haters" you may now classify yourself in the "legally retarded" category, get the hell off my roads.

This is exactly why i posted on this site. you guys can definitely put things into a better perspective for someone of my age group. i agree with what you said Dan3 and i definitely won't race anyone on the roads.

however, for as fun as driving the camaro is, i may not be able to resist the temptation of speeding a little

[ihaveacamaro]

Originally Posted by dmo

The basics that I know of for a standing start are...

Hold the clutch to just before the release point.
Rev the engine and hold at 2500 to 3000 RPMs
Anticipate the Green light at a track (once it starts flashing down it follows the same pattern)
Press gas pedal to the floor
Release clutch

For Rolling starts it depends on how fast your rolling....
Say you're going 40
In my camaro I would be in 2nd gear

It all depends on your cars gearing.

Originally Posted by Dan3

It's great that someone your age actually wants to learn how to drive the car, and realizes that there is more to driving than making the tires squeal in corners. For a good basic takeoff from 0, dump the clutch from around 3k rpms and adjust on following runs. You will have to experiment with your car, but a good launch will have very little to no wheel spin. Be careful how many times you do this in a row, don't overheat your tranny and break something. A very safe guideline would be 2-4 launches, then wait 15-20min at least. (i'm talking just launches, not full 1/4mile runs. If you're doing full 1/4 runs allow time between each run, don't do them back to back)

Thanks for the info!!

[Jeh2ss]

iwantacamaro, its quite evident that you would have that car long, it will wind up in a juckyard, i just hope you dont hurt yourself or anyone else.

[v6sonoma]

To quote a stupid comic book/movie character. "With great power comes great responsibility." The words may seem corny but they ring true. My SS could probably beat 90% of the cars on the road, but it is just not worth it. I know this because when I was younger (about 8 years ago or so) I was blowing through the back roads with a friend following behind me. As I came around a corner I gave it some gas and let the tail hang out (for "fun")and when I tried to gain control on the wet road I was out of road and in the drink. I got lucky I missed a phone pole and a tree and went right between. My friends father was near by and pulled me out with his F-550 4x4 v10 and even it spun the back wheels pulling me out. It cost my insurance company $8k to fix it me $1k deductible. I got very lucky only some bumps and bruises but a lesson learned. No one got hurt badly but it could have been worse I could have flipped and drowned. My poor best friend could have had to watch me die and live with that. Be safe. Keep it on the track because 1 minute of "impressing someone" isn't worth ruining your or someone else's life.

[Dan3]

Originally Posted by Jeh2ss

iwantacamaro, its quite evident that you would have that car long, it will wind up in a juckyard, i just hope you dont hurt yourself or anyone else.

If you really must post nonconstructive, negative bullshit, please at least read what you are writing and use enough basic English skills to make it understandable.

We've all been 17 and stupid. Some of us have lived to be 20, 30, or 40 something and still a bit stupid. Try guidance or advice instead of spouting off.

[Scrappy Doo]

Originally Posted by Dan3

If you really must post nonconstructive, negative bullshit, please at least read what you are writing and use enough basic English skills to make it understandable.

We've all been 17 and stupid. Some of us have lived to be 20, 30, or 40 something and still a bit stupid. Try guidance or advice instead of spouting off.

+1.

Thank you.

[Iwantone2]

Originally Posted by iwantacamaro

Could anyone give me tips/suggestions for how to get a good launch in a manual? like for any situation (drag racing, street racing)...

And what are the differences in the launch when starting from 0 mph compared to a rolling start?

and yes before anyone calls me out on this, i am an inexperienced driver. im only 17 and only been driving a year. however, the only car ive been driving is a manual rx-8, so i know how to drive manual pretty well.

anyways, im just trying to get better driving skills especially if the moment ever comes that i have to smoke someone on the road who's hatin on the camaro (that i will inevitably get in the future)

To quote Emperor Caligula, "Let Them Hate, As Long as They Fear".

Keep the racing on the track and be safe out there, you never know who has had a bad day.

[jelly2m8]

Step 1: Take it to a Race track.

Don't worry about racing from a roll, Only nascar and Champ/ Indy cars do that, and i'm pretty sure your car or skills aren't of that calibre.

[carfansince73]

Just keep in mind that lauching the Camaro (lots of torque) at the track is a LOT different than that RX-8 (no torque). Your tires will thank you for that, and you'll have a better chance at winning.