I have to admit that back in the day I was a very amateur street racer. Kids and witnessing horrendous accidents cured me. But tonight years later,I finally went to where the real racers go, the drag strip. I have wanted to do this for a while, but what pushed me into it now is my local Camaro club is running a drag strip challenge with the local Mustang club. I need to represent.
So at the Test and Tune tonight I think I had the fastest car on street tires but I guess it was a slow Friday night at Atco. My driving was not the fastest but when I pulled up to this beautiful orange Challenger R/T the guy came over and shouted in my window. "I will not line up against you!" It made me chuckle.
And I had a few fans from the stands coming up to me saying I was driving the hell out of my car. It must be the orange stripes on the car. And my exhaust, while not all that loud makes a really strong sound.
As I said a slow night. But fun! I even had a 12 year old junior driver dragster driver giving me launching tips. Listening to him got my RT to under a second.
But I need more advice. I think I have the middle of the track down with clean shifting, breaking loose a little shifting to second and third. My problems are at the line and the big end. I posted my best time slip tonight and my first drag run ever below. On that first run I had no idea where the traps were and I let off early. Later I learned to look for the win light. I won all but 2 races. This was the car and not me.
This was a very humid night, right before a storm, at about 80 degrees.
Off the line my best 60 foot was 2.163. Some were so bad I will never post those slips. With stock tires and a slippery track what is the best way to leave? This best 60 foot was leaving at 1500 with only a little slippage and no bogging. Should I go to higher rpms with more slip? Will my clutch survive? From what I have read here if I can get to 2 flat that is about the best that can be done with sock tires and those SUV wheels.
On the traps I was hitting the rev limiter about a second before I saw the win light. So with my bolton mods, is the best bet to shift to 4th say around 6,000 rpm?
The MPH at the traps was the same on every good run, right at 110 mph. A car with my mods should trap higher, so I guess 4th is a must.
And my 13.370 best ET is sad since I know my car should do better. Even though I am am disappointed at my ETs, it was a fun night. I want to get to another T&T night before the club meet.
One more thing I just noticed, that white BMW 335i coupe (car (113) that ate my lunch on my first run ever was watching Camaro taillights receding on my best run. Justice was served.
