Hi! I'm new here - just bought my silver GT last weekend. I'm taking her out to the strip tomorrow, and I was wondering if anyone has any good tips for racing the GT. I'm not a novice to racing - been doing it for over 5 years now, with my slow Grand Prix. I figure I should shut off the overdrive, but what other suggestions does anybody have?

 

manual or auto

 

Auto

 

1. put your left foot on the brake.....cover the gas with your right foot.
2. Just before the last light, floor gas and left foot off the brake.
3. Hold on, cause it ain't no pony ride.

 

I know all that - like I said, I've been doing this for over 5 years. I want to know what's the best RPM's to launch at? 2,000? 2,500?

 

make sure you turn off overdrive and traction control.

I left at about 2,000 rpm and went 13.6@99.83 with an auto.

 

I have a 5spd. so I'm no good for you. Just leave on the last yellow!

 

I got my best time just flooring the gas from idle. I've tried brake torquing at different rpm's, rolling into the throttle, etc and nothing worked as well as just foot on the brake then move it to the gas and nail it.

My 60 times are crap but thats the combo of bad tracks and bad tires

Chris

 

Hey - for a novice on the track, how hard is it to get the whole staging thing down with the lights? Truthfully, that's what I am the most concerned about....

 

TURN THE TRACTION CONTROL OFF

 

Proper etiquette is to light the pre-stage bulb, wait for the other car to pre-stage, then both move into stage. My experience is NO ONE does this at the two tracks I go to.

I shallow stage (stop AS SOON AS the stage light gets lit) so I can go at the 3rd amber. I've gotten pretty good R/T's that way, .200 and lower with a best of .013.

If you're bracket racing the important thing is to do the SAME thing everytime. If you're just run what you brung or test and tune then it's not "so" important, but I still do it to get in the habit.

One opinion I read on staging is that if you deep stage you're closer to the line than your opponent, but I figure I'm already moving when the light goes green so it makes up for it.

Chris

 

I'll be getting my '05 soon (5-speed GT). I am a novice stick driver and I will be sure to break the motor in and get better at my driving before I take it to the track.

Is it possible for any seasoned veterans to give this rookie tips on how to burnout, how to stage, how to launch?

I am particularly curious about the footwork.

Thanks in advance

 

All of the ambers seem to light at the same time at the track I was at last Friday...

 

It is a piece a cake, don't sweat it. When you get to the track get yur car tech'd then park it and watch a few people stage. You will see 2 timing beams several feet infront of the tree. You simply slowly pull up to those 2 beams until you see both stage lights come on. Go slow your first time out so you don't over stage. Don't worry about being John Force on your first run. Just get a feel for the process. Then, come back run #2 and start working on your time

 

All of the ambers seem to light at the same time at the track I was at last Friday...
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Chris is correct. There is some leeway with the 2nd staging light. You can be staged on the line as soon as the second staging light is lit or staged to the point to where the first staging light is close to turning off. You can look at the sensors on the track and that'll tell you what your "grace space" is. I never have looked myself. I always stop as soon as the second staging light is lit. I anticipate the 3rd yellow coming on and launch then. My R/T is anywhere from .000-.017 pretty consistantly. Everytime I get BETTER than .010 which is .009-.000, I get a free entry into the track for my next visit. Worth $15. I'm trying to race for free, atleast using the track for free.

 

If your a novice,Be comfortable on the line.Drive around the water if you have radials.If you want to put a little heat in the tires back into water.You dont want water on front tires.
Then drive up until you turn on first light then stop.Slowly move up till second light comes on.You are now staged.
As far as the lights work,it depends on which system there using.Regular tree or Pro tree.One lets the lights come down one bulb after another.The Pro tree flashes all ambers at once.
If you want to see what your car can run,forget about reaction time.Green means you now can leave, but the timmer DOES NOT START till you move forward and brake the first beam with your front tires.If you run say 13.0 once and on second run sat there after green for an hour then left,you would still run 13.0.
Just want to make sure you all no this.I laugh when i am in the staging lanes and hear people saying if my reaction time was better i would of ran this.Not so.........

 

True, R/T doesn't make your times any better, but it will win a race for ya

I beat a 8.8 T/A when I ran a 9.1 in the 1/8th. I treed him off the start and won the race by .001. That was AWESOME.

 

So I have some work to do on my first R/T's of .911, .920 and .839!!

<!--QuoteBegin-mikem@May 7, 2005, 7:29 PM
The Pro tree flashes all ambers at once.

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Thanks for clarifying that for me!

I drove though the water the first time. Second time I drove around it but then I overstaged by about 1/2 car length! The guy looked at me like "where da ya think yur goin'?" and motioned to back it up. :nono: I sheepishly nodded in acknowledgement. :yes: Third time I got it right except for the etiquette part of both pre-staging first, then staging. Must remember that for the next time.

Oh, and they like the windows up before you get to the burn-out area!!

 

Welcome to the forums!!

<!--QuoteBegin-Ottosgirl@May 6, 2005, 9:54 AM
...just bought my silver GT last weekend
...what other suggestions does anybody have?

Quoted post

[/quote]
ummm, I assume she's broken in already?

 

Thanks for clarifying that for me!

I drove though the water the first time. Second time I drove around it but then I overstaged by about 1/2 car length! The guy looked at me like "where da ya think yur goin'?" and motioned to back it up. :nono: I sheepishly nodded in acknowledgement. :yes: Third time I got it right except for the etiquette part of both pre-staging first, then staging. Must remember that for the next time.

Oh, and they like the windows up before you get to the burn-out area!!
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I think there is 12"s of roll out before you deep stage for better reaction but your et will be slower by a small amount. There is regular and pro tree. Pro tree can be .400 or .500 tenth. One is quicker flash. I had .064, .085, .062,.099,.057,.070,.081 and .040 during my rounds of bracket racing with street tires last weekend. I can cut a better light with slicks as the car will react faster and you don't worry about tire spin as bad. Be consistant, a steady routine will help a lot. As for a stick, I used to dump the clutch and grab the brake for a burn out. Also do the burn out in 2nd or 3 rd gear for more tire speed to heat the tires. Some use a line lock for better results. 2 steps help to maintain a steady rpm at launch. Transbrake will help for autos but not this transmission. Good luck.