karman

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Thanks for the detailed info.
Cold outside temps really help to get the coldest air into the engine to get the best times.
I can tell my car has more power the last couple of weeks before I put it away for the winter with the air always below 50F.
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Five Oh Brian

I pulled a 1.86 sixty foot time on my factory stock 235/50/18 BFG KDWS last summer in my 07 GT Automatic. Ran a 13.36 @ 102+ per the timeslip, but the car had a tune and 4.10 gears (stock airbox!). This was on a hot/humid day (about 90-95 degrees) with a 2600 ft above sea level DA! Corrected for sea level, it would have been in the 13.0's at 104+. On a cold day with a DA under 0 (like Gene K's awesome run), I fully believe I could pull a 12.90 or better, too.

I now have a JLT II CAI and big stall converter (4,300 rpm's) to go with the tune and 4.10's. I have 275/40/17 drag radials now, as well, so on a nice cold day, hi 12's should be reasonable to expect.

While there are certainly factory freaks out there (due to assembly line tolerances and/or exceptional driving/weather conditions), I would say that the vast majority of S197 GT manuals with a good CAI and tune should run 2.0 60' times and low 13's on factory tires, or 1.8 60' times and about 13 flat on drag radials.

Gene K

As to the 60' times. I am finally getting the hang of launching the stock Pirellis.
I had 5 passes today: 1.996, 1.962, 1.903, 1.895, 1.900

Just to back up that 12.97. The 2.017 12.973 @ 107.09 corrects to a 13.05 @ 106.41
I did not run a 12 today but the air was 1600' Worse.

Five out Five Runs today were BETTER for the conditions than the 12.973. One also had a higher trap speed for conditions.
Worst Run: 1.996 13.136 @ 105.27 (13.00 @ 106.32 Corrected)
Best Run: 1.895 13.085 @ 104.95 (12.95 @ 106.00 Corrected)
Best Trap: 1.962 13.134 @ 105.51 (13.00 @ 106.58 Corrected)

Phorty

Are you correcting for altitude? Why did you add time when you corrected your 12.97?

Since we're on the topic of fine tuning drag time, allow me to ask a questions: Is a light weight wheel a plus for drag racing? I have two sets of wheels/tires and I'm trying to decide which to run in the spring when at the strip. One is a set of Goodyear F1 GS D3's 255/45/18's on the factory 18x8.5 Fanblades which are about 26 LBS. The other is BFG KDW2's 255/45/18's on 18x8 18 LB Wedsports.

Gene K

171' ASL
50F 45% 30.22
-658' DA

If you will notice the above conditions result in a Density Altitude 658' BELOW Sea Level.
So correcting a 12.97 @ 107.09 to Sea Level Std results in a worse corrected number of 13.05 @ 106.41 mph.

Several people have stated the run doesnt count because of the excellent weather. That it couldnt do that at Sea Level Standard.
I was just pointing out the car now had 5 passes that correct between 12.95 and 13.00.
Now I suppose they will argue that it only counts if I run a 12.9 both corrected and uncorrected on the same pass.


Wheel Weight is a killer on these cars. While I think the rule of thumb that every 1 lb of weight off rotational mass is equal 10 lb
of dead weight is a little high I would not be suprised if you found 2/10 in a 32 lb lighter set of wheels.
Think about how much guys gain form just an Aluminum driveshaft and it has a much smaller diameter (moment of inertia).

USMC_HOTROD

Wow that is tru sign me up for that setup now!! As a matter of fact start selling that and make a killing!!

Gene K

Doug at Bama will sell it to you for $525 last I checked.
I believe I picked up a solid 4/10's and 3 mph.

All it takes is practice and conditions. I dont believe in factory freaks (Cars should be within +/- 0.10 Second). Look at my traps for conditions.

Cars History:
Stock with 850 mi
+2404' DA 2.05 8.99 @ 77.5 13.87 @ 99.5

Stock with 1600 mi
-1253' DA 2.03 8.74 @ 81.9 13.49 @ 103.3

Stock with 2000 mi
+1285' DA 1.95 8.71 @ 80.7 13.53 @ 102.1 (Corrects to 13.35)

CAI/Tune with 2500 mi
-658' DA 2.01 8.38 @ 85.1 12.97 @ 107.0

CAI/Tune with 3000 mi
+944' DA 1.89 8.40 @ 83.6 13.08 @ 104.9 (Corrects to 12.95)

The car actually runs better if the track is a little slick.

The good 60's are not as good as they look. They feel awful.
4000 rpm full throttle with quick lift of the clutch....
Spin, Hook, Bog, Go...

Thats the reason they dont pick up ET as much as you expect.
I cover the 60' quicker but am not carrying as high an exit speed as the time leads you to believe.

This car is dieing for a set of gears even on stock tires!

Gene K

Okay now I did both on the same pass...

Actual: 1.909 8.345 @ 104.83 12.957 @ 106.62 (-71' DA)

Corrected: 12.97 @ 106.54

Enfynet

Great times!

... Teach me how to drive

theedge67

I want to see a video of you race. Not because I don't believe it, but because I want to see how you launch on those Pirelli's so well!!

Gene K

Many of you dont know how much difference track surface makes. You have never been at a really sticky track. For instance I ran at Huntsville AL the test and tune after the B&M Bracket Series Race. The track was so sticky I was completely unable to break tracction dropping the clutch at 5500 rpm. My car was stock at the time and would just absolutely nose over when the clutch was dropped. The only way to get a sub-2.0 out of it was to smoke the clutch unmercifully.


As to the times in question (Montgomery Motorsports Park).
It helps the track manager understands business. $200 bucks worth of VHT is cheap if it gets 10 fast cars to come out for the Sunday TNT.
Fast cars are NOT coming to a unprepped track. Its $15 if your running or $10 if your watching/crew.

Average of 3 people a car = $45 a race car. Add in the 30 extra spectators the fast cars bring out and thats $650 for $200.

On a slick track I have to clutch slip it out of the hole and the best Ive ever done is 1.958 but 1.99-2.05 is more normal. I know guys who have went low 1.8x like this but I always lose to much time in the initial 5-6' trying to leave this way.

To get 1.89-1.91 I need a prepped track.
1. Bring rpm to 2500-4000 rpm (Adjusted up or down according to conditions).
2. Middle Yellow floor throttle.
3. Last yellow (3000-4500 rpm depending on initial rpm) release in smooth steady lift which results in the clutch slipping for short "shock absorbtion" period as opposed to a side step.


Results: Screeeeeeechhhhh....... Hook.... Bog.... Go....
Feels terrible but still the quickest way Ive found for me.
Aborted runs usually occur when I instantly go to 6000 rpm on the clutch lift. aka "Blow Tires Off".
1.89-1.91... It doesnt feel pretty and knocks 0.5 mph off the traps but its the quickest technique Ive found for a prepped track

Track must be pretty good.
Weekend before last:
ProMod - 3.96 @ 179 mph 1/8 mi. He shut it down their.

Last Weekend:
NMRA Mustang (Class?) Supercharged and Tubbed. Mid 7's at 190 mph.
Two 8 second 10.5" Outlaw cars running 8's. The Mustang Notch was very impressive to watch carrying the front tires 200' on 10.5 slicks.

PS Anyone thats in the vacinity of Montgomery (AL) Motorsports Park that wants to come out and look my car over or video it is more than welcome. I dont usually have anyone come with me to do the videos. I am planning to go this weekend as it will likely be good conditions and my last chance to crack 12.8x in this trim.

Five Oh Brian

I've been begging our local dragstrip to stay open in the winter for those dry days we get. However, the last TNT of the season is in September and they don't reopen until Feb, so we miss a lot of great weather conditions that I believe would produce some 12 second timeslips in my GT. When I ran my best of 13.28 and all the variety of 13.30's I've run, the Density Altitude was in the 2000-2600' above sea level range! On a cold day with a DA below sea level, there is no reason that 12.90's aren't possible.

We have a well prepped track, but they are rarely open for TNT. It's no surprise that we have a huge problem with street racing around here as there is a lot of pent up demand to race, and nowhere to do it often enough!