Two questions:

1) Are you seeing increased 0-60 times by burning out before you launch? I don't really feel like powerbraking my car before each race, but if it improves my 0-60 times I will.

2) At what launch RPMs are you finding a good combination of traction and HP.

Someone said that one of the magazines said that 2K was a good RPM to launch the Stang at, but that seems way low to me since these babies don't really hit the powerband until at least 3.5K. What are you guys experiencing?

Thanx.

 

I haven't drag raced yet..but launching higher and higher each time, till traction gets scarce, then back down to the notch that you didn't

Even on the streets...2500 is a nice cool start...at least for me.
But i know the street isn't the track.

So any other info is appreciated

 

Well.. I'm gonna say this from the back seat since I don't have my Mustang yet.... but I would never do a burn out w/o a line lock... it trashes your hardware in the rear. That's just me. And, as I understand it, the rubber compounds in street radials are designed to run at colder temperatures, so you may be hurting your time by burning out... get some drag radials if that's what you want to do.... Again, this is me in the back seat, I can't say for sure.

 

What I do is back up and stop right before the water box. I rev up to about 5000 and dump the clutch, stopping at the starting line, no brakes. I'd not coordinated enough to do a burnout with the brakes.

Then at the line I rev up to 3000 and dump it on 3rd yellow. If I go below 2900 my engine bogs. If I go higher than 3100 I spin out. It really depends on tire and track temperature. I was having a hard time finding a new sweet spot when it got colder around here.

This technique gives me 2.0 - 2.1 60' times.

I was shifting at about 6250 - 6500 rpm, but I was chirping between gears. I think every time I chirped I lost .1 - .2 secs off my ET. I think it's best to shift closer to 6000.

 

well mine isnt stock I find reving to 3500 works well for me, just enough to get me to a good amount of power at the wheels and launch before I lose traction, nice hard launches, and shifting into 2nd real fast. use waterbox and burnout only if you have drag tires, on street tires its kind of pointless

 

You avoid the waterbox if you can and spin them just a little to get the dirt off. No Burnouts because the street tires run better cold.

 

Seems I've heard the stock tires are better without a burnout. I suppose it depends on the track temp though.

 

You're right for the wrong reason. Don't do a burnout because there's no point on the stock tires. Powerbraking isn't going to destroy your car.

 

Has anybody got any strip time where they tried launching in 2nd and fanning the clutch (on street tires)? 1st seems so short to me that I wonder if a better time can't be obtained by skipping that shift altogether and lauching in 2nd. Mine's still new (<1,000 miles) and I haven't been to a track yet, but this technique worked wonders on some of my motorcycles (where wheelie control is a factor).

Sure, it means some clutch lining, but drag racing is pretty hard on those anyway, especially on a strip with a good "base".

 

I doubt you would be able to get a good launch in 2nd gear. My best 60' was last Tuesday in the 1.9range. I generally launch close to 3k myself and I'm on the stock tires with only the jlt intake & 93 octane tune. As far as burnout, only if you have to go thru the waterbox, and even then, do it just enough to just get the water off your tires.

I've been running mine pretty consistantly in the 13.4-13.5 range around 104-105mph.

 

same here

 

Well, I guess I get to be the odd man out. With over 200 runs on Nitto 450s, it has been my experience that a smoky burnout helps them. I have tried it many ways, and my best traction has come with hot, sticky tires. Of course, they don't last very long that way either. hehe

Fortunately, those days are behind me now...

 

Nitto's I would imagine are quite a different compound even though they are still street tires.

When are you going to have an ET with your Drag Radials on? Let us know.

 

It's in my sig. But, not on the best of tracks. I'm going to a different track this Saturday... we'll see.

 

Street tires get greasy when heated up. I have experienced this many times when road racing. The compounds of street tires cannot handle the heat. R-compounds and drag slicks need to be heated up for them to grip. I always avoid the water box and do a quick spin, not a burnout. The objective is to get the tires clean of any debris, not to heat them up.

 

Nice theory... too bad reality is different for my tires. My advice is for each person to test their own tires and see what works best. My Nittos worked best when hot and sticky.

 

I run Mickey Thompson E/T Streets, do a burnout until I start to see them smoke then roll out of it, launch around 4000 rpm.

But that's just me.

Video 1

Video 2

 

I have the M/T DRs now, so my days of running on street tires are behind me. And I use the same technique as you for the DRs (except for the 4000rpm launch part).

 

don't be skurred Don

 

Not really a theory, it's racing 101. Street tires get greasy when hot, simple as that. If it was a 555R or 555RII you were running, then that's a different story. The compound is simply not up to the task at higher temperatures. Ever seen a car after it's been out on a road course for a few laps? The tires are literally melted and get heat cycled. When you heat cycle a tire, it leads to inconsistent traction. In conclusion, if you are burning out street tires, you are just wasting money. Spin the tires quickly to get the dirt, rocks, etc.