Hey, I am new here I live in Edmonton Alberta, I bought a 2009 Cobalt TC coupe this summer and heard back from the race track today. I am booking times to do 1/4 miles this summer and was looking for info on anything else I should do prior to racing to get best results, also tips if you can on 1/4 miles as I have never done it before! This is what is done to the car so far....
Cosmetic Upgrades
Carbon Fiber (3M DiNoc) Wrapped Interior Pieces (Shadow Tint)
Premium Window Tint w/ Lifetime Warranty (Tinting Illusions)
MPX Shorty Antenna
Black Headlight Housings
5000K Bi-Xenon HID’s
Smoked Taillights & Side Markers (Tinting Illusions)

Suspension/Handling Upgrades
Pedders Springs (Properly matched spring rates for this car w/ a modest drop in ride height)
Powell Racing 25mm Rear Sway Bar
Shifter Bushings
Steering Rack Spacers (Properly sized for the Pedders Springs)
Rear Hawk HPS Pads (Stock Ferodo pads on the front)

Performance Upgrades
K&N Shortram Intake
Injen Intercooler Pipes
3” Hi-Flow Downpipe
Forge Motorsport BPV
Mild Trifecta Custom Tune* (90hp and 125 tq)

Thanks guys, I would like to eventually get to low 12's but need to learn to drag race first haha!

 

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/drag-racing-52/art-drag-racing-285907/

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/drag-racing-52/best-dragstrip-techniques-tires-258901/


Two useful threads from the forum you posted this thread in

 

Cosmetic upgrades will yield you nothing at the track. I would suggest dropping as much weight out of your car as possible at the track. Example: Spare time, subs if you have them, any thing in the trunk, not needed to get down the track. Basic more advanced weight reduction, would be the passenger and back seat. I be you could easily shave 75 lbs of weight right there. When I was drag racing back in the day. I would actually throw a bag of ice over my CAI. I wrapped it in a towel. Now I am speaking for the old fox body mustang, it gave me an extra .02 faster with the CAI tube being cold. If you are on street tires, do not run through the water in the burn out box. This will slow you down. drive around it, and then light them up. Get your launch down, would be my next suggestion. It is going to take some time, to learn. Don't expect to get it right the first time at the track. Beating on your car over and over at the track in one day is just going to tear things up. I stuck to the 3 pass rule. If I couldn't get a faster time after 3 passes, I called it a day. The last thing is the tree. When drag racing a street car especially a stick car, you have a lot to do. It is easy with an automatic. Power brake it until the brakes will barely hold and bam go. With a stick you have to maintain the rpm of the launch you want. I learned the sound of the motor at the launch I wanted, so that I could watch the tree. Once you learn that, you can focus on getting a good light. I always leave on the last yellow, and hit near spot on perfect reaction times. Good luck, be safe, and most importantly have fun.

 

Lol I realize cosmetic won't help I just copied and pasted. Thanks for the info, I can't wait to have some fun. With trifecta tune on it rips but front tire almost always spins out, need to find something with good grip.

 

Slicks will help you, any other tire on FWD is just wasting money.

 

This......^^^^^

 

Slicks or bust.

 

just fyi if you run slicks, you're really risking snapping the axle. I've seen countless fwd cars with big sticky tires just snap axles like twig on vht

 

DR's would snap an axle before slicks would IMO. Plus I believe our axles are decently strong.

 

Why would drs do it more than slicks?

 

Bingo drs are way more likely to wheel hop which is about the only thing that is gonna break an LNF axle at the power levels being talked about
Slicks or bust

 

because dr's have a stiffer sidewall, they dont give as much, were slicks are a much softer compound and allows more leverage, they only way youll break an axle is when there is wheel hop.

 

Drop the tire pressure. Problem solved. I run 10-12 lbs in mine.

 

And also, the mods you have, aren't going to get you more than maybe .3 of a second faster in the 1/4 mile. In drag racing terms, you've really done nothing to make your car drag race faster.

 

You're at more of a risk breaking an axle doing that compared to running a DR. You could also be at a huge risk of breaking the bead off the tire. Do whatever though. Lol. It isn't me putting myself at risk.

 

Thats Ballsy

 

I ran 15ish psi in my drs and managed 1.867 60' i think. Minimal spin no wheel hop in the burnout

 

That seriously good for a fwd streetcar what suspension mods to go with that

 

Ask me about slicks. You would **** a brick.

 

What about slicks??

 

6-8 lbs

 

OP you said you are booking times at the track are you renting the track or just going for a track day? I'm in calgary

 

That a girl.

 

Wrinkle side wall racing.

 

I live in Cold lake and have times booked at castrol in edmonton