So guys, I'm pretty amateur when it comes to drag racing. Some of you may know this based on my previous threads in war stories and here.

Anyway can you guys give me some basic to intermediate pointers.

Also explain to me why ESC off is preferred. Why is having TC off preferred?

To me having the system minimize wheel spin would be ideal, but it's common knowledge to turn the TC.

Also, with the tree light, I've learned that going at the last yellow light not green helps, but how do I stop the bog at 2500-3000 rpms?

Anyway any advice would be great. I plan on going next weekend to try my drags again. I'll try to record my instrument panel so you guys can see what I'm doing.

 

I've never been to the drag strip, so no pointers really, so you can ignore the next part, and any body with experience can clarify upon some more.
When you have the traction control on, once the computer senses that your tires have lost traction, it will essentially cut the power and kill your time.
Comp mode is a GM preset that lowers the max rpm a bit, but having it off lets you rev higher and reduces the risk of bogging down(?)

 

it doesn't matter which light you go on if its just test and tune. time doesn't start until you move so instead of trying to leave right when it turns green, take your time and make sure you launch right. if your not using launch control then what i do is feather the throttle til the wheels stop spinning instead of just mashing it and getting tons of wheels spin.

 

My response to you from my other thread. Maybe something could help you here:

Just takes practice.... and a lot of slipping the clutch.

I hold rpm's at about 2800-3000 and then slip the clutch. I feel for traction and then just GO. I DO NOT NLS into 2nd and then I NLS into 3rd. Before, I use to ride out third all the way to 7000 rpm and across the line but I noticed the car drops off in a lot of power up there. SO, this time I NLS into 4th at 6000 rpm. Took me across at the 113.9, my highest trap ever.

Recap...
Slip clutch at launch at 3000 rpm.
shift regular into 2nd at 6800-7000 rpm
NLS into 3rd at 6000 rpm
NLS into 4th at 6000 rpm.

That's consistent high 12.'s for street tires for me. Might be different for you. Everyone does things different.

And ESC off, always. I don't want any chance of the computer interfering in any way.

 

ur shifting at 7000 rpms without valve springs and retainers?

 

yeah i didnt turn mine off and i think this is what happens when its on. i take off and lots of wheel spin then the car feels like it almost stops and i almost eat the wheel. is that from the esc being on???

 

when you launch turn ur tc off. hold ur rpms at about 2500 to 3000. let the clutch slip until ur rolling then fully engage it. I dont hold the gas to the floor rite away either. the best advise is to get as much practice as you can. I look like an ******* but on my way to work on nice nights i will practice launching at the stop signs.

 

so hold it at 3000 then I keep it at 3000 as I'm slipping the clutch. so I wanna apply gas as I'm slipping to keep it 3000? then when I have let go of the clutch I wanna floor it? then second just floor it?

 

yup trust me practice practice practice. dont be embarassed if you fail at the strip. no ones an expert at first.

 

Pointer of the Day

If your using a Countdown Tree always leave on the last yellow, once your brain registers the 3rd yellow its time to get moving

 

fantastic pointer that many do not understand... but completely useless unless you're racing someone to the stripe.. or bracket racing.. reaction time has ZERO to do with ET. Focus on getting your launch and shift points down.. then worry about reaction time. Don't get caught up in the moment.. take your time and do it right.

 

Launching is real tricky with this car. But i agree after launching in several different modes with this car to really make progress turn off the ESC. I still suck at it but the few times i did it right make a big difference on your ET and trap speed.

I have been trapping speeds of 110 with my ET at 13.7 but my 60ft time sucks at 2.5.
Would love to get a 60ft time of 2.0 or better as this car should easily be in the 12's and trapping 115.

 

pretend your on a real steep hill and some **** pulled up right behind you. leave the tree like that.

 

Im not 100% on this but i believe the Countdown tree is only used for Bracket?

Pro Tree usually for Heads up?

 

I've only ever seen the countdown tree around here...

Edit: On test and tune nights that is.

 

wow.

here are the facts.

The "countdown" tree is called a Sportsman Tree or a Full Tree where each amber light is .5sec from eachother.
is you stage normal or "shallow" then you have up to 7 inches to move the car before you reaction time will register. when i was launching with out a 2step i would start leaving when i thought the last light was gonna go on. i was abble to cut double "O" lights on many ocasions which means .005 .001 .008 etc. but that worked for me, try my method as a starting point and then modify it from there.

The other tree is call a "Pro" tree all 3 amber lights go on together and then green in .4
Now ive never seen a test n tune that was runnin a pro tree. usually pro trees are only ran for the specific classes that use them.

But i would deffinitely pay attention to the 60ft times. After you get stage imeadiately raise your rpm while in first gear on the clutch. ( I dont know much about that motor) but i would say starting at 3000, when you want to go, quickly move your clutch foot to the middle of the clutch point leaving your gas foot where it was. This will get you off the line. You can then start slowly applying more throttle while slowly pulling out of the clutch. If the clutch and tranny sync up earlier than ecpected you can take youre foot off the clutch cuz youre not gonna do any good with it on. Continue applying throttle and then shift into second as fast as you can. If you have a good track this will only chirp the tires.

hope this helps

 

That's almost a perfect explanation IMO

 

I do what i can.

 

Yes. I'm planning for springs soon, actually.

 

haha so i went to the track this weekend to race my ss sedan and damn the track was prepped shitty, i did not know that the tree means nothing for test and tune though so i was always paying attention to the light, the shitty prepping of the track had me spinning in 1st,2nd, and some in 3rd!!! i was trapping 108-109 but my 60ft's were horrible and my et's were crap too, i am running on stock contis and sportlines....my buddy who has B&G coilovers and toyo proxes 4 tires was running 13.8's at 106

 

Spinning in third at a prepped track? That seems impossible. If your 13 second cobalt was spinning in third then how would any ~10 sec car run at your track.

Maybe you confused clutch slippage with spinning

 

ppl nls tuned i thought at was bad news

 

Im TF tuned probably NLs about 100 times on the tune. Some misfires due to driver error but other than that no problems. I have not done a NLS in months though and I probably won't again. It is a lot of fun but risk>reward

 

just run protree... its soo much easier... dont have to worry about getting all ancy while the tree drops.

 

thats why i was saying the track was prepped very shitty, there were some mustang gt's there breaking the back end loose hitting third, even in second everytime i boosted over 15psi the front end started walking away from me just straight up spinnage