Is it getting faster in here or is it just me?

[Rice Rocket]

Just got back from the track and I'm stoked.
Had a run last week on Friday where I had run a 13.6. That might not be that fast for you pros. But it's the fastest time I have ever personally managed. But I was wondering if it was a fluke.
Wanted to go to Little River/Academy Raceway and back those times up. In the past I managed solid low 14 second runs 14.2 - 14.5. But last week when I ran the 13.6 I finally felt that elusive sweet spot in the clutch. People have been telling me for a long time to ride the clutch out and then dump it. I finally felt what they were talking about!
Tonight I had solid mid 13 second runs all night. In fact my slowest time was a 14 flat and that was with a missed shift.
I will scan the tickets in and post them in a few days. I was just stoked and wanted to post up.
I'll just give you the run down and you guys can start dissecting my run(s)
Let the flaming/jokes begin

Sat Night 14 May 2011, Temple/Little River/Academy Raceway Test and Tune
Temp 61 degrees F (which is really nice for this time of year in CenTex)

Dial in: .00
Reaction: .8439
60 ft: 2.07
330: none
1/8 ET: 8.8741
1/8 MPH: 82.43
1000 ft: none
1/4 ET: 13.6248
1/4 MPH: 105.39

I just got the car back from getting the motor rebuilt and I think the piston rings have finally seated. The car feels like it getting stronger. I think I can get into the high 12 with more practice. I did actually cut a sub 2 second 60 foot time once (1.9), but for some reason that was a 13.7 run.

 

[STimedic]

I used to post 14.5sec passes with my stock block N/A Neon back in 05 @ LRR....sounds like you need to tighten up the nut behind the steering wheel a bit more.

 

[gerwulf]

Are you using Cobb AP?, if so, are you stage I or II? If you are running AP, use flat foot shift but DO NOT use launch control unless you have forged pistons.

I think you can break the 13.0 barrier with a much better 60' time which will come down to your launch. My best off of launch control (which is why I have a cracked ringland) is a 1.70 60' time, most of my 60' times are between that and a 1.80. None of them are with pre-loading the suspension, which I will be doing when I get her back together. It all comes down to the launch and track prep.
I would say edge up to the staging lights while trying to keep the clutch at the sweet spot, once the second stage light is tripped, take your rpms up to 4,500-5,000 rpms, hold the clutch where it is just wanting to engage and move. Then when the light hits, don't dump the clutch, let off of it REAL quick while simultaneously flooring the accelerator pedal. Keep the pedal buried and shift just a tad before redline. Our power curves start to drop right before redline.
Now, after you have that mastered and are cutting routine 1.8 60' times, try pre-loading the suspension. You can do that by doing the above, but after you trip the second stage light, apply the e-brake and let the clutch engage just enough to make the car squat against the e-brake. Then when the light hits, release the e-brake while releasing the clutch and burying the gas. If you master that, you can hit faster than 1.60 60ft times depending upon the track, your tires, and your hp

 

[Rice Rocket]

Are you using Cobb AP?, if so, are you stage I or II? If you are running AP, use flat foot shift but DO NOT use launch control unless you have forged pistons.

I think you can break the 13.0 barrier with a much better 60' time which will come down to your launch. My best off of launch control (which is why I have a cracked ringland) is a 1.70 60' time, most of my 60' times are between that and a 1.80. None of them are with pre-loading the suspension, which I will be doing when I get her back together. It all comes down to the launch and track prep.
I would say edge up to the staging lights while trying to keep the clutch at the sweet spot, once the second stage light is tripped, take your rpms up to 4,500-5,000 rpms, hold the clutch where it is just wanting to engage and move. Then when the light hits, don't dump the clutch, let off of it REAL quick while simultaneously flooring the accelerator pedal. Keep the pedal buried and shift just a tad before redline. Our power curves start to drop right before redline.
Now, after you have that mastered and are cutting routine 1.8 60' times, try pre-loading the suspension. You can do that by doing the above, but after you trip the second stage light, apply the e-brake and let the clutch engage just enough to make the car squat against the e-brake. Then when the light hits, release the e-brake while releasing the clutch and burying the gas. If you master that, you can hit faster than 1.60 60ft times depending upon the track, your tires, and your hp

Wow now this is excellent and constructive advice. I will definitely be practicing this.
Not to discount your "nut tightening" advice Medic. But I haven't even seen an SRT 4 skittle break 14.5 at little river. Wait maybe if they dropped it from a Chinook hovering 1/4 mile above the finish line. Maybe. But then they probably say wheel hop hurt their launch. LOL j/k.

 

[Rice Rocket]

I lowered my air pressure to 20 pounds all around. I have shitty tires though. They are Falken Ziexs. When I lowered the pressure this last weekend I seemed to actually have traction issues. But I am also launching the car better than I had in the past so whose to say if it was actually beneficial. What pressure do you guys recommend and which tires seem to be a good tire for some occasional track time and Daily driving?

 

[gerwulf]

I left the air pressure alone, and I ran with a set of Bridgestone all season tires. We felt that at the time my Goodrich KDWs were tooooo grippy for the low power I was making back then. I had an issue with it bogging off the line for a while till I started running with the all seasons. She would spin just a tad off the line (you can search youtube for gerwulf and see a few videos). I will be running KDWs after I get her back together. And like Fuji said, change one thing at a time. I will start out with normal pressure and then try it with lower pressure, but after I practice preloading the suspension.

 

[Rice Rocket]

Good stuff. I will definitely try preloading the suspension first

 

[STi FR3AK]

@ 105mph you should be hitting 12.9-13.0's. Here is my "fastest at the time" slip from Temple:


My mods were:
-perrin fmic
-perrin catless dp -> 3'' exhaust
-injen intake
-walbro fuel pump
-utec
....that's it.

I launch ~5500 also. I've tried double clutching and "normal" fast shifting. No difference except the fact I'm no longer POUNDING on my clutch with each shift....as much :tard: I can show you a video of my riding the clutch (a bit too much) to find the sweet launch spot if you'd like, I managed to cut a 1.8 60' off it. My best being a 1.76 but sometimes I can smell my clutch at the end of the track. Trying to find the sweet spot is tricky sometimes.

 

[STimedic]

Wow now this is excellent and constructive advice. I will definitely be practicing this.
Not to discount your "nut tightening" advice Medic. But I haven't even seen an SRT 4 skittle break 14.5 at little river. Wait maybe if they dropped it from a Chinook hovering 1/4 mile above the finish line. Maybe. But then they probably say wheel hop hurt their launch. LOL j/k.

Who said it was an SRT? It was a non-turbo, non-governed little demon of a car. Don't knock it. Wheel hop was negated for the most part with the right mods in the right place and I knew the sweet spot for launching with little wheelspin. I'd give more constructive advice, but I'm not a fan of launching my car after watching a fellow mis-guided buddy there in-town go through trannies and motors left and right when he'd take it to the strip. I personally had a buddy with an SRT that ran 12's @ LRR, but that was back in 04-05.

 

[Rice Rocket]

Just got back from the track. I won the shootout and ran a 13.3 on street tires. It was also 90 degrees. I'm so stoked. That's my fastest time ever. I'm so close to the 12s.