Beginner Racing Questions.

[hvychev]

I asked Rob offline for some racing advice but he suggested that I make it a post so if anybody else is reading and have the same questions they are helped as well. Hopefully some of the heavy hitters of the modern racing could pitch in as well such as COPO PETE, Casey Marks, BIG DOG, and maybe a couple of the other fellas. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Check out the attached time slip of my best run of the night and critique me. I am the LEFT driver. The right driver was a C5 Corvette. I have only raced 2 different days this being the second time. About the car, as most of you probably know it is a 1970 Chevelle SS LS5 454. The car is stock (original drivetrain from day 1) with the exception of a few mods that include headers, M/T L6015 rear tires, and an upgrade from the 3.31 standard gear that this car came with to a 3.73. Otherwise the car is stock from day one. This particular run was after 9 pm and it was dark and the temp was about 45 dagrees. The car is driven A LOT (I even drove it to the track and back) and is not probably in "tune" (ie. distributer curve, timing, etc.) to be raced. I believe that the rear tires had 25 psi in them durring that particular run. I weighed the car with me in it and it was clocking in at 4050 lbs. Hey, I don't call it hvychev for nothin'! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

The first few runs were a joke. I was starting out in low drive and manually shifting. I must have burned rubber for the first half of the run. The run on the time slip is where I finally got smart and just started in regular drive and let the M40 do it's thing. A couple of guys at the track last year told me when I am staging to do what you would do with a brake torque and rev it up to about 1500-1600 rpm untill the car slightly lifts, hold it, and then once that last yellow light turns hammer it. So guys am I on the right track (no pun intended) to become a racing legend? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif[/img]

[hvychev]

Any ideas guys?

[John Brown]

Sounds like you need to talk to Rob, he da new man [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/[/img]!

[sYc]

You are on the right track, if by nothing else of not being afraid to try your hand at drag racing. Just keep going and make as many passes as they will allow. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/[/img]

As per tires and pressure, do a burnout on a clean patch of pavement and check the pattern. You want it to be dark all the way across. Adjust tire pressure to do this. As per shifting, we shift manually, it just takes practice to learn to get the feel of the car, how much throttle, when to shift, etc. That is why you must do it at the track. Seat of the pants might feel better, but time slips do not lie. Try something, if you go faster, good, if not, try something else. Only change 1 thing at a time. Otherwise you will not know which change did what. KEEP NOTES, matching them up with your time slips. That way you remember what works and what doesn't.
There are a 1000 little things you can do, but the most important one is PRACTICE, and of course, have FUN. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif[/img]

And, by the way, nice 60'. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif[/img]

[hvychev]

Thanks Tom! Wow I just noticed that my 60' time was better than Robs! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] No Rob I just kidding! I don't even know how the hell I did it or what makes a good 60' time. That's why I need your advice!

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

It looks like the possiblility of me ever 'treeing' Rob is out of the question!! Nice R/T there, not to mention 60' - man I have a lot of work to do!

[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif[/img]

[sYc]

Marlin, actually the tree is Rob's weak point. Most races he looses is because of a poor RT. But, he is getting better. That is why he is hitting the test and tunes, to work on his RT and 60". In factory stock racing those two things are very important. I think he gets that from me, I have been known to "sleep" at the tree. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif[/img] Now Jonathan is a different story. He has been almost dead on since his made his first pass at SCR 4. Just kills Rob that Jon is so good at it, with so little experience.

[COPO PETE]

Your 60' time is amazing. Id' say your tire pressure is good....real good. You might want to try some more timing if the car can handle it. Your mph to et is pretty good. You could go some more gear, but then it would'nt be as streetable. I'd leave that dist. alone and get another one, and give it about 18 degrees initial, with a total of about 38... maybe 40. Your a legend waiting to happen!
Peter [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worship.gif[/img]

[Chevy454]

Like Pete, I'm drawn to that 1.90 short time! WOW! I don't know what kind of tires you are running, but that 60' time is VERY good for a virtually stock car. Especially considering you are running a short (stock?) converter. If you're hooking it good enough for a 1.90 short time, then your buddies were correct in telling you to bring it up on the converter when you stage. Just curious, what were you shifting at? I've found, with Pete's help, that shift points can make/break a good run. I shift about 500+ rpm OVER my HP peak in our Camaro (auto car), which lets it fall back into it's power range after the shift.

Everything looks good, except your MPH at the end of the 1/4. If I had to guess, I'd say you lifted off the throttle before you went through the last MPH trap...no biggie, it's VERY common. I've done it, I've seen thousands of others do it...you just gotta remember and watch for the last beam and keep your foot in it until then.

Oh, and KEEP PRACTICING!

[hvychev]

Wow guys thanks! Guys like I said this is only my second time ever at the strip. Rob as far as the shift point, durring this particular run the M40 shifting it's self. I tried to shift the car manually but the darn thing spun for the first half of the runs. When I was taking off from the tree when I was doing the manual shifts I was shifting at 5500-5600 rpm. The rear tires that are on the car are the reproduction Mickey Thompson S/S Indy Profile L60 15's. the fronts are Wide Oval 14X7. When I started out in regular drive and let the trans shift itself, man the car had taken off unlike any time I remember. It was like a sling shot. I actually felt it in the pit of my stomach which was weird since this car isn't a High compression LS6, L72, or L78. After talking to you guys I am pumped about going back out there to race again! Thanks a million! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/[/img]