I had my car at the local track today. Today was the first time i have ever been to one, so I kind of looked like the ass, but i loved it. My best time slip reads
r.t. .763
60 ft 1.862
594 ft 7.573
1/8 et 8.064
1/8 mph 91.64
1/4 et 12.411
1/4 mph 108.84

How do I read all of that to tell me what is happening? I did spin a little in first gear not bad though. Thanks
Alex

It appears to be running out of fuel or something on the top end with only 17mph difference between 1/8th and 1/4 mile...should be in the 21-24 mph range. There is high 11 potential there with a 7.57 1/8th time...good job.

Bob.. His 1/8 mile ET was 8.064... No 11 there.
Ive never seen a 594 foot time?? are you sure that not an 330 foot time?

Yes, it is a 594 ft. the local track is lapear mi. it is pretty back woods,I think that is why I like it. So no 11s without some more mods?

oops...I saw the 594ft time. graemlins/clonk.gif

That 594' time is the time from the starting line to the first timer for the 1/8th mile speed traps. They're giving the 1/8 mile speed by averaging it for the last 66 feet before the 1/8 mile stripe.
The same goes for the 1/4 mile. The speed trap starts 66 feet before the 1/4 mile line and gives the average speed over the distance from 1254 feet to 1320 feet.

Randy

Randy, Most modern timing equipment measures the quarter mile speed for the last 66 feet before the quarter mile stripe, but that makes the average speed at the 1287' mark, not the full quarter mile. In the old days the first speed trap was 66' before the line and the last speed marker was 66' after the line giving TRUE 1/4 mile speed readings. NHRA , in an attempt to appease the insurance companies and slow the dragsters down, elimanated the points awarded for speed records in all classes and moved the second speed measuring device to the finish line so there was no benifit in "running it out the back door". However the cars they were trying to slow down, fuel dragsters and funny cars, were already going 260-275 MPH at the eight mile so it didn't have much effect except now everyone gets a 1287' speed reading. P.S... Iv'e never seen any 594' measurement either. Seems kinda redundent with 1/8 mile clocks. What year 442s do you have?

looks to me like he did preety well for fisrt time out and to go from 8.06 to 1240s in the 1/4 mile seems like hes pulling good on top end .rt is reaction time to the lights.that takes practice 60ft is as stated the time it takes to get to the 60ft mark witch usualy will show dead hook or spinning.the 60ft can determen a good pass or bad .the rest explanes itself.ive been to that track with my brother he lives in romeo the 60fts could be alot better there but as you say its a fun place to go and the man that runs it i really like.did you see a red black 70chevelle there .i tried to get my brother to go yesterday because that was race day and figuerd the track would hook better.dont know if he went or not

You did great for the 1st time out.

I agree with Robert about the top end speed. Something is holding the car back at the top end. With a 91.6 1/8 mph, you should hit 112 in the 1/4. Assuming the 1/8mph is correct.

What is your car/engine combo?

I agree with lonnie, the 91.6mph makes it sound like it is nosing over on the big end. If the car went 1.65 60's (about right for a low 12 second car) it would be real close to 11s. Since it was his first time out, with timing, jetting, shift points, and ideal weather 11s seem very possible. I would look into traction and fuel pressure.

Our local 1/8 mile track has 594' times also, I look at it as the 1,000' times on a 1/4 track ... just another incremental time.

When NHRA dropped the " speed trap " from 132' to 66' they went to 33' before and 33' after the stripe ( at that time .. early 90's ) when did they move it all before the stripe ?

On his " loss of MPH at the stripe " I am curious as to what he has for a rear gear ? maybe he's running out of gear and thats causing the car to quit pulling on the long end ....

Thanks guys,

No i didn't see a red and black Chevelle, but he may have been there.
Here is my combo, sorry it is not a chevelle, at 20 I can't afford one.
80 camaro
350
11.6 to 1
850 4150
home ported 461's
port matched victor jr.
cam is solid, 240/250 at .050 .520 lift
msd dist, 36 deg. total around 3000-3500
1 in. carb spacer
old rusty headers with 2.5 in. duals
350 trans rev. man. pattern, with 3000 stahl converter
4.56 gear with a 30 in. slick
What do you guys think, critizism is great. I want to put a 28 in. tire on it and 3 in. h-pipe. I go trough the traps at about 6000, shift at about 6500-7000.

Well it definetly wasnt running out of gear ...The car has a GREAT 1/8 MPH regardless !!!!!! ( not that it matters here )

Along with verifying fuel pressure past the 1/8 I would try bumping the timing up a bit. All my SB's have liked 38+ and generally around 41-43 .. knocking them back to 36 was like taking 2 plug wires off....

Harold, I've got a "70 and 3 '67s. The '70 and 1 '67 are 442s but the other two '67s are clones.

Blk64SS: Next time you're at the track, walk or ride down to the big end. You'll see the first mph beam which starts the mph calculation 66' before the finish line (1320'-66'=1254'). The finish line beam stops the mph calculation and the e.t. clock. The average speed is calculated over that last 66' of track before the finish line. That's why some mph is lower than in the old days when the clock went 132', 66' before the finish and 66'after. Guys used to run it out the back door to get the big mph numbers. NHRA stopped that for safety reasons.

Randy

HI guys,
I bumped the timing up to 40*, WOW. I can't beleive it. Back to the track this weekend with some jets.
Thanks!

Toyz.. I'm not doubting thats where the clocks start now .. just curious as to when they changed it. I remember when they went to 66' .. but at that time it was 33' before and 33' after the ET clock ....

BLK64SS, When NHRA changed from 132' to 66' the speed trap has been from 66' before the line to the quarter mile stripe. It was never 33' before to 33' after, ever. This change was to appease the insurance carrier who thought that it would prevent driving out the back door by the fuel cars with the attending problems of getting them stopped on the shorter strips. I don't know of any that are different whether they are NHRA or IHRA. Just for the sake of anyone wanting to know their true 1/4 mile speed i recently ran across a formula that said if you take the current day speed and multiply it by 1.0072 you will have an accurate old speed reading.

Harold... Thanks for straightening me up on this

I knew the reasoning behind it, I recall when it happened ( approx 1992 )I was just under the impression it was 33' before and 33' after.. I was wrong .. I stand corrected ... I never doubted that it was shortened and never said it wasnt ...

BLK64SS, I just re-read my post and appologize if i came off smart**s. I found that formula for converting new trap speed to old trap speed, i think, on Meaux Racing Heads site and thought it was cool so i am passing it along. I frankly think NHRA is a self serving entity that would do away with all sportsman racing at the national level if they could figure out how to fill the dead time in a race with something else that would hold the spectators attention so they wouldn't leave the racetrack. It's all about the money. They just keep crapping on the sportsmen, like deleting stock or super/stock at selected events and the bracket super classes, pro stock bike and other non FUEL classes. I couldn't care less if they never ran another fuel dragster or funny car as these bore me to tears. (All look alike and sound alike, you couldnt tell one from the other if they were all painted the same.)

You said a mouthful for sure about NHRA, Harold. All you have to look at is what's happened with the Texas Motorplex, one of the finest racing facilities on the planet.
It's a total disgrace the treatment that their management has given us bracket racers and after repeated calls to NHRA Div. 4 and Glendale, it's obvious they don't give a crap, either.
And I'm totally with you about Fuel cars and even Pro Stock to a slightly lesser extent.
Fuel cars getting ready to run means a good opportunity for the concession stand and bathrooms.

Randy

iwantachevelle:

Your 1/8 mile time is almost identical to our Camaro's...except your 60' time has me by a tenth or so. We run on F70-15 Polyglass tires, which means getting moving is a booger, but if I can run the 1/8th in 8.0 with a 90+ MPH then I usually run out the back door at a 12.3-12.4 at 113+...you're car should be in that neighborhood, if not better.

I don't think cranking the timing up is gonna fix your problem on the big end...my guess would be to look at your fuel system. Everything else looks REAL good... graemlins/thumbsup.gif

OK, What do you suggest as far as checking fuel pressure at the far end of my run? I pretty much have a stock system with a hi flow mech. pump. Also has anyone had a problem with fuel caps? Sometimes i get a vacume in the tank after driving like there isn't a vent.
Thanks

Hi toyz, Here at Tulsa the new owner is still courting all the racers as he realizes he's going to need every dime to survive. He is sucking up to the IHRA santioning body in order to get a big race for next year. He did a lot of unnecessary things and now has several million dollars invested in the strip. I hope it works out for him. Not many spectators are comming out at the present time. (The weathers too hot and no coolers are allowed inside by the spectators, lots of downtime, only bottled water, no shade anywhere, etc.). This strip used to have covered bleachers but it runs west to east so shading the crowd is difficult if not nearly impossible.