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First Drag Race - Need insight

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rugger

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
I ran for the first time this weekend at Bandimere. There is one thing for sure.......the car is much better than I am. My shifting seemed OK, but my launches were horrible. I'm looking for any help that I can get to better my driving of the car at the track. Tips regarding driving a manual tranny car at the strip will be much appreciated.

My car is about 2550 lbs (2880 with me and all my crap in the trunk) with a full tank of gas. It has a 270hp/306ftlb SB 327 (at the wheels). I'm running a Muncie 4sp with a Dual Friction Centerforce clutch. Rear gears are 3.27:1. Tires are all weather street tires - 225/50-15.
edit: I'm shifting at about 6200rpm since I seem to throw the belt at any higher rpm.

I was side stepping the clutch, and tried it at different rpms for both runs. The first run I dropped at about 3500 rpm, and the launch seemed somewhat sluggish. The second I ran her up to 4000 rpm, and kept my eye on the tach as I let my foot slip. The car dropped to about 2000 rpm, and the tires never broke loose. My suspicion is to run her up until I get her to start spinning and note that rpm. I'll then try to drop a couple hundred rpm and see how it does.

Thanks in advance......time slips below (left lane on both runs):

Image
 
#2 ·
When I had a manual, the launches depend on finding the sweet spot where the car wouldn't bog and where it would launch with a slight spin. This was when I was racing my daily driver trans am so i wasn't too keen on blowing the rear end. I'll let more established stick racers chime in the real tips and tricks!
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Rob G said:
When I had a manual, the launches depend on finding the sweet spot where the car wouldn't bog and where it would launch with a slight spin. This was when I was racing my daily driver trans am so i wasn't too keen on blowing the rear end. I'll let more established stick racers chime in the real tips and tricks!
Click to expand...
Rob, that is my gut feeling as well. Below is a post that seems to align with our thinking. I was getting a lot of bog at the line. I had predicted that I'd be blowing the tires off, and I was dreadfully wrong.

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2060292&postcount=16
 
#4 ·
Discussion starter · #6 ·
rich1978 said:
Just curious, what kind of car do you have that only weighs 2550lb empty?
Click to expand...
I had a feeling that this would come up. You guys always help me out, and I do my best to help out others. So, I'll give it up. I have a '69 Camaro drivetrain (exception: independent ford rear) hidden inside of this:

Image
 
Discussion starter · #10 · (Edited)
gimpy496bbc said:
seriously?? that looks like a miata... noooooooo really?
Click to expand...
Yep, that is exactly what it is. And, it is very fun. :D

300hp said:
sweeeeeet, slip the clutch more, dont just pop it and throw some slicks on it
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll give that a try. I have a bet with one of my friends, so I'll try to get consistent with street tires. He says that I'll gain a full second with cheater slicks, and we have a steak dinner on the bet.

67EC said:
Shouldnt that weight and rwhp be running over 105 mph?
Click to expand...
In theory yes, that is why I'm looking for help so that I don't drive like heck at the strip again.
 
#14 ·
As it's already been said, you don't want to dump the clutch all at once. That's good for doing butnouts, but not for launching a street car. You want to let the clutch pedal out faster than you would when driving normally in traffic at a green light, but still gradual, and all the while giving it a lot of throttle. How much throttle you give it will depend on your combo, and is something you're going to have to experiment with.

But after your experimentation with this method, you should try to adopt a pattern that's close to being the same on every run. You probably already know this, but drag race launching with a manual trans can be real tough on some clutches. Even on some aftermarket ones.
 
#16 ·
rugger said:
Rob, that is my gut feeling as well. Below is a post that seems to align with our thinking. I was getting a lot of bog at the line. I had predicted that I'd be blowing the tires off, and I was dreadfully wrong.

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2060292&postcount=16
Click to expand...
Best advise I can give is FIND A HILL.
and practice. Get your car up on a grade a PRACTICE. You will learn to match your rpm with your left foot and your cars responce. Doing this on a grade will teach you faster, repetition is the worlds greatest teacher. Then when your at the tree you will take what you learn from the grade and apply it to a flat surface. Sticky tires are nice but sometimes lead to a dead hook which breaks things..Many moons ago I used to load car carriers/top and bottom, learn your clutch.You can launch your car and feather the clutch if you feel her breaking loose. Is this and easy thing to do?, no but you can learn, and when your are rowing gears at wot, that is music.;)
 
#17 ·
rugger said:
Thanks, I'll give that a try. I have a bet with one of my friends, so I'll try to get consistent with street tires. He says that I'll gain a full second with cheater slicks, and we have a steak dinner on the bet.
Click to expand...
ask him how he likes his steak. some tuning, a set of real slicks, dumping the clutch with a dead hook ull gain a full second.
 
#18 ·
rugger said:
He says that I'll gain a full second with cheater slicks, and we have a steak dinner on the bet..
Click to expand...
If you experienced wheel spin during the launch, then a tire change CAN reduce your ET's, but if you were hooking up with the tires you have, then no tire change is going to provide an ET reduction. If you're obtaining 100% traction with your street radial tires, then no slick, drag radial, nor anything else is going to give you MORE traction. 100% traction is 100% traction.And dead hooking is dead hooking. That's it.
 
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