Taking car to Track on Friday
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Have you been to the track before? Are you competing in eliminations or test and tune? If this is your first time please make sure you have read up on your track rules and have everything prepared before entering (such as snell 2005+ helmet).
Thanks guys. I will defiantly post results tomorrow night. Probably right from the track lol. Yea I have been to the track many times with my other car so I know how it works. Anyone have tips for how to launch this car? Traction Control Off right? Also can you finish is 3rd or do you need to switch to 4th.
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Hold down the traction control for 8 or so seconds and it will disable both the traction control AND the stabilitrac. May get more power with having both off. Good luck at the track.
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For Every 100 pounds you can drop off the car, you'll gain a tenth a second.
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Have you ever drag raced before in a manual? Any mods on your car? How much experience do you have driving a manual?
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Avoid the rookie mistake of staging with your back wheels, or incur the wrath of the starter. If you do, back out of the beams and pull back in, your last movement must be forward. Don't attempt a burnout, it only hurts traction with street tires. Do NOT drive through the water, you will drag water to the line and annoy other racers. Seatbelts on, windows up. Just bump in until the Stage light comes on, and leave on the last yellow. Deep staging, where you only leave the second light illuminated, help your reaction time but increase the chance of a red light. Some tracks require "DEEP" on the window. Listen to the track announcements, sometimes they broadcast on the radio. They will tell you what staging lane to be in, and when your class should get in line. Bring white shoe polish for your dial in, if bracket racing. Make sure numbers are legible, and visible from the tower. Any questions about what to do, or track etiquette, ask track personnel, or another street car racer, they will be happy to help. Be sure to take lots of photos, and tell us how you do!
I ran my 94 Integra 5-speed a few times at the track. I've had the Cruze about 3.5 Month 6K miles on it and feel very comfortable driving it. I put about 100K on the Integra so I got driving a manual down 99.9%. Car is 100% Stock (Carbon Fiber Overlays!). What's the fastest time on a stock car anyway. I think I seen someone run a 16.5x in their signature.
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You will run a mid 16 with a great launch and excellent conditions. With a slightly botched launch and some humidity, you'll run a high 16/low 17.
Yep I was shooting for 16.99 or better!
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My Eco MT6, with a bad launch, my sub and amps, my own luggage, and my wife's luggage in the trunk, on low rolling resistance (aka low traction) tires, I pulled a 17 flat. I checked historic weather records. That was on August 24th; 75-80 degrees with 86% humidity.
You should have no trouble hitting mid 16s unless it rains.
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1,132 Posts
4,000 is too low for best acceleration. You want to shift at the point that keeps the average horsepower as high as possible. My car peaked at 5K, so i generally shift a little over 5500.
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Don't fall asleep while going down the track, and no reading books, either. That's against the rules even if you have plenty of time. If a turtle wants to go around you make sure you're courteous and allow him to pass.
LOL J/K
My first time I went I had a '94 Z28, 6 spd and ran 14.5's consistently. It was a lot of fun and became an addiction. So much that I've had everything from 17 second 3rd gen Camaros and S10s to a 10 second Suzuki Bandit 1200.
Seriously, have fun and be safe. Just remember, don't turn off the track across your opponent, after the run. Take your time and wait for him/her to exit the track first.
LOL J/K
My first time I went I had a '94 Z28, 6 spd and ran 14.5's consistently. It was a lot of fun and became an addiction. So much that I've had everything from 17 second 3rd gen Camaros and S10s to a 10 second Suzuki Bandit 1200.
Seriously, have fun and be safe. Just remember, don't turn off the track across your opponent, after the run. Take your time and wait for him/her to exit the track first.
Amalmer71 - Thanks, it's funny you say that. My 1st time at the track I had my 1988 Cutlass and ran a 18.6 but I didn't care. Fastest it ever went was 13.50s at 103-104mph due to traction. I sold it to pay off some bills and get myself the Cruze and I've just been having the itch to go to the track again. My buddy is taking his 1998 Cobra 4.30s Intake/Exhaust and sticky tires hoping for mid/low 13s.
Question though maybe I'm crazy but shouldn't I be shifting at redline 6400-6500rpm?
Question though maybe I'm crazy but shouldn't I be shifting at redline 6400-6500rpm?
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No by that point the engine is well past peak hp and tq.
Experiment with it at the track. You'll go faster shifting before redline in this car. It might be advantageous to go near redline before the 1-2 shift because there's such a large ratio gap between 1 and 2, but beyond that i think you'll be faster short shifting around 5500-6K max.
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278 Posts
Shift where the resulting RPMs will fall just below the peak hp/tq. You want the engagement to start just below and run through your peak power. Shifting at peak power will result in the car never getting maximum use of the power due to not being in the upper power as long.
Some tracks have an "always need a helmet" rule, regardless of car, speed, and/or time. I've watched a 22 second 4-door car go down the track and they still needed to wear a helmet.
Line locks are usually a manual car's best friend, but if you're not in eliminations who cares about reaction time. Just get a good launch.
Leave on the last yellow. Leave on the green and you're already late.
Some tracks have an "always need a helmet" rule, regardless of car, speed, and/or time. I've watched a 22 second 4-door car go down the track and they still needed to wear a helmet.
Line locks are usually a manual car's best friend, but if you're not in eliminations who cares about reaction time. Just get a good launch.
Leave on the last yellow. Leave on the green and you're already late.
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