So tomorrow or Saturday night, I will probably go down to the drag strip for the first time, and I have a few questions.

- I tried launching on the street twice, each with a 6000rpm clutch drop, and it seemed to work ok, but not great. I got some wheelspin, but the revs dropped to 4000 before increasing. As soon as I dump the clutch, should I go to full throttle, because I think when I tried it the first two times, I was waiting to long. BTW, the rear S02's are almost gone, and will be replaced within the next few months. Will this affect the launch on a sticky surface like a drag strip?

-What should my tire pressures be? Right now I am running 32 psi at all four corners.

Is there anything else that I should do or know?

 

You had better put your flame suit on. The people around here do not consider drag racing.....racing. Good luck Saturday though. Remember...third light go...

 

While I don't consider NASCAR on ovals to be racing, either , drag racing is certainly a competition event. Most folks here don't do it due to the probability of mechanical damage to the drivetrain but then many autocross starts are drag race launches.

Wheelspin must be induced by high RPM dumps but the exact engine speed depends on the tire to road interface. Very grippy surfaces require as much as 8k RPM drops so the engine stays in VTEC the whole time while a slippery surface can allow a 4k RPM dump to be very effective (with throttle modulation). Based on what you said above, it sounds like you modulated too much. If the engine speeds drops out of VTEC, your times will suffer. You need to calibrate your ear/foot/butt to what speed is needed to effect wheelspin followed quickly by throttle manipulation to keep the speed up. It's not that hard but it may take several launches to get used to the process if you haven't done it much.

Can't help you on tire pressures. I have always wondered whether actually REDUCING traction in the rear for easier launches would be the hot ticket. Nobody has ever responded to my queries so I don't know if it's been tried or not...

 

Totally false. While many of us prefer track or auto-x as our forms of racing, real drag racing, on a track, is a perfectly acceptable item of discussion here and is certainly recognized as a form of racing.

Street racing on the other hand is not racing and is for wanabes and losers. Big difference

 

you're bogging.. you need to rev a little higher

 

all right, thanks guys, I will post times after tomorrow night, and hopefully all goes well and I can beat my cocky friend in his modded MR2 turbo, it should be a good race.

 

j/k