I'm never going to the drag strip again...
Originally posted by integrate
What's the fastest 0-60 any S2000 has gotten so far?
What's the fastest 0-60 any S2000 has gotten so far?

Here's a 0-60 time registry thread.
Originally posted by shingles
Damn Joe, did you fall asleep at the line or what? ;-)
That's very cool man... very cool.
-Shing
Damn Joe, did you fall asleep at the line or what? ;-)
That's very cool man... very cool.
-Shing
I was wondering if anyone would point out the pathetic 1.317sec reaction time (0.500 is perfect). There's three reasons why it's so bad:1) I don't pay attention to RT, it just makes me nervous and I screw up the launch. I go whenever I'm ready.
2) I like racing faster cars, or giving slower cars a head start. I get the best times when I have to "catch up" to somebody.
3) I hate sitting at the line holding 6500 RPMS for 10 seconds, waiting for the tree to start lighting up. So, I idle until the lights change, then go when I'm good and ready.
My "record" reaction time the other night was 3.2 seconds
Actually I understand about that... I get nervous when I have to watch the light... makes it easy to screw up the launch... Oh well, I suck at drag racing... hehe
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Rasputin314
[B]
Hey Shing
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Rasputin314
[B]
Hey Shing
OK, I made a list of some tips for people who are going to the track, and thought I would share it with everyone. I know that some of you have already been to the drag strip, but here's some of the things I've learned to help me run consistent 13.9-14.0's:
weight
- obviously, take out your spare and tools/jack before you go
- time your fuel based on the distance to the track, so you show up with 1 or 2 bars remaining only
- consider taking out the passenger seat. it weighs 30 lbs, only 4 bolts. be careful not to let the rails scratch the plastic when taking it out. I've gone twice with it, twice without. I can't tell a difference, but it can't hurt, right?
tire pressure
- most drag racers add rear tire pressure to help reduce traction for a better launch. this is not necessary at all on the s2000. in fact you may need to reduce rear tire pressure to help you get more grip (to maybe 28 or 30psi on a cold day)
- i have heard that increasing front tire pressure helps get slightly higher trap speed. My fronts were set to 38psi cold. haven't experimented enough to know for sure if it does help.
temperatures
- very important! let your car cool down after your drive to the track. pop the hood and let it sit for about 30 min-1 hour before making any runs. ideal temps is when the oil is hot, but the metal parts are cool.
- between runs, if the wait is any longer than about 10 min, pop the hood, turn off the engine, and push your car. also to let it cool down.
launching
- unless you plan on doing a burnout (don't do it unless you know exactly how to do it), go around the water box. any amount of water on the tires, even a few drops, will screw up your launch and possibly cause wheel hop.
- on your first run or 2, go from a roll (off-idle). this will give you a number that you will improve on for sure, and also give you a non-launched benchmark for trap speed and ET. it also calms the nerves a little. never mind what the spectators say.
- when you are launching, don't sit there after you've staged holding the rpms at 6500 or whatever, waiting for the lights to start going. if you are revving that high for >5 sec I think it is not good and could slow you down.
instead, I idle until the lights start to change, then rev it up. don't be in any rush to go on green, reaction time doesn't affect ET. just ignore the reaction time so that you'll get a calm nerve-free launch. Wait until you are confident that the rev is exactly where you want it, then dump the clutch. i've even had 3 second reaction times because i wanted to make sure i got a good launch.
- be scientific about the launch. experiment with different RPMs in 250RPM increments until you find the one that's right for you, then use that number every time. it's better to start high (7000?) and back down, then to start low and go up. too much wheel spin is easier on the drivetrain than bogging IMO.
misc
- launch is important, but shifting and clutching is just as important. it will make or break your good times. very important, on the 1-2 and 2-3 shift, thumb points up. on the 3-4 shift, point your thumb down. powershifting this quickly, you don't want to go 3-2 instead of 3-4
- I usually shift on the first redline blink. usually by the second blink, it's too late and you might hit the cutoff. shift any sooner and you might be giving up a little bit of extra power.
- I tried adding 1 gallon of 104 octane "race gas" halfway through my runs. Doesn't make a damn difference
- there probably won't be a clear indicator as to where the 1/4 mile marker is, and you don't want to let off too early. here's what I do, since i know the trap speed is usually 99-101mph, then I stay on the gas until I see 105mph on the speedo (since I couldn't have possibly trapped that high), then coast down and brake. it's a common mistake for people to let off the throttle too early.
GOOD LUCK!
weight
- obviously, take out your spare and tools/jack before you go
- time your fuel based on the distance to the track, so you show up with 1 or 2 bars remaining only
- consider taking out the passenger seat. it weighs 30 lbs, only 4 bolts. be careful not to let the rails scratch the plastic when taking it out. I've gone twice with it, twice without. I can't tell a difference, but it can't hurt, right?
tire pressure
- most drag racers add rear tire pressure to help reduce traction for a better launch. this is not necessary at all on the s2000. in fact you may need to reduce rear tire pressure to help you get more grip (to maybe 28 or 30psi on a cold day)
- i have heard that increasing front tire pressure helps get slightly higher trap speed. My fronts were set to 38psi cold. haven't experimented enough to know for sure if it does help.
temperatures
- very important! let your car cool down after your drive to the track. pop the hood and let it sit for about 30 min-1 hour before making any runs. ideal temps is when the oil is hot, but the metal parts are cool.
- between runs, if the wait is any longer than about 10 min, pop the hood, turn off the engine, and push your car. also to let it cool down.
launching
- unless you plan on doing a burnout (don't do it unless you know exactly how to do it), go around the water box. any amount of water on the tires, even a few drops, will screw up your launch and possibly cause wheel hop.
- on your first run or 2, go from a roll (off-idle). this will give you a number that you will improve on for sure, and also give you a non-launched benchmark for trap speed and ET. it also calms the nerves a little. never mind what the spectators say.
- when you are launching, don't sit there after you've staged holding the rpms at 6500 or whatever, waiting for the lights to start going. if you are revving that high for >5 sec I think it is not good and could slow you down.
instead, I idle until the lights start to change, then rev it up. don't be in any rush to go on green, reaction time doesn't affect ET. just ignore the reaction time so that you'll get a calm nerve-free launch. Wait until you are confident that the rev is exactly where you want it, then dump the clutch. i've even had 3 second reaction times because i wanted to make sure i got a good launch.
- be scientific about the launch. experiment with different RPMs in 250RPM increments until you find the one that's right for you, then use that number every time. it's better to start high (7000?) and back down, then to start low and go up. too much wheel spin is easier on the drivetrain than bogging IMO.
misc
- launch is important, but shifting and clutching is just as important. it will make or break your good times. very important, on the 1-2 and 2-3 shift, thumb points up. on the 3-4 shift, point your thumb down. powershifting this quickly, you don't want to go 3-2 instead of 3-4
- I usually shift on the first redline blink. usually by the second blink, it's too late and you might hit the cutoff. shift any sooner and you might be giving up a little bit of extra power.
- I tried adding 1 gallon of 104 octane "race gas" halfway through my runs. Doesn't make a damn difference
- there probably won't be a clear indicator as to where the 1/4 mile marker is, and you don't want to let off too early. here's what I do, since i know the trap speed is usually 99-101mph, then I stay on the gas until I see 105mph on the speedo (since I couldn't have possibly trapped that high), then coast down and brake. it's a common mistake for people to let off the throttle too early.
GOOD LUCK!
Originally posted by ErikKlenke
That raises a question for me. (I've never taken my car to a strip, but I've been thinking about it) Are your times started when the light goes green or when you cross the line? I always assumed it was from when the tree turned green, but you're post makes it sound like it's from when you cross the line.
That raises a question for me. (I've never taken my car to a strip, but I've been thinking about it) Are your times started when the light goes green or when you cross the line? I always assumed it was from when the tree turned green, but you're post makes it sound like it's from when you cross the line.
Light is strictly for competition purposes only. As soon as you cross the line, the timing starts.



