Mad-Mic
Gone but not forgotten
no prob Guy! hope it helps 
Dragstrip Advice
- Thread starter B17Crew
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I have never been to the track but would like to go sometime and don't want to embaress myself. LOL! Guy
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B17Crew
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Man, I love this site!
Mad-Mic, thanks for posting all the related threads. Those will come in handy. I’m going to run them, and all the advice from this thread out and use them as study guide.
cntrhub is 100% correct, I am green at running my LT4 at the track--on the flip side, I haven’t lost a street race yet with my car, (it’s extremely rare that I race on the street, I don’t want come across as a rabid bonzi speed demon). I do have to baby this car, it’s my daily transportation.
sothpaw, my hat is off to your Uncle, I hope that you are able to have him recount his experiences, those guys were cut from a different cloth. The guts they had is legendary. Thanks for the advice!
Save the Wave!
Mad-Mic, thanks for posting all the related threads. Those will come in handy. I’m going to run them, and all the advice from this thread out and use them as study guide.
cntrhub is 100% correct, I am green at running my LT4 at the track--on the flip side, I haven’t lost a street race yet with my car, (it’s extremely rare that I race on the street, I don’t want come across as a rabid bonzi speed demon). I do have to baby this car, it’s my daily transportation.
sothpaw, my hat is off to your Uncle, I hope that you are able to have him recount his experiences, those guys were cut from a different cloth. The guts they had is legendary. Thanks for the advice!
Save the Wave!
Ken
Gone but not forgotten
B17Crew said:
Me too! Have you seen my time slips? :L
_ken
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B17Crew
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Ken, don’t sweat it...practice, practice, practice.
Ken
Gone but not forgotten
I hear ya! 
Next event for me will be in two weeks -- Sunday, November 3 at Los Angeles County Raceway (LACR) in Palmdale, California. :J
But I still gotta fine-tune it, and get some slicks (w/ rims), and a shift light so I don't hit my rev limiter so much... It never ends; as the saying goes: "It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings." Or as may be the case for me, when the old fart finally croaks. :L
_ken
Next event for me will be in two weeks -- Sunday, November 3 at Los Angeles County Raceway (LACR) in Palmdale, California. :J
But I still gotta fine-tune it, and get some slicks (w/ rims), and a shift light so I don't hit my rev limiter so much... It never ends; as the saying goes: "It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings." Or as may be the case for me, when the old fart finally croaks. :L
_ken
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B17Crew
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Ken, California is awesome, us poor guys here in the Midwest are expecting our first snow this Friday, heck, we had our first frost early this week. Good luck fine-tuning your car, I’m debating on getting an airfoil for mine. Saw an article in Corvette Fever that suggested they are functional above 5,000+ rpm. Don’t know if I want to give Mid America the $60.00 or not.
Don't waste your money on the airfoil...
I dump the clutch at 2000 rpm but I don't move my throttle foot until the wheel spin stops and the car is moving forward, then I squeeze (floor) it. Basically, I add power once the tires are hooked. I ran 30 psi in new set of GSC's and ended up with a 2.06. I know people have gotten much lower than that, but not me
I would also recommend staying in 3rd gear thru the lights-not sure you are shifting into 4th. MPH should be closer to 110 if have decent air-even with a poor launch. Mine were all near 109-110 completely stock with 50,000 miles. I would know it was a good run it I tagged the revlimiter...sounds rought but I think it is minimal torture on the engine...
Best stock time was 13.24 at 110.
I think it has been said, but you need to react on the last yellow...don't even look at the green light. This will get you to easy reactions of .5-.7...
Good Luck...definitely takes lots of practice...really does.
I dump the clutch at 2000 rpm but I don't move my throttle foot until the wheel spin stops and the car is moving forward, then I squeeze (floor) it. Basically, I add power once the tires are hooked. I ran 30 psi in new set of GSC's and ended up with a 2.06. I know people have gotten much lower than that, but not me
I would also recommend staying in 3rd gear thru the lights-not sure you are shifting into 4th. MPH should be closer to 110 if have decent air-even with a poor launch. Mine were all near 109-110 completely stock with 50,000 miles. I would know it was a good run it I tagged the revlimiter...sounds rought but I think it is minimal torture on the engine...
Best stock time was 13.24 at 110.
I think it has been said, but you need to react on the last yellow...don't even look at the green light. This will get you to easy reactions of .5-.7...
Good Luck...definitely takes lots of practice...really does.
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B17Crew
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No Go,
Thanks for the detailed advice on the way you launch you car. Running 13.24 @ 110 is incredible. That kind of run is getting near ZR-1 territory.
The LT4’s are a lot of bang for the buck. I’ll always have a soft spot for the ZR-1, considered buying a white ’92 with 30,000 miles before I bought the LT4. Got scared away when the salesman told me that the price for a ZR-1 fuel pump was around $1,000.00, and, that getting parts might be a problem. So...I wandered back to the LT4 and have been loving it ever since.
I had tried launching in the 2500-2000 rpm range but I had a lot of wheel spin. Now that I think back, I think I floored it too early and had excessive wheelspin which blew my runs. I still have to work on my R/T's. Drats!
Save the Wave!
Thanks for the detailed advice on the way you launch you car. Running 13.24 @ 110 is incredible. That kind of run is getting near ZR-1 territory.
The LT4’s are a lot of bang for the buck. I’ll always have a soft spot for the ZR-1, considered buying a white ’92 with 30,000 miles before I bought the LT4. Got scared away when the salesman told me that the price for a ZR-1 fuel pump was around $1,000.00, and, that getting parts might be a problem. So...I wandered back to the LT4 and have been loving it ever since.
I had tried launching in the 2500-2000 rpm range but I had a lot of wheel spin. Now that I think back, I think I floored it too early and had excessive wheelspin which blew my runs. I still have to work on my R/T's. Drats!
Save the Wave!
S
sothpaw
Guest
B17,
No Go is right in that you can't floor it until it hooks up. I try to launch like he says but it's really
hard with GSC's --maybe because they are wet (see my advice earler). It all happens so fast.
You don't want to wait too long to floor it.
I think (like I said, it happens fast) that what I do is launch at 1800-2000, right from the get go.
I immediately continue easing in throttle but I don't punch it to the floor. It gets to the floor fairly soon though.
If I detect excessive wheelspin, I let up a little on the throttle, but then the race is over. Can't afford even loosing .1-.2 s.
I rented a Viper in Vegas once, floored in on the shoulder of a 4 lane highway, and man, I had to back all the way off and come to stop! I was flooring it and completely dumping clutch exactly simultaneously. Even Viper tires wouldn't take it on the street (and these had virtually
no tread). There was a cloud of rubber smoke.
No Go is right in that you can't floor it until it hooks up. I try to launch like he says but it's really
hard with GSC's --maybe because they are wet (see my advice earler). It all happens so fast.
You don't want to wait too long to floor it.
I think (like I said, it happens fast) that what I do is launch at 1800-2000, right from the get go.
I immediately continue easing in throttle but I don't punch it to the floor. It gets to the floor fairly soon though.
If I detect excessive wheelspin, I let up a little on the throttle, but then the race is over. Can't afford even loosing .1-.2 s.
I rented a Viper in Vegas once, floored in on the shoulder of a 4 lane highway, and man, I had to back all the way off and come to stop! I was flooring it and completely dumping clutch exactly simultaneously. Even Viper tires wouldn't take it on the street (and these had virtually
no tread). There was a cloud of rubber smoke.
Mad-Mic
Gone but not forgotten
sothpaw said:
hahahaha man i'd luv to do that!
show no remorse to a dodge
Mad-Mic
Gone but not forgotten
B17,
does your company have a website? my grand dad was a tail gunner in a B-17 in 44-45.
does your company have a website? my grand dad was a tail gunner in a B-17 in 44-45.
I'm certainly happy with a 13.24 for a time, others on different forum have gone as fast at 12.76 with a completely stock LT4 Corvette on GSC's! That is incredible. I don't recall if that was power shifted or not, but I save that for my Nova
This individual also did some 20 runs in one night...abuse on a transmission/rearend...you bet. Impressive nonetheless.
I hit the track yesterday and was slightly disappointed with a 13.11 at 108. Although my 60 foot dropped to a 1.99 with my new Nitto Extreme 555R II Roadracing tires. They get hot and sticky just like the dragradials...course 1.99 isn't very good with DRs...
Time for winter...
This individual also did some 20 runs in one night...abuse on a transmission/rearend...you bet. Impressive nonetheless.
I hit the track yesterday and was slightly disappointed with a 13.11 at 108. Although my 60 foot dropped to a 1.99 with my new Nitto Extreme 555R II Roadracing tires. They get hot and sticky just like the dragradials...course 1.99 isn't very good with DRs...
Time for winter...
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B17Crew
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sothpaw, Thats the nice thing about rentals, you can have all the fun in the world and not have to worry about how much life you just took off the clutch. To do it with a Viper must have been a hoot!
I have heard that GSC’s are not the best tires for drag racing, but they are great for the daily driving I do. I’ve tried to steer clear of the waterbox by swinging wide, but I’m sure water collects on them while approaching the lights. My first run that produced 13.8@105 was flawed with a poor start. I immediately spun my tires without forward progress. I’ve learned a lot from this thread, the advice has been very helpful for a green driver like me. I hope that I can get out to the track before they close it for winter!
Mad-Mic, at this time, I do not have a website. I noticed that your location is in Annapolis, I’ve made many trips across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-what a great scenic area to be in for a Corvette owner!
Your grandfather must have some great stories that he can pass along. It’s amazing how many people either had a family member or know of some one that crewed a B-17.
No Go, 12.76 with a completely stock LT4 brings tears to my eyes. I have to say that I’m gonna avoid power shifting for a while, my LT4 is also my daily ride!
20 runs in one night – must have been heaven. The track I go to — you are lucky if you get your third run in. Turnout is so high that we are given a card that is to be punched each time before we stage. After three runs your done, you have to pay another $10.00 to get a new one which is useless because it’s time to shut the track for the night.
Now the trick is to do what sothpaw did... find a rental (LT4) to practice with. Hmmmmm.
Yikes, sorry for writing a book!
I have heard that GSC’s are not the best tires for drag racing, but they are great for the daily driving I do. I’ve tried to steer clear of the waterbox by swinging wide, but I’m sure water collects on them while approaching the lights. My first run that produced 13.8@105 was flawed with a poor start. I immediately spun my tires without forward progress. I’ve learned a lot from this thread, the advice has been very helpful for a green driver like me. I hope that I can get out to the track before they close it for winter!
Mad-Mic, at this time, I do not have a website. I noticed that your location is in Annapolis, I’ve made many trips across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-what a great scenic area to be in for a Corvette owner!
Your grandfather must have some great stories that he can pass along. It’s amazing how many people either had a family member or know of some one that crewed a B-17.
No Go, 12.76 with a completely stock LT4 brings tears to my eyes. I have to say that I’m gonna avoid power shifting for a while, my LT4 is also my daily ride!
20 runs in one night – must have been heaven. The track I go to — you are lucky if you get your third run in. Turnout is so high that we are given a card that is to be punched each time before we stage. After three runs your done, you have to pay another $10.00 to get a new one which is useless because it’s time to shut the track for the night.
Now the trick is to do what sothpaw did... find a rental (LT4) to practice with. Hmmmmm.
Yikes, sorry for writing a book!
The last time I checked, Hertz was not renting LT4's, Guy
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