Guys,

Can you all help me to understand how 2 cars can run, say, 11.9X in the quarter, but one car traps 114mph while the other traps a 117-119mph?

I appreciate any help!

Cheers,
KrzyFast

 

The guy with the 114 is getting off the line very good and is good up front but dosent top out well and the guy with the 117 is poor out of the blocks but builds up good finishing speed.....

just my observation......

 

its the finish line that counts, but I understand your question, and have asked it before...the confusion for me is the same time as well...like Mike, doing a 11.96 run @ 113 mph...I did a 12.3 run @ 113 mph. I had a 1.76 60ft time, he had a 1.72 60ft time...some where in that mess he kicked my butt....lol

 

MikeR,

If I understand you, you are saying that the guy with the higher mph spun at the start but by doing so created more momentum thereby increasing the mph at the end of the track???

 

The easier answer is the car with lower mph is leaning at the top. Timing is being pulled just a hair causing the lower mph. Pretty common here on this forum. If the 60's were in the 1.6's then mph around 114 for 11.8's and 9's would be spot on.

The positive side to that is once that tune is set all the way up to 6250 without leaning that you have a car at least a tenth quicker than it's posting right now.

I believe what MikeR was explaining is a better 60' will generally get you the best ET but a lower mph. If you slip ever so slightly there is more track to make up the speed. If your getting all three and they line up with the fastest comparisons (low 60', low ET, high mph) then your car is dead on.

 

I know nothing about drag racing, but this is what I understand.
Driver "A" could be slow of the line, slowest at 60' but because his car accelerates faster he can be at the line with car "B" in the same time. He has to have the highest trap speed otherwise he would lose.
Even if his trap speed is higher than "B" he could still lose, unless it it high enough to over come his slower start.
If his reaction time was better he would have won.
I'll ignore slipping tires, leaning issues and other variables they just add complication to a simple question.
Getting from point a to point b in the shortest amount of time is what counts, in a straight line and definitely in your own lane.
Correct me if I'm wrong please.

 

Just to mess you guys up, here's another variable...... HP vs. torque.

One guy could have more HP whereas the other might have more Torque.

HP will get you a good trap speed, torque is what gets you off the line. It's HP that lets us go over 150mph.....it's torque that makes it feel like you're getting swallowed by the seat off the line.

Very simply:
Torque = the ability to do work.
HP = the ability to do work over time.


here's a good read for anyone interested in the topic........ http://www.allpar.com/eek/hp-vs-torque.html

 

Your right in a side by side drag race it all comes down to reaction time. For the rest it is too complicated, too many factors right down to drivers weight.

 

The almighty torque is what most true bracket cars are setup with. I run against cars hitting low 12's all the time and barely trapping 102-104 mph. A true bracket car hitting 117 mph is a near 10 second car due to gearing, and those 60's are out of sight.

 

Who the hell sets their car up to run 10's at 117?? There is no way man. Not even bracket cars.....That is a little exaggerated. If you were running 10's at 117 flat out, your car is really f'ed up in the gearing of it in either the trans, rear or both! You would probably blow your motor too as it would be screaming at the top end. A 117 trap is right about an 11.40 player on a properly setup car, maybe a litte faster or a little slower depending on how it gets out of the hole. Now granted, I have seen the opposite on a 12.0 footbrake bracket car purposely setup to run 121 traps. Now that is cool!!

 

You don't have sandbaggers on that side of the country? I see it all the time. I did say near 10 sec, not 10 sec. Now if they are running 10.90 index classes then you'll see them run all out.

Here a low to mid 11 sec bracket car is running in the 12.00 class. So they can bag the rest.

Now the cars running low 12's with 120's are the vipers, corvettes, cobras who can't launch and yep hit 123's. With a good launch that mph and ET's would be where they should be.

I'd like to see a 12.0 footbrake bracket car run a full pass without delay or anything hit 120 mph? That I've never seen.

 

Oh, you mean guys that run an index class that they are clearly faster than, then hit the breaks at the top end every time? Of course we have those. lol. Yeah, the guys name is Bill Hackuska from NJ and he runs a 68-69 camaro that is purposely setup to be a pig off the line and come on like a freight train at the end! It's cool to watch and it really can mess your finish line judge if you don't know him. lol

 

Thanks again guys. I had a feeling it something to do with the tune - as well as a bunch of other factors.

I wish the weather would clear up. I want to get mine out and see where it is at prior to getting the tune installed. I have never been. The closest 1/4mi track is in Richmond, VA - 2-2.5hrs away. I got to get up there though....

When I do, I will let you guys know how it turns out.

Cheers,
KrzyFast

 

Hey Cruzin when can I come up for a few runs and to get my bearings?
Car is ready for 11's (with your slicks), I think!

Any snow yet?