I slapped on the drag radials for the first time last night and had some fun. First let's get the DA out of the way according to drag times.
Elevation 20'
temperature 78.8
humidity 78%
Barometric pressure 29.91
Best was 12.142. Not bad! (will get better with more drag radial experience) See slip.
Best trap speed was 116.61. Not bad!
I even have a video of my best pass. (see video)
Les` Crossfire 12.14 _115mph (Sneaky Rental ) - YouTube
Now for a fan or ice and let's see if 11's can happen for me.

Les

 

you are on the money for the temps Les....those are good runs...good as it gets....

 

what was the tire pressure and launch rpm?

 

Pressure. I started at 18 psi. After a few passes they were at 19.7. Then I aired them down to 17 psi hot and left it there.
I loaded the converter to different rpms for the first passes. One time the rear wheels started spinning so I backed it down and was mostly going by ear. I'd guess 1500 rpm.

Les

 

good times keep UP you will be in the 11's before you know it jim

 

You know I tried. I just need a little schooling on the launch, patience to cool the car all the way down, and a few other "accepted" techniques ...... I hope. I need to check the tire pressures now that they're cold to see how much I took out. The car was really squirrelly the first pass at 17psi. at the end of the run. I though I might loose control for an instant.

Les

 

drop the pressure to 13 to 15 psi les. ramp the trans to about 1800 rpm and stand on the brakes. when you launch it drop the hammer, dont slip it. should net you another .1 of the 60 ft and your in the 11's. trap speed will drop a bit but the et is what you hunting for
cooldown. grip has had great success with 2 small items. a small fan and a spray bottle of alcohol and water mix. spray the manis and s/c down then lay the fan on top of them for 30 mins or so. cools down will be dramatic. the downside is temps raise back up during the staging so pick your parking spot as close to the lanes as you can get. push the car down until your next. then fire and go.
burnout doesnt need to be a don garlits style. simply lite them up and get them moving to clean them. 3 to 4 secs. is fine. wait on the burnout until your opponet is doing his. too many times i stage only to wait an eternity for some newb to figure out how to do it and cool my tires down
i also use a post it note on my steering wheel to ensure i prep everything for the launch down to turning the t/c off, wheels straight, 1st gear, seat belt etc.

 

I love the post-it note! I have trained myself to do everything in the same sequence every time. Traction control off, check for dash light, W/S switch in "S", helmet on, sunglasses on, trans in "1", etc....

 

I like the post it note idea. I'll use it. It never occurred to me to put some alcohol in the spray bottle. Brilliant! The only thing on the list I don't like is 15 psi. Because I'm ascared, but I'll do it. Thanks for the nuggets of knowledge.

Les

 

way to go Les, your getting the hang of it now

 

Hey Rob, good to see you drop in! It's rewarding seeing your parts perform, isn't it?

Les

 

12.1 is Haulin ***. Good job!

 

les i have run them as low as 10 psi trying to find the sweet spot. 13 to 15 worked best for the track i run on. yours may differ. if by some chance you turn the tire on the rim screw the suckers down!

 

Hey 32! Did you notice the Porsche I was lined up with? It's one of those new Spyder's. It's bone stock and runs low 13's at 108 most of the time. He also uses the car for Solo 1 so I see it a lot. With Hoosiers and a Pro driving it's pretty amazing. I guess he decided it was better to give up on that run.

Les

 

never been a fan of the boxster. just dont care for ragtops. all my new mods should be here by friday. intake tubing , custom y pipe, silicone hoses, 72 lb injectors , carbon fiber airbox, 4.5" intercoolers and a custom epl tune. numeric shifter already installed and have shed 164 lbs so far. shooting for 600 rwhp. then back to the track in the spring for a try at low 11's. calculator says 11.1 if all goes well
keep going back and log the tire pressures on the timeslip. you will know when your hooking up

 

I checked the pressures in the drag radials after they cooled down and they had 15.8 psi cold. Next rental is the 26th of january. I'm going to forget about the tree and launch when I have everything perfect. I'm hoping cool temperatures and better technique will get me into the 11's. Then it's back to Solo 1.

Les

 

Hey 32........what's a safe and ideal pressure to run our street tires at the track?

 

varies from tire to tire and sidewall height. for streets i would stay above 15 psi

 

Very nice Les.....Cooler temps will get you in the 11's. During the hot months here this summer, the best I was able to do was 11.9.....This past November I ran 11.7 at 116 again, with temps around 60. Which drag radials are you using?

 

Thanks! Unfortunately it doesn't get cooler here. I'm using MT ET Street Radials 255/50/16 and I must say, they stick and go. I'm taking a bag of tricks for the next attempt.

Les