Hey all, I'm just back from a wild night at the track or shall I be truthful, skating rink. First the slips. The weather was as good as it gets for P.R., 77º with a light head wind. All my runs were 12.0x @ 117.xx except the first that was 12.1 at 116.93 and another with a 12.0x @ 115.xx. I should be bracket racing! My first run had me real excited, hot off the street, easy off the line with a little slippage. Come around to run again. Then somebody broke and oiled the track. So back to the pits to cool off. Another few broken cars, axels, etc. and back to the line. Do a nice burn out, leave a bit harder and the car sticks. Hot lap, do a nice burn out (4 sec.) and try to leave even harder and the car sticks good. Then more broken cars. Back to the pits for a final cool off. First run after the cool of I tried to leave hard and lost traction. My best chance for another 11 was lost. That run had the highest 1/8 mile speed and 1/4 mile speed as well. But the worst 60'. I beat a C63 AMG on one of the runs. He was running mostly 12.3's but on our race he got greedy and spun the tires. I had a good race with a white GTR. We left about the same time and I was leading until the 2/3 shift. During my painfully slow shift he pulled ahead about 5 cars. Only in the time my car was picking it's nose shifting, 5 car lengths. The 3/4 shift is painfully slow too but for some reason the 1/2 is pretty snappy. He ran an 11.3. All my 60' times were slowish. I set the tire pressures cold and didn't touch them again. The track was super slick around the 1/8 marker. Lots of higher powered cars were loosing it there. Luckily, no serious crashes resulted. A really painful one however. A SLS gull wing got into the wall after I left. I'm wondering if it was around the 1/8th.
Things to improve. 1) Keep checking the tire pressures through the night. 2) Find a solution to the sloppy shifts. 3) Don't run with a full tank of gas. 4) Get a fan to cool the car between runs.

Les

 

Well the fan and full tank are easy fixes....lol. I like the mph and times as they are consistent with my cars... I will end up running bracket I am sure. I had a Christmas party in Indy last week and there was a car show at the convention center next door. All racing vendors. NHRA reps were there at a booth as well. We talked awhile, but I don't feel like I got anywhere with them. They flat don't under stand anything foreign. I feel I could run a stock class. No internal engines mods, but the factory supercharger seems to be a problem for them. So, bracket racing is all that is left. Grudge night racing....lol.... Have you ran into any problems in class racing or have you just been testing and tuning...

 

I've been attending private track rentals. You know the ones I'm talking about. Guys with mostly high dollar or non rules compiling cars. They just want to run all night and have fun. ($50) It's like test and tune with no rules. Guys run without helmets, 9 sec street cars with no cage. You can hot lap to your hearts content. I've seen guys with 20+ passes before, including me in the beginning. Mostly mature people, some bring the entire family. It's a great atmosphere.

Les

 

Now that would be fun.... That doesn't happen around here. The 1st thing they do, is flock to your car, and ask all kinds of questions, so they know how to protest you once you enter a class. Not so much on test and tune nights, but points nights...look out...

 

Nice runs Les. Hope you don't mind me joining in here. The tank issue is as Doc said, easy enough to fix. The issue is most certainly your hole shot. That looks like an 11-second car to me.

Tires and longer cool downs and you're set!

 

Everyone is invited to join in with opinions or suggestions of all types. I've come to the realization that my 11 sec. car has a 12 sec. driver, for now. Part of my trouble is trying to do the 1/4 mile with a road course set up.

Les

 

I think your car has been solid. You the run the hell out of that car with little to no trouble. Just routine maintenance and ware items. I am lucky enough to keep the roadster somewhat stock in case I want to do a solo, road course event in the future. The coupe is more the for the 1/4 now. I am setting up to compete on an 1/8 mile track. I would rather run a class, but that isn't going to happen. So we will do some bracket racing instead. Taking on my X-90 project on top of everything else. Already had a brain fart with that project. Wrong wheels arrived for it. Another long story...lol. Back to your drag racing. Track prep is everything as is the launch. You can't help yourself if the track conditions suck. If you can't get those 60's down, then 11's won't happen. That isn't always your fault. Most test and tune nights never have good track conditions. People break, no competition so no one does any track prep...just the way it is...

 

I have to launch mine at 1,800+ RPM's if it'll hold, to get my 60' down. Also, I don't race the 1/4 without 2 fans and usually some type of race fuel or octane booster.

As for the shifts, sounds like your TCU tune to me. As for a VB or Blue Top to firm up the shifts, you know my thoughts on that too. I wouldn't buy a VB or solenoids to fix a problem caused by the TCU tune. Just doesn't make sense to me.

Good luck.