Don’t forget your shoe polish!
By gotbooost | June 3, 2008
Back in the day racers used to use white shoe polish to dial in. While this was convenient it was a bitch to take off (required some window cleaner and a few minutes with a credit card)
We don’t need to use shoe polish anymore since window wipe exists now. You should remember to pick up a cheap “party marker” or “window marker” (aka wipe) from your local party store (or walmart if there’s one near you). It usually costs a buck and a few cents and it’s well worth it. Why do you need it?
- You will be able to Dial in.
- You can change your Dial in at anytime.
- You will make new friends.
NOTE: if you lend your wipe to someone, just go with the person and dial in for them. FOLLOW YOUR MARKER or you’ll lose it! (ask me how I know)
Topics: at the track | No Comments »
High Octane Race Gas
By gotbooost | January 18, 2008
Race gas can be found at some race tracks and at some gas stations. So who uses race gas? Usually people that have forced induction such as turbos and superchargers can benefit from race gas. The higher octane gas allows higher boost with less chance of detonation.
If you have a turbo or supercharged car that is not tuned for race gas then you may see little to no benefit from it, so save your money for your next upgrade.
Naturally aspirated high compression race car engines may also need race gas if they are tuned to take advantage of the higher octane.
Topics: technical | No Comments »
Another reason not to street race
By gotbooost | June 20, 2007
Everyone knows not to street race. It’s common sense. It saves lives.
But if the facts aren’t enough for you then check out this article: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/20/state/n132637D82.DTL
And another: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19339955
Long story short:
California Law Enforcement now has the right to DESTROY your car if you get caught engaged in illegal street racing.
Topics: street racing | No Comments »
How your Engine Works
By gotbooost | June 8, 2007
This is a cool interactive way to learn how your engine works. You’ll need the shockwave plug-in (just download it after your browser prompts you.) http://www.forgefx.com/casestudies/prenticehall/ph/engine/engine.htm
Topics: technical | No Comments »
Drag Racing Terms
By gotbooost | June 8, 2007
- Breaking out: Losing because you ran faster than your Dial In time
- Burning out: Smoking up your tires in an effort to warm up the rubber for better traction.
- Dial In: Quarter mile time that you say you will hit. If you run faster than your Dial In then you’ll break out and lose.
- Drag Radials: DOT approved tires specially made for drag racing. These tires have poor tread life and have horrible wet traction however it is legal to drive on the street with them. Popular Drag Radials include: BF Goodrich G-Force T/A, Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial, Nitto NT 555R, and Goodyear Eagle SS. BFG Drag Radials come in up to 18″ diameter!
- Deep Staging: Rolling past the PRE-STAGE lights so only the STAGE lights are lit. Technically you are now closer to the finish line however you don’t get as much of a “running start.” If you’re a beginner at drag racing, it may also be easier to red light if you’re deep staging.
- Hole Shot: The racer with the better reaction time has the Hole Shot because they have a better chance of winning.
- The Line: The starting line of the race track.
- Red Light: Losing because you left the starting line before the green light was lit (forward or backward.)
- Reaction Time: The time it takes for you to leave after the green light drops. Perfect reaction time is .000
- Slicks: Tires specially made for drag racing and not for street use. Must be heated up with a good burnout before they get sticky.
Topics: racing dictionary | No Comments »
The Christmas Tree
By gotbooost | June 7, 2007
Yes it’s festive but what do all these lights mean?If you’re a beginner in drag racing just pay attention to the lights in your lane. Let’s go from top to bottom.
- PRE-STAGE
- The first two yellow lights side by side are PRE-STAGE. The PRE-STAGE light is lit when you trip the first light beam (There are 2 light beams separated by about 7 inches at the start of the strip.) You are NOT staged yet if ONLY the PRE-STAGE light is on. The actual yellow and green lights will only start dropping after you’ve tripped the STAGE light.
- STAGE
- When your car, truck, or motorcycle breaks the second beam of light at the line then the STAGE light is lit. IF you roll past the PRE-STAGE light then it will turn off and only the STAGE light will be lit. This is called “Deep-Staging” and it is OK. You don’t have to roll back and turn the PRE-STAGE light on. Now you have just seconds before the tree drops if your opponent has also STAGED. If your opponent has not staged then the tree will not drop. Basically the computer will drop the light about a second or so after both of you are staged regardless of the PRE-STAGE light.
- YELLOW LIGHTS
- These three lights drop in descending order from top to bottom at .5 second intervals. Leave before the GREEN and you will get a RED light (you lose.)
- GREEN LIGHT
- What are you waiting for? It ain’t gonna get any greener.
- RED LIGHT
- If you see this then you lost already. This can only happen if your car rolled out of the STAGE beam before the tree turned GREEN. Some people will pull their ebrake at the line to keep from rolling around. You may want to do this at Sears Point / Infineon Raceway as some people claim that it’s not level at the starting line.
Topics: launching | No Comments »
How to do a Rear Wheel Drive Burnout or Brakestand
By gotbooost | June 7, 2007
RWD Burnouts (Brakestands)
First determine if you should go through the Water Box.
If you are going to do a water burn out:
- Roll into the water box and past the middle of it. You don’t want to be too close to the middle or it will be difficult to burn off all the water.
- Rev your motor up… (depending on how much power/torque you’re making you may want to rev pretty high - maybe 1-2k under redline.
- Drop the clutch and get the tires spinning.
- After you get your RPMs back up and your tires are spinning you’ll need to get your LEFT FOOT onto the brake pedal. Gently now, just enough to keep the car from creeping forward. Too hard on the brakes and you’ll kill your burnout. Too soft on the brakes and you’ll roll forward too much and get too close to the line.
- Feather the gas and keep it in the powerband. Don’t sit there bouncing off the rev limiter unless you have an EMS or ignition that cuts spark automatically for you.
- You should probably burnout for at least 4-5 seconds. Possibly longer depending on your tires. In some rear wheel drive cars and trucks you can sit there all day if you want to (not recommended unless you really like punishing your car.)
- Roll out and stage. You’re ready to race.
If you’re NOT going through the water box (dry burnout or brakestand)
- Drive AROUND the water box, NOT THROUGH IT.
- Follow everything else above. It will be more difficult to initiate the burnout when your tires are dry so you may have to rev it up higher before you drop the clutch.
- Your tires won’t exactly be “hot” but doing a little burnout before you get to the line will help knock all the little crap off your tires before your launch.
Topics: burnout | No Comments »
How to do a Front Wheel Drive Burnout
By gotbooost | June 7, 2007
FWD Burnouts
First determine if you should go through the Water Box.
If you are going to do a water burn out:
- Roll into the water box and past the middle of it. You don’t want to be too close to the middle or it will be difficult to burn off all the water.
- Pull your ebrake up as hard as you can
- Rev your motor up… (depending on how much power/torque you’re making you may want to rev pretty high - maybe 1-2k under redline
- Drop the clutch and try to make some smoke! Feather the gas and keep it in the powerband. Don’t sit there bouncing off the rev limiter unless you have an EMS or ignition that cuts spark automatically for you.
- You should probably burnout for at least 4-5 seconds. Possibly longer depending on your tires. Your car will pull you forward eventually-you don’t have to do a burnout this long if you don’t want to.
- Roll out and stage. You’re ready to race.
If you’re NOT going through the water box (dry burnout)
- Drive AROUND the water box, NOT THROUGH IT.
- Pull your ebrake up as hard as you can
- Rev your motor up… (depending on how much power/torque you’re making you may want to rev pretty high - maybe 1-2k under redline
- Drop the clutch and hope nothing breaks! Unless your tires are pretty bald (or they’re just crappy tires) then you won’t be able to do this for more than a few seconds. Don’t sit there bouncing off the rev limiter unless you have an EMS or ignition that cuts spark automatically for you.
- Your tires won’t exactly be “hot” but doing a little burnout before you get to the line will help knock all the little crap off your tires before your launch.
Topics: burnout | No Comments »
Going through the Water Box
By gotbooost | June 5, 2007
The Water Box. You’ll typically see racers with slicks go through the water box and do burnouts. Cars that make decent power can do some very nice smoky burnouts. American muscle cars (old and new alike) are usually the burnout kings. Lots of horsepower + lots of torque + water = huge clouds of smoke.
Years ago it was unacceptable to roll through the water box on “street” tires. Now depending on the drag strip you’re at you may or may not be able to drive through the water box on DOT approved street tires whether they’re made for racing or not.
If you are NOT going to do a burnout, then just drive around the water box. It doesn’t make sense to get your tires wet if you’re not going to smoke those tires.
If you ARE going to do a burnout on street tires, first check with track officials to ensure that it’s ok to do it at that track. Infineon Raceway (previously Sears Point Raceway) is actually ok with water box burnouts on DOT approved drag radials as well as high performance summer street tires. Again, when in doubt just ask!
It used to be common practice to first drive around the water box and then back up into it if you are racing a rear wheel drive car. Times do change. Now at Infineon they want you to just drive straight in and NOT back in.
Topics: burnout | 2 Comments »