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Drag Racing 101

49K views 46 replies 35 participants last post by  Bryali 
#1 ·
:magburno:Before you can do this on a drag strip, you must know what it is you are really doing. This article will, hopefully, give more understanding for when you go to the race track, whether it's the first time, or the first time in a long time. Some of you may already be experienced and not need this. That's ok. My intent is to help people learn so they will have a good, SAFE experience.

When you first get to the track, you'll obviously have to stop and pay your entry fee. It can vary between test and tune or an actual race day. Next will be to find a pit space where you can unload items you've brought with you that you won't want in your car while going down the track. You may even have somebody else that has driven there with you. They may be able to park in your pit spot. It just depends on the track.

Now you have to go through tech inspection. Basically this is nothing more than a safety check-point, IF the track does what it should do. With the newer LX cars, or newer cars in general, they may do nothing more than sign your tech card, (which you must also sign.) They will give you a number, which they'll put on your card & white shoe polish the number on your windows. They keep the card which usually they send to the tower for the announcer. The number is so they know when you run, they input that into their computer.

If you have modded your car quite a bit, they may check it over more, ie: under the hood, seat belts, tires. If they follow NHRA or IHRA rules strictly, and they suspect you'll run 13.99 or quicker they may want to see your helmet which must be labeled Snell 95, or SFI 31.1. These are the minimums. They could possibly not even ask.

Ok, you've now gone through tech. DON'T go straight up to the starting line, unless you are already familiar with the race track itself. Even if you are, at least go look at the track to see what kind of condition it's in. If you're not familiar with it park your car in your pit and walk toward the finish line. It will be clearly marked in some form, but get where it is now while you are looking, instead of trying to find it at 100 mph. Read this twice YOUR LIFE, HEALTH AND YOUR CAR ARE MORE IMPORTANT than waiting till you're at speed to try to find the finish line, or find out there is something wrong with the track. Ever try to stop from over 100 mph on sand, dirt, oil or water?

When you see the finish line, there will be, (usually boxes) with lights in the middle and outside of both lanes very close to the ground. That is the finish line. If you look 66 feet toward the starting line, there will be another set of lights, just like the finish line. This is where the mph clock starts. It times you over the last 66 feet of track and the computer figures your mph.

Look from the finish line and see how much shut down room you have. Even though our cars have good brakes, How much room will you have to stop if your brakes fail (it has happened) and you have to use your emergency brake? What kind of barrier do they have to help you stop if you lose your brakes? Sand pit? Fence? River? Corn field? You need to know.

Now! Get in your car, take a deep breath and feel the adrenalin already pumping. Your car should be cooled down pretty good, your garden spray bottle filled with ice water and your tire pressure gauge with you. Head to the staging lanes, watching for cars like yours, street tires, or street driven. The announcer may even announce which lanes are for which cars. Lanes for FWD, street cars, permenant number race cars. If you're not sure...ask.

Check you water temp in the lanes. If it's up around normal, give a couple squirts from your sprayer onto the radiator, check your tire pressure. If you don't have an air tank with you don't let out any air, yet.
You're in line and pulling up. They're not pulling your lane out yet. Spray your radiator again, if you've got ice on it take it off. You and the track people don't want you dripping water on the racing surface. If you don't have an air tank, check the pressure in your drive tires (AWD do all 4) and then equalize the drive tires. If you have an air tank and you want to let air out, do it now. Then get ready, cause you're next!

The person in charge of the staging lanes will motion you on. Put your seat belt on now, (keeps you from being embarrased on the starting line, when they open your door to tell you.) Soon you'll be pulling out onto the track headed toward the bleach box. If you have slicks on your car, go ahead and pull into the water, stopping just after your back tires have gone through almost all the way. If you're still running street tires DO NOT drive into the water, GO AROUND IT. The last thing you want is water in the tread and wheel wells when you leave the starting line. I know, it's cool to do a good impressive smokey, but it's not going to do you any good. The burnout is for the sticky slicks. It cleans them & puts heat into them for better traction.

The cars in front of you are leaving the starting line. Now you can hit the throttle and right back off onto the brakes. With street tires that's all you need. You'll already have looked at other cars on the starting line while you were waiting in the staging lanes. Slowly pull your car up till you turn on the top bulb on the christmas tree. That's the pre-stage light. It lets you know you're about 12" from the starting line. If the other person has not pre-staged, wait till they do. It's a common courtesy. When you are both pre-staged start moving forward. You will see the second light come on (the staged light. That's the starting line) Because our rims are 18" and more, don't stop as soon as you see the second light come on. If you do, chances are your reaction time will suck. You have to guess how far to go before you stop. If the top bulb goes out, you've "Deep Staged". Don't worry, that just means your front tires are in front of the pre-staged lights. You can adjust on your next run.

As soon as you stop, push your brake pedal like you're trying to push it thru the floor with your left foot. Put your right foot on the gas, trust your instincts, listen to the engine, but don't look at the tach, because as soon as you staged, you focused your eyes on the 3rd large yellow light, the last one before the green. Don't take your eyes off of that light, don't look to see if your friends see you, don't look to see if the 1st 2 yellow lights have come on. Keep your eyes on that last yellow light till you see it come on. When you see that last yellow, mash the gas, let go of the brake and Katy bar the door, cause you're on your way to a 12, 13 or 14 second run over 1320 feet at speeds nearing or exceeding 100 mph.

If you are shifting the car yourself, look at the tach so you don't over-rev the engine. That will slow you down, plus if it goes high enough you could do some damage. Try different shift points, higher is not always better. I have shifted my Charger R/T as low as 5000 rpm and still ran good numbers.:racing: You'll probably cross the finish line in 3rd gear. (Remember where the finish line was when you 1st got there? Now you're seeing it go under your car) Let off the gas and start Applying your brakes easy. You'll know how much room you've got to stop, because you already checked. Most tracks have more than 1 turn off. I suggest going by the 1st one, just because it'll be easier on your brakes.

Pull off of the track and onto the return road. Now you can start to breathe again as the adrenalin eases off. There will be a small building somewhere on the return road. Pull up to it, they'll check your number on your car and give you your time slip. Drive back to your pit & get something to drink.

Now for the numbers. You're learning, the track, your car, yourself. You just made a clean safe run and got stopped ok and you're back in your pit, so it's a success! Use the numbers to judge where you're at. #1-reaction time. Some tracks start at .000 others are still at .500. There's 1/2 second between the last yellow going off & the green coming on. A perfect reaction time is .000 or .500. This is just my opinion, but I feel anything up to a .050 or .550 is a good acceptable reaction. That means your front tires "broke the starting line beam" 5 hundreths of a second after the green came on. If your time is slower than that, well, now you've got a goal to shoot for. #2 is your 60' time, how long after the green did your front tires get to the 60' lights. If it's your 1st run compare it to the next runs. I had my worst 60' time at a 2.38 with the Charger. I spun the tires big time, so I adjusted how I revved the engine on my next run and that time came down. #3 is the 330' time, #4 is the 8th mile time and speed. Some tracks have lights at 1,000 feet. If so #5 is how long it took you to get there. The last numbers are your 1/4 mile time and that last 66' gives your mph.

Use your numbers to adjust how you drive. If they are slower on a run, what did you change? Faster? Good! Why? You want to almost become a machine, do every part as consistant as you can from run to run. But only change 1 thing at a time if you make changes. If you changed 2 and ran worse-which 1 hurt?

Now, you've made your run. It's hot, your car is running slower. They will slow down in hotter weather and run faster in cooler weather. If you were out there just to have fun, or to get serious, I hope this has or will help. It's only a start, still a lot to learn, long way to go. Go out there now and do it, but most of all....HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!!:rock: :not_worth :racing:
 
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#32 ·
I strongly suggest that anyone not completely firmiliar with the sport & your cars capabilities LEAVE THE TRACTION CONTROL (ESP) ON!
Being at an "official" event can get the adrenalan flowing and make it easy to try to drive beyond ones capabilities.
Be safe, learn the sport and have fun.
 
#34 ·
Not that I go to the Drag strip very much, but thanks for the info. I plan on taking my Charger to the strip so I'll be using this info.
 
#35 ·
Sorry to kinda necro-post, but i have a question. Since the Challengers now have a manual, and I assume (incorrectly?) that the guide was given for automatics, how do you want to start with a manual.

I would think the whole stand on the brake and give it gas wouldn't work, as that would just be bad for the engine or spin the tires.

Can anyone shed some light on this?
 
#37 ·
JT, launching on a manual is a bit more complex as there are a few more variables to take into consideration and much more potential for shocking the drivetrain. There two primary factors are launch rpm (the rpm at which you begin to disengage the clutch) and the rate at which you disengage the clutch. A big heavy car like the Challenger and with the torque of the 5.7 I would start out in the area of 2500 rpms, letting the clutch out at a medium speed to provide a bit of a cushion for the street tires.

If you bog on the launch, try again at a higher launch rpm. The key here is you don't want to let the clutch out too slowly or you will risk burning it up.....too fast and you shock the driveline and it all goes up in smoke.

For the serious track star, a line lock mechanism, holding the front wheels while you do the burn out or stage at the lights would be a huge advantage.

Good luck.
 
#36 ·
great write up. :) i just want highlight something in the write up i wish i had read before my first time out.
#1 know where the finish line is
from experience, if you think the adrenalin is pumping at the starting line, its nothing compared to what pumps at the end of the track at 100+ and you thought you had more room to stop.
 
#42 ·
great write up. :) i just want highlight something in the write up i wish i had read before my first time out.
#1 know where the finish line is
from experience, if you think the adrenalin is pumping at the starting line, its nothing compared to what pumps at the end of the track at 100+ and you thought you had more room to stop.
Listen to this! It gets really scary when your on the brakes and your running out of room:racing:
 
#38 ·
I realize this is an old thread, but I just got here recently, and I just wanted to add one more thing you will need to do at the track. Pee.... Several times before your first race if I remember correctly.
 
#39 ·
Great post Larry383.
I will go to the strip this summer for the fisrt time ever, so this type of knowledge is really important for me to start my 1/4 mile fun, So thank you for imparting some of your knowledge.

I do have a question though, with our auto trannies, if I wanted to pre stage and do a good burn out, is it as simple as holding the brake to keep her steady and hitting the gas pedal? At what RPM would the rear tires start to spin?, should you reduce some of the brake pedal pressure to allow the rears to spin?
 
#40 ·
Great post Larry383.
I will go to the strip this summer for the fisrt time ever, so this type of knowledge is really important for me to start my 1/4 mile fun, So thank you for imparting some of your knowledge.

I do have a question though, with our auto trannies, if I wanted to pre stage and do a good burn out, is it as simple as holding the brake to keep her steady and hitting the gas pedal? At what RPM would the rear tires start to spin?, should you reduce some of the brake pedal pressure to allow the rears to spin?
I just started using drag radials (don't do a burnout on street tires) and the burnout was easier than I thought (with cam/heads/etc and water box). Just apply brakes firmly and gas it. I shift past 6000 rpm into second so I don't go into limp mode. As tires get hot they start to smoke and rpms drop. Let off brake smoothly and roll forward. You can adjust your right rearview mirror to check if your right rear spins (as that is the one that sometimes won't spin). You want both tires heated as otherwise you risk stressing only one halfshaft and breaking it.
 
#43 ·
I just wanted to say thank you for this write up and the 3 pages of comments and additions. I went to the track 2 days ago for the first time and this thread was a big help. I had such a good time and even though I rarely won, I was very consistent. Thanks again.
 
#44 · (Edited)
Hello I have a 06 charger srt8, we have a company sponsered drag race night and I have never done it before so I enjoyed reading your article thanks for posting it.

It's been a few years since you wrote the article for tips and I wondered if you have changed anything with regard to launching by mashing the brakes and the throttle, I tried on the street last night some starts and when I mash it he way you described it in the article my srt8 lights them up big time no traction at all?? Should I turn off the esc fully buy holding he button for five seconds or just the normal esc off, or leave it on?

Thanks for all the info!
 
#47 ·
Great read. I've read through several of these and watched a few videos on different forums and I've got a few questions:

Since I'm just starting out, I doubt I'll break into the 12's right away but I'll be running a supercharger with water/meth. As far as I can tell, that'll require me to wear a helmet and jacket. Any other "safety gear" that I'm missing?

I also saw somewhere that donut spare tires aren't allowed but I've seen several folks post about using the donuts on the front wheels? I assume that means that donuts can't be used on the drive wheels only?
 
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