First Time To The Strip! :D
 

I finally did it. I always wanted to take my car to the strip and tonight I hit up the local cruise night and made three passes. Do tracks around you guys and girls charge? It's $5/run up here but it was pretty worth it in my book. I was quite hesitant to race the new car but I went ahead and went for it.

My first run I managed a 9.79. Didn't happen to get a slip, RT or miles per hour for any of the runs. My launch was pretty rough; I spun most of the way through first and speed-shifted my way through third. My still have to adjust my clutch which is another topic in itself. My second and third runs resulted in my missing third. I can count with probably one or two fingers how many times I've missed third in my life but of course I would do it twice in a row on one night. There's just something about the track that makes everything new and different. Gave me a rush that I haven't felt in quite some time!

Overall I'm quite happy actually. I had fun, my car got used for what it was designed and I pulled off a half-decent ET for my first time out with the new car. Any suggestions for me? Obviously traction on street tires is the issue. I tried slipping the clutch out from 2-3k but I just couldn't seem to get it down in the heat of the moment and the lack of clutch pedal movement makes it pretty damn tricky. Not to mention my shifter feels like a big floppy dildo. I would like to get a firewall adjuster, quadrant, replace the tranny fluid as per the TSB and get an MGW unit. Then I believe shocks and struts are in order along with gears and a tune. Would a 245/45 NT555R be worth it over just the stock street trim of the tire? I'm not going to get new wheels and tires until after I lower the car.

Just some thoughts here folks. Had a great time tonight and I can't wait to go back!!

EDIT: My first run netted me against an old 5.0, which I got beat my about 2 car-lengths by. Then I met defeat against a 300C and lastly a newer 05-09 GT which I managed to hang right with until I missed third.

Pretty much everywhere charges some small fee for you to make a pass down the strip. I am still anticipating my first time down the track, Beech Bend here I come, so I don't have much to offer on technique. Other than that you did get decent times for your first time out.:D

U need the driver mod. :)

99gt, let me know when you head to BB. We were just up there last weekend.

Damn agreed on that Evan. I had fun though really. Showed me that I'm not the buy guy out there and I need some (quite a bit of) practice. Suggestions?

Will do. I plan on going up there next weekend or the first weekend of August.:cool:

You need a long, open stretch of road to practice on and straighten out your launch technique.

LMK, should have my new LCA's in by the first week of August, maybe even before next weekend.


It's kind of difficult really to give specific suggestions without a slip to show us where you need the help.

How are you launching? On regular radial tires you will have to launch pretty easy and slip the clutch. The more you spin the slower you go. You should be able to cut a 2.0-2.1ish 60' on those tires.

Where were you shifting? You should probably be shifting somewhere in the neightborhood of 5500 RPM. If you're redlining, you're wasting time.

Driver mod is really the most important. Practice and find out what your car likes.

It's a cruise/test-and-tune night and they don't hand out slips which is a bummer but I'm willing to bet my 60 foots were horrible. I was spinning most of the way through first which surprised me because the many times I've practiced on the back roads around here always resulted in my getting a pretty good launch by slipping the clutch out at about 2-2.5k, or even 3k.

How does the traction of the track surface compare to that of a street road? I thought it would be a hell of a lot stickier and I was surprised when I was spinning through first.

Should my TC be off? I turned it off because my theory was that even if I had a little wheel spin my throttle would be cut and slow me down even more.

And yes Evan, I am shifting at about 5.5k. Would have been nice if I didn't miss third. Twice.

I'm not trying to be a dick but "Damn" 5 bucks for 1/8 mile and no slip

$5 for some runs seems like a great deal to me. Its $15 here to run. The 245 Nitto 555R's are very small. I would suggest running the 275/40/17 on your wheels. They do not bulge to much and Nittos run small anyhow. That is how I have done it for years. Best thing to do is keep going out just like the car sits now and run and run and run. You will get better with every trip. Then once you are getting consistant 2.0xx runs then get 275 Nittos and go from there.

<---------275 Nittos on 8" wheel.

And on the street at lower power levels, street tires are good because the road isn't slick and grips pretty good. However on the track where its concrete with rubber over it, street tires aren't awesome. It's ment for sticky tires.

I have a TR3650 shifter you can have for 70 shipped to the lower 48. Ships monday if you want it. PM me if you want it and I'll send you paypal info

Do this! it will make powershifting much easier and that will drop you a tenth or two in the 1/4. Of course I didn't have a problem with the stock shifter and powershifting, but the aftermarket ones save you time with the shorter distance.

What brand is it red?

steeda triax.

I took his post as 5 bucks per run????

Do the shifter, speed shifting the stock shifter is like shoving a mashmillow in a piggy bank

That's how I read it too. I don't think I'd pay $5 per 1/8 mile run.

its $25 (unlimited passes) up here at the New England Dragway in NH. I didnt even know there was dragways that charged PER pass..Dayum Fawk dat...

for the 1/8th's around here (crossville, and the Hill) they have $10 all you can run days. We had about 25 cars non-stop running one day from 11am-7pm

i need to get up to beech bend though in KY since i've gotten the GT...I wan to see how it runs