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General => Shows, events, track days, motorsport => Topic started by: spacerat on 25 March 2009, 22:38

Title: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: spacerat on 25 March 2009, 22:38
Ive only ever done one 1/4 mile sprint before and that was inters 2004 at raf brentwiter on a concrete track and pissing down with rain, i was 19 and in a 200bhp mk4 1.8t, it started badly with loads of wheelspin.
This weekend im looking forward to taking my mk2 1.8t out on the track at santa pod :smiley: ,  are there any hardcore sprinters here with any proper advice or tips for pull away.  I could just go there wait for the lights and give it large but surely theres common mistakes that everyone makes that could take half a second off their time???????
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: Stu.750 on 25 March 2009, 23:13
Feather the clutch , dont just dump it , balance the revs to find the place between boging down and spinning the wheels

 adjustable shocks stiffen the rear , stops the weight transfer , depending on tyres maybe play with the pressures

have fun , keep an eye on temps tho , cars can overhear while your queing
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: A7 UFO on 26 March 2009, 09:13
empty the car of all unneccessary crap.  If you're committed, remove the spare wheel and the rear bench etc.  Weight only slows your down afterall.

Deflate the front tyres and increase the rear.
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: Len on 26 March 2009, 12:50
If its at Santa Pod you will get a lot more grip on the line than on normal roads. So up the revs a little from what you would normally expect to get wheelspin.

Try to change up before the rev limiter! :grin: :evil: :laugh:
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: Chris-White on 26 March 2009, 13:04
Take your time to stage up.

Launch at around 3k, feed the clutch out quickly, but dont dump it.
I personally like to hold it on the handbrake at the start with the car on th biting point, then drop the handbrake when the lights go.

from then on just floor it really!

DONT hit the limiter!!!

if you want to save your tyres a bit you can drive around the water in the burnout patch so you dont have to light em up. 
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: gibby on 26 March 2009, 18:08
If you're racing someone else make sure you're staged first i.e. get to the start line first. This way you can get yourself composed waiting for the other guy to get staged, because as soon as you're both staged the race more or less starts straight away. Also, set off when the last set of yellow lights show (2nd row I think) as by the time you've reacted from seeing that, the lights will be green and it will be time to go.

Don't keep missing second gear like I did ! Try and keep gear changes smooth as you can (especially 1 - 2) and try not to smash them in quickly like I was doing and I missed it a couple of times. Not good.

If I remember correctly the PA gives various hints and tips on good 1/4ing throughout the day too.
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: Diamond Hell on 26 March 2009, 19:02
All the fandango you'll ever need is here (http://www.vwdrc.com/)
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: eightyeightmph on 27 March 2009, 14:54
Good little into! :afro:

http://www.torquecars.com/articles/drag-techniques.php
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: spacerat on 27 March 2009, 22:25
thanks for the info, ill give it my best shot and see what i can do  :smiley:
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: spacerat on 29 March 2009, 21:45
well my best run was also my first at 14.44  after that the car was getting too hot and overfuelling i think, black smoke was seen on pull away.  next time im aiming for mid 13's as enough people were saying they reckon the car is capable. just gotta sort out the driver :rolleyes:
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: DXB on 11 August 2009, 17:46
Mid 13's? what HP are you running?

What was your 60ft on the 14.44 and what MPH?

Try dropping the front tyres down to 15psi... warm them up and then give it the beans. Im a regular up there. Love drag racing. Im 25th in the street challenge currently out of 130. I wont get any higher cuz i am not modding my car anymore.

Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: Mijle on 17 August 2009, 10:19
Try dropping the front tyres down to 15psi... warm them up and then give it the beans...


Isn't that too flat? :huh:

I tought too flat tyres reduce the power?
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: nige_s on 20 August 2009, 13:51
Reducing the pressures increases the traction. Nothing really to do with power other than getting it to the ground quicker.
Title: Re: Advice for 1/4 mile
Post by: Horney on 20 August 2009, 13:55
Reducing the pressures does work to a poitn but I would have thought 15psi is waaaay to low. You want the maximum contact area on the tarmac. Too lower pressure and your just running on the sides. Top Fuels run low pressures but they have drag specific tyres.

nick