[dvcooke]

Okay, I finally hit the track. New England Dragway has racing Wednesday nights (and Fri/Sat) so I made it up there last night for the first time. Realizing that I would have bad times due to my total amatuer status, I wanted as much of an advantage as I could...So I stripped down the inside of my car! Here is an Imagestation album of what my ride looked like, and pic of my slips at the end of it:

dvcooke's first track night (click here)

A list of things I removed:
Back seat
Trunk carpetting
Spare tire cover
Front Passenger Seat
Trunk rear interior wall
Glove box
Ashtray
Cig lighter
Glove Box
Sun Visors
All floor mats (except driver)

I left in my stereo because it was a long traffic filled drive. Next time, I might take out more than I did this time. I also did a couple other things, like turn my interior fan onto 1 and then slide it over to hot to let some of the heat out of the engine bay. And turn off all other electrical devices (head lights, radar detector, stereo, etc...). And dropped my tire pressure down to 25-ish (but I don't believe that did any good)

I think that my biggest problem (besides my reaction time) was my horrible horrible tires. I'm rolling on XGT-V4's which I had burning out on each run that I took by launching at about 3500...I had two runs where I did a rolling burnout going into second. And one where I bounced off my second gear rev limiter...I was amazed at how riding on the track got my blood going and kept my attention away from the tach. The first two runs, I think I shifted by sound alone...


Okay, okay...enough rambling...My best time was a 15.179 and my best R/T was a .946. I only lost my last race which was against a TSI, and I beat a Prelude, El Camino (w/ 350 block), a Sierra truck, and a Mazda 626. I'll definitely be going back!

 

[StyleTEG]

Sounds like you had alot of good time. I am planning on going friday for my first time, I hope I get the whole blood boiling effect like you!

Keep in mind that your RT doesn't effect your ET

The time starts once you cross the trip counter (is that whats its called?) at the begining.

What where your 60' times?

 

[dvcooke]

Yeah, I know the RT doesn't effect the 1/4 time, but I lost to that talon by 1.25 seconds. His RT was .652, and mine was 1.299! If I had a better RT, he wouldn't have beaten me by more than a second...Just by the .5 secs his car had on mine.

The 60's should be visible on the slips in the imagestation album but they are:
2.397
2.494
2.577
2.486
2.485

All the cars except the 626 had better 60ft times than me! Like I said, my tires were BLAZING when I was crossing the starting line. My car has way too much power to be using those POS tires on the track...

 

[Fast Asleep]

Try letting more air out of your tires....down to 18-20 psi. That should help your traction, or at least squeeze out all the traction those pitiful tires can muster. What was the weather like? did you go during the day? Also...what were your trap speeds??

Drew

 

[ccshamrock2004]

style teg what track are you going to on friday? i might have to come too.

 

[dvcooke]

15.273 @ 94.73
15.210 @ 93.49
15.391 @ 95.14
15.179 @ 95.37 (best run)
15.295 @ 95.42 (best trap)

(a pic of all of the slips is available in the imagestation album...if you click on the pic of the slips, it will show it full size with enough detail to read all of it...)
iamage station album (click here)

 

[StyleTEG]

ccshamrock, planning on going to the milan dragay in miland. It opens at four, and has test and tune till eight which is street racing.

http://www.milandragway.com/

 

[Prodani12]

Hmm for a second there I thought you had a GSR. Shouldn't you be getting faster times with your Type R?

 

[estleadguitar]

hey...if you're gonna go to the trouble of taking all that stuff out next time, you should prolly dump the spare tire too.

 

[dvcooke]

I had to drive a for two hours up to backwoods NewHampshire to get there. Poor cell phone coverage and a lot of miles between exits. My daddy done taught me better than to do that drive without a spare in the trunk!

And yes, I do believe that I should be getting better times. I think that I need to work on my shift points (I tried to always shift at redline, but sometimes a little before, sometimes a little after...) and I really think my tires burning out for a couple seconds at the start of each run (and sometimes in the middle!) took a couple tenths off my time.

The weather was pretty hot and humid, and Epping, NH isn't exactly sea level. And IT WAS MY FIRST TIME. So yeah, my goal was to get a 15 flat or better. I'm kinda pi**ed that I didn't get it, but that's why we go back again and again, eh?

 

[Integraholic]

Yeah, the Type R should be getting better times. But he said it was his first time. Did you get your best times the first time you took your car to the track?

 

[FatyGrenEyez]

The weather was pretty hot and humid, and Epping, NH isn't exactly sea level.

Hey buddy hate to burst your bubble but, ya it is.
epping NH 90 feet above sea level.
Don't worry though you'll do better next time. And if not just Let myself or ati2ude take a pass in your car at Import Wars. J/k but if you are going to race that day you might want to get back up there and practice those lights. (leave when the last yellow comes on.) sssssssshhhhh!!!

 

[pnoygsr]

YEAH I WENT TO THE TRACK LAST SUN DID 15.1 oN MY BEST TIME WITH AND I WAS SPINNING oN 2ND GEAR!!!!

 

[dvcooke]

Hehe! I didn't think that ANY part of New Hampshire was at sea level! The only reasons I've ever gone to New Hampshire are to climb mountains (and get to Maine or Canada), so I just assumed some altitude.

As far as Import Warz, I'll prob hit the track one more time before that. And if I don't get a 15 flat or better, I won't be running on Import Warz. The lines would be too long for me to waste my time.

Really, what I need to work on is not smoking my tires when I launch. I'm not sure if that's a matter of getting the car rolling before I go WOP, or if I just need a lower launch rpm.

on the street, I can get her rolling with a mild chirp by revving to 4k, then (as I let the clutch out and give her a little gas) she'll drop to about 3200. This is what I had PLANNED on doing at the track. But, as I said, the track just got my blood going and I was jonesin to stomp on the gas, so I didn't let it get rolling before stomping.

Any advice?

 

[StyleTEG]

Sounds like what you do on the street is a good plan. Most people report that feathering the clutch tends to work better than dumping it and spinning the tires.

 

[dvcooke]

Oh, and if I don't run at Import Warz, and y'all are interested in takin my ride to the track...well, I'll give it up to the highest bidder! (j/k)

 

[JustinKlemgold]

Was the ride any louder on the way there since the interior was gutted? How much weight do you think you took out? Do you think it was worth it. I, too, am considering going to the track soon and wanted to get your opinion.

 

[dvcooke]

I figure I took out about 40 to 60 lbs. The oNLY reason that I have that estimate is because I carried it all into my bedroom. How much did that impact my time? I have no idea...my times weren't good enough to use as a judge. The car did FEEL faster when I was cruisin around town (i.e. Not freakin at the start light), but I have no evidence of it.

As far as sound, YES! I heard a lot more wind and all the creaks of the rear wheel wells. As far as the stereo, the rear speakers lost a lot of sound, because the soud wasn't reflecting off of the seats. Instead, it was lost in the windy cave that was my trunk.

Will I do it again? You bet! It took me less than an hour to take it all apart, and today, it took less than an hour to put it all back together. It's like dressing appropriately...When you have a wedding to go to, you wear a suit. When you have a volley ball game, you wear shorts. If you race your car, why have a back seat?

 

[SurferX]

Track + Michelin XGT V4 = ouch

Don't worry man, you'll do better next time. A tire upgrade alone would drop a couple tenths easily. Your trap speeds show you have the acceleration ability to be well into 14's easily so work on those launches and for gods sakes get some decent tires haha.

 

[ati2ude]

Hehe! I didn't think that ANY part of New Hampshire was at sea level! The only reasons I've ever gone to New Hampshire are to climb mountains (and get to Maine or Canada), so I just assumed some altitude.

As far as Import Warz, I'll prob hit the track one more time before that. And if I don't get a 15 flat or better, I won't be running on Import Warz. The lines would be too long for me to waste my time.

Really, what I need to work on is not smoking my tires when I launch. I'm not sure if that's a matter of getting the car rolling before I go WOP, or if I just need a lower launch rpm.

on the street, I can get her rolling with a mild chirp by revving to 4k, then (as I let the clutch out and give her a little gas) she'll drop to about 3200. This is what I had PLANNED on doing at the track. But, as I said, the track just got my blood going and I was jonesin to stomp on the gas, so I didn't let it get rolling before stomping.

Any advice?

See you at Import Wars!!!!!!!!!