First off, please forgive me if I use incorrect terminology. Last night, a small group of us went to a local track again(Steele, Alabama 35987). Temps were about 75, and the humidity was predicted to be in the 95% range. I only got to run twice before they shut down the track for the night, so it was not the most fruitful of events.

Anyway, on the first run, I got a 14.8@94. On the second run, I disengaged the clutch before I could get the shifter into fourth; basically bounced out of the gate. So, I knew the second run was a waste. My time on the second run was another 14.8, but this time at 86mph.

The interesting thing is that when I compare the two slips, I had a better launch on the first run, by about 2 hundredths of a second. At the 330' mark, I was quicker on the second run by 3 hundredths. At the 1/8 mile mark, I was there by 1 tenth quicker than my first run, at 1mph faster. then I screwed the shift from 3rd to 4th, but I matched my first time of 14.8.

The point is that although my second launch was the worse of the two, all of the other metrics indicate that my second run was going to be a bit better. Yet the final times were the same because of the driver's shifting inability, but I was 8mph slower. So what does that 8mph mean? Is there any way of extrapolating what the run *should* have been? I would appreciate some guidance.

 

No, nothing terribly accurate. If your were .1 and 1mph faster in the 1/8, then it's safe to say your would have carried that improvement plus fractionally more by the end of the 1/4. If you did a 14.8@94mph the first run, then you probably would have hit a 14.7@95mph.

 

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Your trap speed is measured by a second set of trip sensors right after the time sensors. If you were to do a good launch and run but slam on the brakes 10 feet before the finish, your deceleration during the last 10 feet will only affect your time like .1sec but your speed will show as something much lower.

So in your second run that shows the 86mph, you probably either lifted on the throttle, braked too soon, or something happened to your car that caused it to slow down.