1st timer here went out to the track last night although I was only able to get one run in since it was kind of a last minuet decision. Well anyway 2003.5 AT Sedan, premium, sport, aero, 350Z tube + stillen air box, and 22"magnaflow resonator. Little over 1/4 tank of gas left, did not touch the tire pressures, and I did have my spare in the trunk still, so I believe there would of been some improvement if I could of done more runs. Anyway here’s my time

R/T 1.450
60' 2.291
330 6.264
1/8 9.525
mph 75.27
1000 12.336
1/4 14.697
mph 95.74

How did I do?

 

You can do much better with your reaction time (R/T). A perfect R/T is .500 second. The yellow lights flash .500-second apart. You need to GO just *before* the the last yellow light flashes. Or even sooner. Get into the rythm of the lights. Anticipate. Monitor your R/T after every run so you can tell what you need to do differently on the next run. If you *never* get a red light, you are not being aggressive enough at the line!

The 60' time is probably close to the best you can do with the A/T. Try to get it closer to 2.000 seconds: With your left foot on the brake, modulate the gas pedal with your right foot just enough to raise the RPMs to 1500-2000. When it's time to GO, quickly lift your left foot off the brake and *then* hit the gas hard with your right foot. Make this transition as quickly as you can with no overlap. If there is any overlap between left foot on brake and right foot on gas, your car may stutter.

Your 1/4-mile time is a little slow, but you know that already. Were you at altitude? Higher altitude causes slower times. Keep your engine cool. Lighten ship. Shift manually for faster shifts. You do not need to release air from your tires if you have no traction issues. In fact, you may want to *increase* tire pressure to the stated maximum on the front tires so they will roll easier.

There are all kinds of "tricks" you can try to get another tenth here and another tenth there. Have fun while you learn. Just keep in mind that almost everything you do to go faster will also put more wear & tear on your car and its components. In time, components wear out. Racing will make them wear out sooner. Be safe: Wear a helmet.

'03 G35 5AT Sedan, Garnet Fire/Willow
Staggered 18" SSR GT1/Bridgestone PP S03's
Eibach Springs & Anti-Sway, Stillen 2-pc B Brakes
Stillen SS Cat-Back Dual Exhaust System

 

Thanks for your reply, one reason why my RT was pretty slow was because I was using the corvette that raced next to me as a guide since it was my 1st time, he had a 1.412 RT. From what I understood the RT does not affect your ET and MPH right? I did use manumatic to shift and my shifts were usually around 6600-6750rpm which might have been a little too high. Also I launch at around 1800-2000rpm, I think I had a bit too much pressure on the brake pedal though. I had VDC off and my slip light came on but I’m pretty sure it didn’t brake the car. Weather was quite nice around 57 degrees and sea level, I’m in Florida. Next time I hope with more practice my goal will be 14.5X @ 96.X that should be doable right?

 

Your RT does not in any way affect your other times so just ignore it unless you are bracket racing.

For an auto sedan those times don't look bad if you ask me.

Even with VDC off the slip light will come on if you're slipping.

--Steve

 

NOT BAD I RAN A 15.1 WITH MY 04 AUTO SEDAN

04 G35 Sedan Blk/Blk
Nissan Badges
Tein S Tech

198028-IM000218.JPG

 

yes but didn't you say in your post that the 15.1 is pretty much 14.5 once you factor in your altitude?

 

I think you will learn something new about racing the 1/4-mile everytime you run it. Your times will gradually diminish as you gain experience; however, your times will plateau as you reach the point where it's the "best your car can do" without further modifications. New mods will start you down toward the next plateau. Your increasing experience, and a healthy budget, will hasten your ET improvements.

Your R/T does not affect your ET. If you're only racing against the clock, don't worry about your R/T. If you're racing another car, though, you could lose the race to a slower competitor if he leaves you at the line. Stated another way, you can beat faster cars if you have a better R/T. Have fun. Be safe.

'03 G35 5AT Sedan, Garnet Fire/Willow
Staggered 18" SSR GT1/Bridgestone PP S03's
Eibach Springs & Anti-Sway, Stillen 2-pc B Brakes
Stillen SS Cat-Back Dual Exhaust System

 

I think you did great for the first time out! You only made one pass, I'm sure you could've improved your times. Another suggestion would be to stage shallow. That's where you just barely break the second beam with your front tires.

Good Luck!

2003 G35 Sedan 6MT
14.35 @ 98.62

 

Thanks for posting.

BTW, Bullseye, at our track here in the Houston area, they have gone to a new NHRA system where a perfect reaction time is now "0". Might want to check your track.

 

for straight line times, the biggest improvement you can make in a G35 is in the driver, the next is the tires. you can probably be down around 14.1 once YOU get good and then with some sticky tires, a 2.0 60 foot will be likely

Better Life thru Chemistry
Black on Black 03.5 Sedan 6MT - Custom Catback, Custom Intake Tube, HyperGround Kit