hey everyone, I am taking my car to the track tomorrow, and i was wondering how i should prepare?

1/4 MILE!!

Would it help if i took out the spare or would it be better for the extra weight in the back for traction?

What psi should my tires be at?

Is there anything else i can do to prepare my ride? i just have a cold air intake...

PLEASE REPLY SOON! NEED TO KNOW FOR TOMORROW!'

THANKS!!

 

Ehh...just take it how it is. Then go back later and do the adjustments and see if you notice a difference. On my other cars i did all that stuff, remove spare, jack..etc, lower tire pressure and I didn't notice jack from when I went regular.

How much does gas weigh? that could help you out some if you are low on gas.

 

thanks alot!

ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT HELP??????

someone told me to wash the tread of my tires with dishwashing soap before i go, and by the time i get there it will look like it is all off but some would still be on them and it would let it grip better...sounds like BS, let me kno!

 

bring your psi down to 30 and don't brake torque off the line...you'll lose time that way....also, take off on the 3rd yellow, not the green...trust me. Good luck and be safe...also, be sure to bring your psi back up to 40 when you're finished.

 

I def agree with Randy on this.

Also, I weighed my car and determined that I was a little lighter in the rear. Leaving the tire in could actually help in some cases. You need to experiment, and FORTUNATELY, that can only occur with multiple trips the track

Run hi-octane gas. If you granny it around town do a quick ECU reset (as long as you do not have an aftermarket stereo sys with a capacitor...) remove both cables from the btty, touch them together then take the car for a spirited drive.

Remember, you are running 19's, so don't expect your 60' to be super impressive, which will affect your 1/4 time

cheers, ted

 

thanks a lot guys!

so tires= 30 psi
brake torque= no
ecu reset= yes

GOING IN AN HOUR AND A HALF! ANY MORE LAST MINUTE HELP!?

 

Well since its to late now, this forum could be sticked and changed into a sticky that has valuble information on how to prep for the track. Here are some other pointers to prep for the track.

Try to have 1/4 of a tank left, that should be enough for you to go down the track a couple of times and still get to the gas station. This should help your car stay light.

Look into taking out rear seats and passenger seat if possible.

Take out spare and unnessary added weight that you really don't have to have in your car when going down the track. Books, case of cds, etc.

If you have street tires, do a dry burnout (NEVER DO A BURNOUT ON STREET TIRES IN THE WATER PIT) you will ruin your tires a lot more quickly than doing a dry burnout when you are staging, unless you have drag radials or slicks, then do a burnout in the water pit. Go around the pit if you plan on not doing a burnout in the pit.

Practice your launches, a good launch is key to getting a good time

If you plan on breaking into the 13s, bring a helmet, tracks requires a helmet for any car that is in the 13s. Roll cage if car is capable of doing 11.99 or faster.

Wear proper attire, pants are a must, and if the track requires long sleeve wear one, if not then short sleeve shirt would work, no wife beaters, tang tops, or cutoff shirts. Wear something you plan on getting dirty and stinky cuz you might need to get on your knees to take a look at your car or someone elses.

When taking stuff out of your car, avoid bringing valuable items to the track that people might want to steal, leave them at home ie: subwoofers, amps, case of cds, dvds, etc.

If you are bringing someone along to watch, make sure you they don't mind watcing from the sidelines, or else your track day will come to a close a litter earlier than expected.

No big heavy rims. The heavier the rims are, the more the engine has to work to spin them which mean slower times.

I could say more, but I know other will fill in with other track prep pointers.

 

Bring bags of ice with you to the track, and set them on top of your motor between every run, so your motor would be cool, to get better times.

Remove, engine cover, to let all the heat escape.

Thats the only other two I can think of..

 

thanks alot, this should become a sticky...

i dont think its too late because i will be going next week too...

MORE POINTERS!
I was VERY disappointed...14.8 was the time...is it cuz the 19's? i thought volks were light! or is it because the damn automatic? i was shifting with the tiptronic at the perfect rpm's, taking off good...WHATS WRONG!?!?!?

HELP MORE PLEASE!! THANKS TO THE PEOPLE THAT ALREADY DID AND TO THE OTHERS IN ADVANCE!

 

Hmm..... I ran a 14.4 without a spare, maybe if you change your rears to the stock 17s.. or better yet some drag radials, that will improve your time..

 

hmm...well my stock rims were the 18's, but the tires on the back ones are gone...

would it be okay to put the stock front rims in the back and the stock back rims in the front?...same size wheel, but 245s on fronts and 255's on backs...OK to switch?

MORE SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!

 

1. Long pants(shorts are not allowed)
2. Battery tie down(this is a must-check with local track rules)
3. Low tank of gas(weight savings)
4. Eliminate extra weight(spare tire, jack, etc...)every 100lbs is 1/10 in 1/4 mile
5. Lower tire pressure for better traction.
6. Helmet if you run 13.9 or faster(check with local track rules)
7. Leave on the third yellow and not green

These are the basics you will need to know. Have fun!

 

It's funny but out here in Vegas they have eliminated the real drag tree and are using stop lights instead! This is to appeal to street racers who are "used" to using stop lights. What a crock. It makes it kind of hard to launch properly if all you have is a "red-to-green" light change. The last time I was at the track, there were a ton of bad starts because there's no way that you can properly prep yourself without the tree. Thanks "Fast and the Furious!" I'm going to try it later this month (I was a spectator for the first event this year.)