Pat's 20 step Drag Racing

[Buccanoles]

Pat, On DP a few years ago, you posted these 20 things to do at the track. Is there anything you would add or delete to the list? I'm going racing for the 1st time next weekend.

1) Turn on Tow Haul
2) Turn on 4WD HIGH
3) Drive around the water
4) Creep up in a perfectly straight line centered in the rubber stains.
5) Trip top prestage light, but not the second prestage light.
6) Wait for the other guy to trip their top prestage, if they have not already.
7) Spool up to 2100rpm by holding the brake down hard and giving it some fuel.
8) Keep your throttle foot in the same position, but ease the brake to creep forward.
9) Creep until you light the second prestage and hold the brake. Stay at 2100.
10) Stare HARD at the 3rd yellow. Nothing else in the universe exists. Try to turn it on with your mind.
11) The INSTANT the third yellow comes on, mat the throttle, and release the brake.
12) If it goes into wheelhop, back down to 1/2 throttle and nail it again. On the next pass leave at 100rpm less. If it bogs, go up 100rpm.
13) Watch your gauges. Watch loose crap fly around the cabin.
14) At half track push 2WD so you don't forget. It will not disengage until you lift.
15) Keep the pedal buried until you are past the last set of beams. You have plenty of room, so it's better to stay in it than lift too early.
16) Hit the brakes, reduce your speed down to 20mph.
17) The driver that is in the lane where the turnout roads are has RIGHT OF WAY. If you are not in that lane, wait for them to turn out. DO NOT CROSS ACROSS ANOTHER RACER'S LANE UNLESS YOU KNOW THEY HAVE LEFT THE TRACK!!
18) Drive slow on the return road. This does 2 things. It keeps you from getting banned from the track, and it cools your turbo.
19) Pick up your slip and stick it in your console. Do not read it while driving.
20) Rinse and repeat.

 

[S Phinney]

Sounds about right John. If you have gauges though you us the boost instead of rpm's. On the 31'st they will be having a diesel event in Cottonwood, AL. It is a 1/8th mile track. I plan on going to that event along with several others from our area.

 

[MadMaxx61]

New step 1 Setup EFI to log pass.

And add step 22 look at log and check for codes (and make changes if need be)

 

[Buccanoles]

Sounds about right John. If you have gauges though you us the boost instead of rpm's. On the 31'st they will be having a diesel event in Cottonwood, AL. It is a 1/8th mile track. I plan on going to that event along with several others from our area.

No gauges yet Shane. Put me down for the Cottonwood race. Let me know if you want to go to SGMP, I'll put you on the list.

 

[MarkBroviak]

That is a great list and I would agree with the EFILive scan/log input to the list.

 

[S Phinney]

No gauges yet Shane. Put me down for the Cottonwood race. Let me know if you want to go to SGMP, I'll put you on the list.

Next weekend I will be celebrating my anniversary so I won't be able to make SGMP. Let me know how the truck runs.

 

[[email protected]]

Im in Tallahassee, where is there a drag strip?

 

[Subman]

A couple of things I'd add to this, mostly pre race, one is lower T-bars all the way down, two air down your tires, three invest in a second TCM just for drag racing and install it prior to racing. If you use your regular TCM and just switch to tow haul, thats fine if you never tow anything. If you do and use tow haul you will have a poor shifting tranny till it relearns. I also invest in a co-pilot. I assuming you have a built tranny of some type already. Also rear spring clamps, really only need to clamp the fronts. I leave mine on my daily driver, I think it rides better. If you clamp the back of the springs as well, it will ride very rough if you leave them on for daily use. If you are hot lapping fill a hand held garden sprayer with water and spray off your inner cooler between rounds, it will make a difference. As far as launch boost/RPM you need to play with that until you figure out what gives you your best 60 foot time.

 

[wikdlmm]

Is there a need to lower t bars on my 2wd?

 

[Mike]

Is there a need to lower t bars on my 2wd?

If you can lower the front to decrease frontal square feet/inches drag, heck yes. But I bet it will look as funny as mine has looked all month... :rofl:

 

[S Phinney]

Im in Tallahassee, where is there a drag strip?

SGMP is in Valdosta, GA. There is Breakaway in Fountain, Fl. Cottonwood is near Dothan, Al. I hear they are going to try to have a diesel event every month at Cottonwood. The first event is on the 31st of July. Payout is suppose to be good also.

 

[McRat]

Boy, I wonder how old that list is???

It certainly covers the basics. But here is some others:

If they don't let you drive around the water, go through the water, put it in 2wd, then do a burnout in 3rd to get at least some of the water off the tires. Put it back in 4x4 and Drive, then stage.

Turn off your A/C. Make sure your truck has no leaks, mud that can fall off, or objects in the bed. Always race with windows up.

If something goes wrong, please pull off to the side as far as you can and stop to check it out and make sure you aren't leaking. If there are no leaks, proceed down to the end of the track if possible.

As far as spraying the intercooler, it's a good idea IF YOU AREN'T STILL DRIPPING when it's time to run. Dripping anything on the track is a big no-no, and can get you the boot.

 

[TheBac]

Turn the A/C off 1/2hr before you get to track. Yeah, its a PITA, but the A/C drips a lot of moisture out after its shut off.

 

[whitetrash21]

Turn the A/C off 1/2hr before you get to track. Yeah, its a PITA, but the A/C drips a lot of moisture out after its shut off.

Only back in your humid ass climates ... Out here, our AC evaps dont even know what water is. :rofl:

It is a good thought though. What about PCV reroutes. Anybody get oil out of those?? Or not enough to worry about?

 

[TheBac]

Only back in your humid ass climates ... Out here, our AC evaps dont even know what water is. :rofl:

It is a good thought though. What about PCV reroutes. Anybody get oil out of those?? Or not enough to worry about?

yeah, we dont have tumbleweeds in Michigan. :rofl:

Been in Vegas in January before....I know where you're coming from. Cant even imagine it in August.


How many of you wash your truck before you go to the track? I do.

 

[Subman]

Good points about the ac and pull to the side of the track if you break or thing you break something. Two weeks ago at Firebird in Boise some nit wit in a front engine dragster no less blew his tranny and oiled the track for 1/2 a mile, never did pull over. Took almost 2 hours to clean up. They said it was the worst oil down in 15 years.

Haven't been to a track where they wouldn't let you drive around the water box yet. Worst place I ever saw for a wet track was when we were at the Trucking for Kids event in Fontana in 2006, big rigs pulled through the water box and then spread water down the strip for a 100 feet. No traction at all and I opened up the side of my truck like a can opener when I was trying to get around one of those big rigs and I caught the side of my truck with the steel strut that held his mud flap that I couldn't see. I have asked them not to water the box so wide so we could get around it.

If you are racing in 4x4, I always engage after I get around the box and lined up. I back up a little just to make sure it goes in.

 

[Dozerboy]

I back up a little just to make sure it goes in.

I always wondered about that I took out the tcase in my old truck. Shortly after hitting the button and gunning it with the front tires on pavement and the rear in a ditch.

 

[TheBac]

17) The driver that is in the lane where the turnout roads are has RIGHT OF WAY. If you are not in that lane, wait for them to turn out. DO NOT CROSS ACROSS ANOTHER RACER'S LANE UNLESS YOU KNOW THEY HAVE LEFT THE TRACK!!

Tell you all a story about this from earlier this year.

During a TnT at Stanton in the spring, I got lined up with this hi-po car. I forget what it was now, I think a Camaro. Im inside, hes outside relative to the turnoffs at the end. He wheelstands on start and just flies way out ahead of me. At the 330, he's well ahead of me. No problems, right? Wrong.
He must have been doing a license run, because just past half-track, I notice Im catching him. He's about 3/4 track relative to me. Hes not smoking, not weaving, just slowing down. Hes got almost all of my attention now, all the while Im still racing down the 2nd half of the quarter. "What the hell is he doing?" was all I could think.

I had started to let off before the lights, instead of after like normal.....but hell, Im probably still doing right around 100mph. He's just past the lights as I come up on the line.

Stanton has an "early exit" for the Jr Dragsters. Its after the finish line about 1/4 of the way from the lights to the end of the track and main turnoff. This DUMB SOB TURNS LEFT directly in front of me to take that exit! Im on the brakes like nobody's business, and I actually STOP just after the finish line, just missing him. I ended up driving down to the main turnoff like a good racer. Was he broke? Nope. He drove it back to the pits, like nothing was wrong. He was just an asshole. All because he ASSUMED my truck was a slow-ass pig so he had time to cut in front of me. If I wouldnt have kept my eye on him the second part of the track, theres a good chance we'd have hit, and frankly, I wouldnt be here right now.

Now heres the infuriating part, something Ill kick myself for, esp if this asshole ever kills someone. I did nothing about it.
I didnt report him to the officials, didnt confront him in the pits. I should have. He should not be racing a hi-powered car if hes not smart enough to respect his fellow racers. I was so shocked, I didnt say anything except to the people I was with.

So, take it for what its worth.....never, ever, ever turn in front of the other guy. Dont ever assume you're "safely in front".

 

[BLACKDMAX]

Someone mentioned putting the truck back into 2WD at half track. Is that what everyone does or do some just leave it in 4X4 all the way down the track? Also how low should tire pressure be say on a 35inch tire haha! Thanks.

 

[Kat]

Someone mentioned putting the truck back into 2WD at half track. Is that what everyone does or do some just leave it in 4X4 all the way down the track? Also how low should tire pressure be say on a 35inch tire haha! Thanks.

The truck will not disengage from 4wd until you lift. So no need to switch until the pass is finished. Can't help you with the 35's though.