Well, I got two 1/4-mile runs in at the Friday Night Street Legal Series (local drag racing).
The first run was my...first run EVER! Everything happened way too fast and I was less nervous then I thought I would be - I was just pretty confused. Mercifully it was a solo run.
60...2.172s
330...6.014
1/8...9.112 @ 79.87 mph
1000...11.711
1/4...13.912 @ 102.06
Rear tires were 25 psi, front 30. I launched at 2000 rpm. Burned slightly in 1st, and a bit of 2nd gear. The rest of the run was pretty straightforward, shifting near orange/redline. Was thrilled to have broken 14 in my first-ever pass down a strip, but in the back of my mind I wanted way more. Like half a second quicker at least.
Second run: I buried a turbocharged Civic off the line but he reeled me in and beat me by a tenth and about 4 mph.
60...2.113s
330...6.074
1/8...9.232 @ 79.1
1000...11.861
1/4...14.072 @ 101.71
Rear tires were now 18 psi but my traction was even worse. I had the revs at 2000 rpm. My memories of this race are VERY nebulous. I can remember only some of the details. I remember thinking that I revved the car too much by accident before launching. I spun hard in 1st. Shifted into 2nd, again - spinning and bouncing off the rev limiter.
What really mystified me was the shift into 3rd. I swear I may have heard the limiter again. The car also felt as if it paused for a moment, then took off again. This gave the Civic the momentum to reel me in.
The closest seat-of-the-pants sensation I can compare it to is DSC kicking in, but it was certainly off.
I was highly suspicious of the clutch, but it seemed fine on the drive home. Plus, there was no clutch smell evident after the run. Oh well, that was enough.
To summarize:
- Glad I did it
- A bit worried about my clutch now
- Don't think I should have been shifting so high...plus, although my shifts were nice and quick & smooth, I guess I could have banged the gears way, way faster
- Will mark up my ET's to inexperience but was expecting at LEAST 105 through the traps.
I have a video of my 13.91. Any hosting out there?
Any feedback on my experience? Again, I know quicker depends on me mastering traction...but I am worried that the car isn't pulling the mid-100's I have consistently read about. Is that driver skill again?
Alps
P.S. Oh yeah. Sport Mode was on, and my RT's were over a second. The tree was malfunctioning for an hour or so, and when they fixed it, it was flashing pro-style (all yellows, then GREEN! No countdown. Felt like a deer in headlights.)
[This message has been edited by alpywhite (edited 26 May 2001).]
Linear Mode
