1/8 mile gear selections

[Speedster]

you can play with your roll out and try leaving the same each time. or if your track allows it you can deep stage and wait till the last yellow turns off? we have played with roll outs on our car with air pressure. just try and stage the same each time and leave at the same rpm.

[dirttracker]

I'm gonna try the deep stage deal had'nt thought of it but it is worth a try.When is y'alls next race.I'm gonna go next weekend and try out bracket racing and see how that goes.I'm very determined to get more consistent at the tree.Til next time catch you later!

[BracketNova]

You have a pro tree all the time? This will effect our advice. My advice applied to a full tree. The only time I've dealt with a pro tree is in my avatar pic. Cut a .211 with my golfcart. If you are using a full tree I think deepstaging would cause massive redlights.



There's a ba-jillian thing's that will effect your reaction times. Here are my top 10 things you need to do...

1.) I always over fill my slicks before I go up. I let the extra air out just before I get pulled up. Pay attention to the sun in relation to your slicks. If one sits in the sun for an hour and you head up to the lanes and now it's in the shade...the tire pressure will fall, or if it was in the shade and now it's in the sun it will go up.

2.) Do you check the air pressure in your FRONT tires...you should. You can use the front tire pressure to speed up or slow down how long it takes your car to rollout of the beams. But if the pressure is different week to week you have a hard time honing in on your "feel" of the lights. I set mine to 38 each time I show up to the track.

3.) Make sure you do your burnouts at the same rpm, same length of time, same gear everytime.

4.) Pay attention to your water temp. It needs to be the same as well. When reaction times get down to .00XX of a second, you bet a few ponies will make a difference from the water being hotter or colder.

5.) When you stage, turn the stage bulb on just barely. This is probably the most important thing I can mention. An extra inch here could mean a redlight for you! I will adjust my idle so my car barely moves in drive, to the point where just a light tap on the brakes will cause the car to stop and just creep into the beams. The real experts can make the stage bulb flicker(I've done it once or twice...but normally it's only the dragsters that can pull this off). It should also be mentioned that your carb should be tuned up as well. I think everyone will agree doing the two foot shuffle trying to keep your car idling results in stabing the brakes and lunging into the lights...which will get you crazy reaction times.

6.) Leave off the bottom yellow bulb or as close as you can. Ideally you want to stare at the bottom yellow bulb and react to it. My car reacted too quick to do that so I ended up watching all the lights and singing a song while they came down to fill the space between them (funny yes, but it worked). "ba-wing, ba-wing,ba-GAS!!!" you get the idea.

7.) You can also adjust how fast your car rolls out by raising or lowering your launch rpm. This is easily done with a two-step when using a tranny brake, but foot brakers can do it with a little practice.

8.) If you do have a tranny brake, you can get trick buttons that you can adjust to give you a little extra delay.

9.) Always stare at the same spot of the bulb. The bulb lights from the center. So, if you look at the center one pass and the edge another pass...

10.) The second most important thing is to clear your head and FOCUS. This comes with practice but by doing everything the same everytime, it will start to be second nature. You can then start clearing your head and stare at the bulb...worrying about nothing else.


Mastering these things will get you very competitive. They seem to work for me.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3600

[dirttracker]

I appreciate the info and I'm gonna try some and all of this info eventually.I'll keep y'all posted.THANKS.

[supernova]

We were at Denton last Friday night. Were you there?

[BracketNova]

Try to focus on a few things at a time and build to perfection. One thing I was always quilty of was trying to do/change too many things at once, get frazzled, and miss the bulb. not good. Work on a couple things till they feel natural then add a few more.

[dirttracker]

I was at northstar saturday night and I ran the 7.0 index ,did'nt last long.Red lighted and broke out with a 6.97.I plan on going this saturday and try bracket racing,but I've got a blown head gasket on right side but I've got it apart and going back together with it tonight and I'll finish it tomorrow evening when I get home from work. l

[BracketNova]

That stinks. You may like the bracket racing better for now. That shouldn't have a pro tree. I'd say 80% of the races I've won have been because of my lights, that's why I spend the most time perfecting them. Many people (I think) fail to do the math. It's pretty unusual for your car to run more than .02 off what you think it's going to (provided it is hooking and is running correctly). Mine is rarely off more than .01. But anyways we'll use the .02 example. If your opponent cuts a .040 light...all you have to do is cut a .019 or less and your golden, and that's assuming they have a perfect run =)

[dirttracker]

I got it back together sounds good,last week was the first time I experienced a pro tree tomorrow it's the regular multi-light tree.I knew this deal would'nt be easy if it was it would'nt be nearly as fun or rewarding when I DO FINALLY WIN.

[dirttracker]

Well I went sat. night and actually won my first round ,I dialed a 7.07 and ran a 7.072 with a .8025 reaction time but the next round the party was over because my reaction time went to 2.222 and I ran off my dial at a 7.14,but it.s a start,this was the first time I had to use the foot brake instead of the trans brake,the truck is faster on the trans brake but my reaction time is more consistent with the footbrake,at least I did,nt red light and the 2.222 was my worst reaction,other than this nothing broke and I looking forward to next week.I appreciate the input you all have provided and I keep practicing,what is it they say practice makes perfect,lol in my case maybe a little better.Thanks again!

[BracketNova]

Whats a perfect light at your track? At mine it's .0000, but there was a short period of a couple of years it was .500. There's .500 between each light. So, if .0000 is a perfect light at your track and you have been leaving on the last yellow...I'd be tempted to tell you to leave off the middle yellow - but that doesn't seem right.

What are your 60ft times? Are you spinning? Is your car coming up on RPMs cleanly?

If you are hooking and your not doing any fancy foot work to get your RPMs up I'd say your main objective is to focus on the bulb. Don't bother looking at your rpms, do it by listening. Don't bother looking at your water temp, just shoot for getting it in the waterbox 10-15° cooler then you want to leave at. I think this will be the biggest bang for your buck.

I'm sorry if I come off sounding like a know it all, I'm not. I'm just trying to walk you through all the steps I had to when I started...there's only so many times a year you get to try/practice. Just don't want you worrying about things that are 5% effective at this point and missing the things that are 50% effective.

[dirttracker]

spaz the light starts at .500 ,my 60 foot times were 1.53 to 1.58,I started just watching the light, and I don't take advice personal I appreciate the help and ideas,I helped lots of guys that got into dirttracking because that was my specialty.I enjoyed helping them and watching their progress ,in fact I got three phone calls sat.night from dirtrackers needing some advice while I was at the dragstrip.Imagine that!...........Thanks for the help it has actually helped me in many positive ways.

[BracketNova]

Ok, so your not soo far off at .8XXX. I would say try to anticipate the third light at this point.

Do you run slicks? Your 60s should be closer than that. Pay attention to trying to do your burnouts the same and putting your car "in the groove" when you pull up to the beams.

I have tips for circle track racers too...start drag racing!

And lastly, you can call me Greg

[BracketNova]

Re read your original post. What psi do you go with in your slicks?

[dirttracker]

I run 11.5wx29.5 hoosier do7 compound slicks and I've tried everythig from 9lbs down to 7lbs and I think 8lbs seem to work the best.I've been trying to watch my burnouts and keep them around 6000rpm per your suggestion of consistent burnouts and believe me everything you and others have suggested definitely helped.I've come along way in a short amount of time thanks to you Greg and others who have made suggestions,I spent 40 years perfecting driving a circle track car but I don't have 40 years to get this down so I'm just trying to do the best I can and have fun,of course winning is more fun, lol ,well I'll keep ya'll posted,THANS AGAIN
for your help!You can call me David.



















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