[SUN RA KAT]

First Time at the Dragstrip in My Viper!

I was going for conquering the hard part - the launch. I waited in line almost 2 hours before I did my first run - too many cars & motorcycles there. I decided to do a launch at 1500 RPM and granny shift at 5000 RPM just to get a feel for doin' a drag, so my overall time and MPH weren't great for a Viper, but it was the fastest I've gone on a dragstrip. I let my Viper Tech do the next run because he is very experienced at drag racing and I wanted to compare launch times. And then the track closed because it got too late to run anymore - too crowded, but it was like a giant cruise-in, so it wasn't too bad waiting & talking and waiting & talking and waiting & talking...

My reaction time was the best I ever had - 1.553 sec., but needs improvement.

The 60 foot launch - me at 2.055 sec. - my Viper Tech at 2.026 - I'm amazed our 60 foots are so close - I must be doing something right. I am running my car on the Michelin tires it comes with instead of drag tires - Hey! It's a street Viper & I run it the way I drove it there and will drive it home when I'm done racing.

My run was 13.161 sec. at 109.46 MPH, granny-shifting at 5000 RPM.

Viper Tech's was 11.881 sec. at 123.62 MPH, shifting at 6000 RPM. His run was slowed way down by oil dry causing excessive spin in second gear where a car blew up a tranny part of the way down the track several cars previous to his run.

I probably will be going to another dragstrip tonight for test & tune - I was told that I will probably will make 5 runs in 2 hours instead of last night's 1 run and only 2 runs in 3 hours total. I will only do what I feel comfortable doing, but raising the performance each time as I get more experienced. Next week is Viper Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio and I want to not embarrass myself by letting Snake Bitten beat me.

 

[Snake Bitten]

Next week is Viper Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio and I want to not embarrass myself by letting Snake Bitten beat me.

This is inevitable...it shouldn't be too embarrassing for ya!

Can you get one more practice session in next Wednesday evening???

 

[SUN RA KAT]

The drag tracks around here only run test & tunes Thursday at KilKare and Friday at Edgewater - nothing Wednesday.

Besides, if I get anymore practice in, I will embarrass you at Norwalk instead of the other way around.

 

[King GTS]

Viper tech got an 11.88? That's pretty good. What was Brunton's time in a stock GTS?

 

[onerareviper]

King,

Kenny's GTS is far from stock. About 200 more RWHP with the Roe blower and other upgrades (600 RWHP). 11.8 would be an awesome time for a stock Viper, but not this one.... That being said, I'm sure a good driver could get this car into the high 10's (Street tires) on a good track. Other Roe blower cars that are making the same HP have gotten into the low 11's high 10's on street tires. Low - Mid 10's with drag tires.... 1TONY1 comes to mind....

Keep practicing....

 

[onerareviper]

Viperholics,

Here's how it's done on street tires. Low RPM launch - shifting around 5800 (give or take), and shift as fast as possible. Not me, but similar to my technique. /images/graemlins/headbang.gif

TURN UP THE VOLUME!!!

http://www.jeffhelms.com/images/events/vipervideo.mpg

 

[Toby]

Viperholics,

Here's how it's done on street tires. Low RPM launch - shifting around 5800 (give or take), and shift as fast as possible. Not me, but similar to my technique. /images/graemlins/headbang.gif

TURN UP THE VOLUME!!!

http://www.jeffhelms.com/images/events/vipervideo.mpg

cool video. Thanks.

 

[King GTS]

King,

Kenny's GTS is far from stock. About 200 more RWHP with the Roe blower and other upgrades (600 RWHP). 11.8 would be an awesome time for a stock Viper, but not this one.... That being said, I'm sure a good driver could get this car into the high 10's (Street tires) on a good track. Other Roe blower cars that are making the same HP have gotten into the low 11's high 10's on street tires. Low - Mid 10's with drag tires.... 1TONY1 comes to mind....

Keep practicing....

D'OH! I don't know what I was thinkin. It's in his signature plain as day. Thanks. [image]http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/otn/happy/merror.gif[/image]

 

[agentf1]

Not as easy as it looks...

 

[SUN RA KAT]

I'm going to http://www.edgewaterrace.com/ in a few minutes to work on improving the driver. The car has almost enough HP (some say too much HP), so if the track stays clean, it will all be up to the driver (me) improving, which should be easy from where I am now.

Snake Bitten wants to beat me fair and square at Norwalk next week, so he's given me some good tips on improving the driver so we will have a much closer race. Maybe next week he'll be sorry.

Or maybe not.

/images/graemlins/gr_driving3.gif

 

[Toby]

good luck Kenny....looks like it will be nice and cool tonight.

 

[SUN RA KAT]

2nd time at a dragstrip, this time at a dragstrip where I ran 7 times in less than 2 hours and I could have ran several more times in those 2 hours if I had wanted to, then I sat out for another 2 hours and watched everyone else run.

Here's what I found out -

I've got too much HP - I couldn't get traction the entire 1320 feet - 12.408 ET and 115.19 MPH was the best I could do tonight. I was still granny-shifting and if I would have shifted quicker, I probably would have run 11.4 ETs. This is with the factory stock Michelin tires at 29 psi - just the way I drive on the street. People with the same set up as me run 10.7 to 11.3 sec. ETs at 129-132 MPH - obviously they must have had better track conditions and they are also much better drivers than me. But I'm getting better.

My best reaction time was .688 seconds.

I got beat by a Neon SRT-4 that ran a 13.289 ET to my 13.144 ET. Then I looked at the time slip - my reaction time was .790 and his reaction time was .431 = Red Light for him. MPH was 99.63 vs. 112.59 and you can guess which one the Neon SRT4 got.

My best 60 foot time was 2.084. I had to drive through water which killed me from getting a sub-2 second 60 foot time. The guy with the water hose sprayed water accross the entire entrance to the staging area, so everyone had to drive though the water whether they wanted to or not. I tried to drive through the least wet part and do a quick run up to the staging lights to warm up the tires and get as much wetness off of my tires. On my last run I almost drifted into the center area I was losing so much traction in 2nd gear. I waited about 2 more hours after that run and I saw the track kept on getting more & more slippery, so I didn't do any more runs.

Snake Bitten e-mailed me some very helpfull hints on running better at the drags and I want to thank him.

/images/graemlins/gr_driving3.gif

 

[BigBossMGS]

Practice makes perfect. /images/graemlins/gr_driving3.gif

 

[Viperjohn]

Wow, those were some quick shifts in that ACR. I find it hard to believe it does not have a short throw shifter in it.

 

[V10 MOJO]

Kat; first of all, congrats on finally breakin that beast in,

ya gotta shift faster bro, you can granny but just do it quicker, and the RT is lookin much better (we gotta get you into the .5xx's). ive no doubt youll be in low 11's for norwalk.

AVOID that water box; drive round it, then haze up those tires a bit before going to stage, get all the traction you can

 

[J DAWG]

Kenny, it sounds like you know, but it will be very difficult to turn a time on Pilots. Put the air pressure down to 22 to 24 psi and heat them up NO WATER. /images/graemlins/gr_driving3.gif

1TONY1 ran a 10.9 on street tires, but he has thousands of combined passes down the 1/4(10.4 on et streets). However, if you ever want to get a good time you will need some tires to tame all that hp. I know I am not telling you anything you don't know, but if you want to help back up the delusional belief that yellow cars are faster than you better buy some tires. /images/graemlins/laughing.giflol.


Good luck in Norwalk and I wouldn't worry to much about SB, especially if he's hungover. /images/graemlins/puke.gif

 

[Snake Bitten]

Good luck in Norwalk and I wouldn't worry to much about SB, especially if he's hungover. /images/graemlins/puke.gif

Please tell me you are bringing your garage queen! I'm gunning for all the "little" guys...literally and figuratively!!! /images/graemlins/laughing.gif

 

[SUN RA KAT]

I couldn't believe the idiot with the water hose sprayed the entire staging lane entrance with water instead of a small patch right by him for the slicks cars.

 

[City]

Kenny...what's with the "too much HP"? At the drag strip that's just not a reality. You need to get it to the pavement, which CAN be done...albeit with much practice.

 

[Mister Bone]

I couldn't believe the idiot with the water hose sprayed the entire staging lane entrance with water instead of a small patch right by him for the slicks cars.

You see here is where us drag racers will disagree with you.

Going around the water box you bring all the dirt and shit into the launch pad. This makes it far worse then what little water will drip down on your tires. F'n ricers are good for this. issed:

Go thru the water and heat the damn rear tires up enough and what few drops fall on them will just evaporate. What few drops that get on the fronts should all drip off after you back up into place and then by the time you stage the car.

And I will say it again, if you really want to learn go to a school and practice, practice, practice. You will have so much fun learning you will not believe it.

Signed, former Super Comp Dragster owner :burn: