My Tips for Drag Racing.

**Elimin8tor Z28** · 03-20-2008, 07:26 PM

1. Always wear a helmet, even if your car is slower than the 13.99 rule.

2. You don’t have to remove your jack and spare tire before each run. That is not enough weight to do anything. It’s just more work.

3. You don’t have to redline your car every five seconds in the staging lanes like the ricers do. That just heats up your car more, and stresses the engine.

4. If your worried about saving weight just run a quarter or less of a tank of gas. Stripping the whole interior out of a street car and making it look terrible is not necessary.

5. Removing your air filter doesn’t help, and you risk sucking up a pebble or something that can damage your MAF sensor or get sucked into the engine.

6. Push your car thru the staging lanes with the hood open, and it will cool off faster. Putting ice on the newer cars intake is sometimes a bad idea, because when it melts the water can mess up any of the wiring or computer wiring, or sensors around it.

7. I keep the front tires at 40 PSI. That way they have less rolling resistance going down the track. But don’t fill them too high.

8. Go around the water box. You don’t want to get your front tires wet, because you’ll pull water to the starting line.

9. When you do your burnout, don’t burn out directly in the water box. That will spin water up into your quarter panels, and the water will drip onto your tires at the starting line causing you to spin.

10. You want to go around the water box, then back your rear tires into the water, then pull out of the water about 2 feet, and do a burnout until you see some smoke, and then make sure to pull the burnout out a few feet so there is no rubber buildup on your tires because that will make you spin also.

11. You don’t have to burn out street tires. Just go around the water, and give them a quick spin to clean them off.

12. “John Force style” burnouts are not necessary, unless you have a full out race car.

13. Stage the car quickly so the drag radials don’t cool off too much, and go on the third yellow light.
By the time you react and go on the third yellow light, the light will be green.

14. If go over the staging beam and back up the car, make sure to put it back into Drive.

15. If you start to lose control of the car, and gain control again just stay out of it. I’ve seen some who keep losing control and getting back on it and end up hitting the wall or the driver next to you. After you lose it the run isn’t going to be a great time anyway, you always have the next run. Safety First!

16. DO NOT turn around at the end of the track. Turn off onto the Return Road.

17. Don’t show off (speed) on your way back to the staging lanes, or on the return road, or in the parking area, or even on the way out. People might be backing there cars out of there trailer, and they can’t see you. There also might be someone backing up there motorcycle, and they can’t see you, and you could seriously injure them. There’s also kids at the track. Keep the speed on the TRACK.

18. Don’t talk crap to anyone, or make fun of anybody’s car. There’s ALWAYS somebody faster than you. Just go to have FUN and to RACE.

**fluke** · 03-20-2008, 07:31 PM

Great writeup! Thanks!

**jujofields** · 03-20-2008, 07:52 PM

+1 on that! Excellent job with this writeup!

**Firebirdjones** · 03-21-2008, 10:04 AM

Thats cool,,,,just some tidbits that might help,,,,,,,,,

On #6,,,,,I use a large plastic ziplock bag,,,,so you don't have to worry about water all over the engine.

I don't worry about the wiring so much,,,but what does cause a problem is puddles of water sitting on or around the engine,,,,then when you are staging the car and you hit the brakes,,,or when you come out of the water box and stop,,,,,,that water runs off and hits the ground,,,then the starting line tech thinks you are leaking something and motions you off the track,,,,,the plastic bag trick will eliminate this issue.

On #7,,,,,,40 lbs. of air isn't that much,,,I run much more than that at the track, short birsts 1/4 mile at a time has no ill affects,,,,,,just have to make sure I air them back down before the car hits the street again. The less rolling resistance the better...
When I was racing in Factory Stock Muscle Car drags,,,,it wasn't uncommon to see people pumping the front tires as high as 55 lbs.

**ss~zoso~ss** · 03-21-2008, 10:20 AM

good advice man, enjoyed the read. some of these things ive never thought of, i'm actually thinking about going to the track this summer

**RacerBob** · 03-25-2008, 06:55 AM

Nice write up! It's refreshing to see someone promoting safety & common courtesy.

All very nice points except for #11. Last year I was running on street tires (P245/50R16 Goodyear Eagle HP). My car required no burnout and had consistant 60' times. After a couple of free mods (including removing the MAF screen and porting it), I was forced to do a serious burn out or face massive wheel spin. My tires love the heat.

**Firebirdjones** · 03-25-2008, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by RacerBob

Nice write up! It's refreshing to see someone promoting safety & common courtesy.

All very nice points except for #11. Last year I was running on street tires (P245/50R16 Goodyear Eagle HP). My car required no burnout and had consistant 60' times. After a couple of free mods (including removing the MAF screen and porting it), I was forced to do a serious burn out or face massive wheel spin. My tires love the heat.

Yep,,,alot of it depends on the type of tires you run and how well the track surface is prepped. Then you can get more technical from there like DA readings and how they affect HP and your tuneup.