What is a fair head start?

**Intrepidman** · 06-08-2009, 09:57 AM

I just got my 02 WS6 tuned...simple bolt ons like headers and intake with 315 rubber and a tune (A4 tranny, stock)

I'm wanting to give her a bit of a run but there isn't much in town. There's a 02 GT Mustang with gears, intake, and catback (5 speed) and an 07 GT (5 speed) more or less stock but they don't get out much....not really a challenge I doubt.

By far the biggest element in town is dumb kids with 4 bangers. I don't think any of them even have forced induction or spray and they mostly run civics, toyotas, and cavaliers. I figure I'll find a track and run a few of them just so I have something beside me when I try my car out. But how many lengths should I give a pimped out ricer on average so they can kinda come close and at least still see my taillights at the end of 1/4 mile.

I guess the best way to judge it would be to know what times they run (I can find out) and guess the lead I should give them....If I run 13.0 and they do 15.0 how many lenghts would that equate to?

**Orcus79** · 06-08-2009, 10:17 AM

Simple don't give a head start, I don't believe in that unless it is bracket racing wher there are real cars involved. If some you punk wants to talk smack, it heads up balls to the wall racing.

If they think they can beat me, then the should prove it with out any lengths, giving or asking for lengths is a cop out if you as me.

**Intrepidman** · 06-08-2009, 10:30 AM

Its hard to say if they'd race me heads up, they might just for the hell of it...but they aren't talking crap, they seem to know better.

I look at it like golf, good players give bad players handicaps so they can feel like they came close, that way they don't come out everyday knowing for absolute certain that they are going to lose....it gives them hope...false hope, but hope. LOL

**9T8W66** · 06-10-2009, 11:07 AM

When punks ask for lengths I tell them this isn't Pinks and it's not best 2 out of 3.
It's run what ya brung all out and that's it.

**Intrepidman** · 06-11-2009, 10:24 AM

Its pretty hard to convince a kid with a tuned up (but still NA) civic to run you straight up. Even harder to get him to put a bill or two on the outcome....he'd have to be a complete fool.

I figured the only way I'd get many guys like that (what there mostly is around here) to run me, would be to offer them a few lengths and hope that they were ignorant enough to think a few lengths would give them a chance.

But if I'm doing my math right I'm probably averaging 95mph or so for the last few seconds of a quarter mile which means I'm traveling around 140 feet per second....and I'd have to give almost 300 feet to a low 15s civic for it to catch my 13.0 WS6 LOL (Please correct me if my math is wrong)

So you see, now that I think about it I could try to talk them into running by promising them 2-4 lengths (which they would hopefully think was enough to let them have a chance) and then still run my WS6 fairly leasurely to beat them by a half car or so.