First time at track with 5 speed, ran 14.84 @ 92.85

*95maxrider* · 11-09-2003, 12:06 PM

Today was my first time to the track driving my I30 5 speed. I was hoping to get about a 14.7-14.9, and my best run turned out to be 14.84 at 92.85. My best trap speed of the day was 93.22 on a 15.1 run, and oddly enough, I also ran a 15.5 at 92.2! My times are obviously all over the place.....
2.14- 4.89 at 92.85
2.20- 14.90 at 93.12
2.30- 15.03 at 92.93 I drove through the water and my tires were kind of wet, plus I had the spare still in my trunk.
2.44- 15.18 at 93.22
2.31- 15.47 at 89.29 Drove through water again, and still had spare.
2.43- 15.59 at 92.26 I got distracted by a Camaro that ran a 9.xx and spun 1st gear up to like 5500 rpm....

Race weight without me in the car was about 3120. I took out my subs, spare + jack (unless noted) and the floor mats. Race temperature was around 50, with lots of sun. I ran at MIR in southern Maryland, which I gotta say is an awesome track. Front tire pressure was 24 PSI. Tired to launch around 3000 rpm. I stayed in 3rd gear too.

What information can you guys get out of my times about my driving technique? I know my 1-2 shift could be faster for one thing, plus, my tach is kind of broken right now, and it's about 1000 rpm high, so I'm never positive where I am when I'm high in the gear. What would explain me having about the same trap speed on 15.59 and 15.03 runs?

I'm having some problems with my car right now that I talk about in THIS thread. Maybe it could shed some light on things....

I hope to go back to the track next weekend before it closes for the season. I'm happy with my times, I just need to get consistant 14.8's. Next weekend I might take out the back seat, and I may try to take out the passenger seat.

BTW, I beat 2 modded GSR's, and a ~95 V8 Thunderbird. Otherwise I was getting crushed by trailer queens. Oh yea, I got new 17x8" Enkei RPM2 wheels with some Kumho Ecsta (I think) tires. I got them from Louie (SLCI30t) with very few miles on the combo. The rims are supposed to weigh 16.8 pounds

I was going through my slips, and I figured out that I gained 19.xx mph between the 1/8 and end of the 1/4 on all runs except one, where I gained 20.96 mph. Are these speeds about normal? Can anybody explain why I got a 15.59 @ 92.26? The trap seems pretty damn high for the ET. My lack on consistancy shows I'm a drag

. Time to go back next weekend before they close for the season.

Gears & Crosses · 11-21-2003, 10:31 PM

I'm not necessarily an expert but I might be able to shed some light.
Your 1/4 mile MPH is more of a function of the horsepower that your engine is making. Since your not making any engine changes it will be somewhat consistant. Some things that will affect the MPH are shift points, what gear you are in as you go through the traps, the amount of engine cool down between laps, weather conditions and changes in vehicle weight. There are more but this is a start.

Your 1/4 mile speed will tell you how well your engine is performing and about how fast you could be. The rest is up to the driver and car setup. What you should focus on is your 60' time. Ninety% of the time, your best run will be the run with the best 60'. The first 60' are crucial so don't under estimate it. I don't own a 5-speed Maxima so I can't tell you exactly how to launch, but I have read about others on this site. If I remember correctly, they launch at about 1000 RPM and get the car rolling and then nail the gas after a couple of feet. I don't think these guys had a VLSD though, so you will have to play with it.

By the way a 2.14 sec 60' is good for a FWD car.
Any 5-speed guys want to help out?

I hope this helps,
Gears

Ferbs02SMMax · 11-21-2003, 11:24 PM

The old adage about every tenth off your 60' resulting in a decrease of two tenths of your e.t. is really apparent by analyzing your numbers. GREAT 60' times on your best two runs. Your traps are all inline, so it all comes down to nailing a good launch and shifting well.

I cant comment on coming out of hole, since I have an Auto, but with your traps, you shouldn't even be in the 15's.

Drag racing can certainly become a bad habit

*BEJAY1* · 11-22-2003, 09:11 AM

Staying in 3rd gear usually gets a .1 lower time but going to 4th gets faster traps. You said you always stayed in 3rd so that's not the difference.

Like everybody said it's the 60' times that change the ET's, and your consistant power equalizes the trap speeds.

That one 2.14 launch is nice - that's about a 42lb tire/wheel combo you're running. You've got a little more top end power than I (I gain 18mph on the last 1/8). Next time try both 3rd & 4th gear at the end to compare times & speeds.

HondaV6 · 11-23-2003, 05:19 PM

Nice time man. What did you run stock?

TheMax95 · 11-23-2003, 06:06 PM

At first I thought you ran those times stock. That would be sick as hell if you ran a 14.8 bone stock. But you got a ypipe and intake just like me. I ran a 14.762 @92.5 with a 2.282 60' and I can tell you from experience, to get that time I had to shift so quick and hard that it's almost a risk. I've missed 3rd and 4rth once and it's not fun, esspecially when you're about to cross the line. So if you use that "every .1 off the 60' = .2 off the 1/4" theory, which is pretty acurate most of the time, I would've run a 14.5xx with your 60' time.

I'm not saying to go rip on your tranny but if you really really want your time to go down, you have to shift quicker. Good luck
-Paul

*95maxrider* · 11-24-2003, 11:10 AM

Yea, I wish I were stock right now. I never got to go to the track when I was stock. I realized after I left the track that my shifts could have been quicker...but it was too late to do anything. I'm really anxious to go to the track when it opens next year with some more weight reduction, quicker shifts, and a working ECU.

I missed 2nd once or twice, but I don't think I missed 3rd.