Just curious if we have any little quirks that we do for our cars, or for ourselves, to make the 1320 run consistent.
Here's some of mine.
- When getting ready to stage, all the windows are up (probably required) but I ALWAYS have my 'wing' windows open.
- At one time, I had an old pair of Nike tennis shoes - just for racing. However, now they're long gone.
- When classes are called, I won't be the FIRST in line.
- If I'm up against an open header car, I'll let him do his burnout first. (If we go together, I can't hear my car)
- Know my opponents dial. I need to know who leaves first!
- I pit in the same general location.
- Immediately after I presage, I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and make sure I'm ratcheted (sp?) into low.
- As a rule, once I'm at the track, I don't make changes to the car. I feel I come to the track to RUN the car, not WORK on the car.
Dragracing Superstitions
Moderators: MostMint, wxo, Fred32v, Basement Paul, ttamrettus
Dragracing Superstitions
-Mark
2012 Impala LT 3.6 VVTDI
300hp - a bit much for FWD!
2012 Impala LT 3.6 VVTDI
300hp - a bit much for FWD!
That was much of the joy of drag racing for me. The game really starts before you even fire up the engine, but it really gets critical during the burnout. Everything had to be a routine and nothing screwed me up more than something unexpected during the routine. A couple of things that I remember:
- I hated feeling rushed, so I would get in the car as soon as I saw an official heading toward my line. I had to have my helmet and safety belts done before pulling forward or I would start to panic.
- Ditto on the knowing the opponent's dial. Sometimes the signs weren't working and I couldn't see their window. That would also send me into panic. I often walked through staging between rounds reading the windows of the cars nearest to me and trying to remember the numbers.
- I usually tried to go first. I always wanted to be the car firing up at the end of the National Anthem, although this only happened on Wednesdays for me. I was always quickly into the line when classes were called.
- Except for that first race, I always tried to get my tires hot before the previous cars ran. That way I could practice a launch on their tree.
- I usually raced up to the first staging lights and then waited for the other car to get staged. My four wheel drum brakes, which probably only worked on the front, were a little questionable. I had the car creep bringing up the RPM's so I always made sure I was at 2500 before I finished staging. I pumped the brake pedal and inched into the second lights. This was the only way I could get any consistency on reaction time. I still remember racing a guy dialed at about 19.5. I sat there and waited for over 7 seconds trying to hold RPM and watch the tree. I ended up with less than a 0.1 RED light. I left almost half a second early when my mind finally just blanked out. I think this might be some kind of a record. I have seen people go over 1.0 sec on the reaction time clock, but I don't think I ever saw anyone under 0.4, let alone 0.1.
- I like the idea of checking the shifter, but that wasn't part of my routine. I once ran a race where I started in 2nd. I guess I had gotten to the point of shifting by feel, not tach, and I shifted to 3rd early on the track because it felt right. By this point I knew I had something wrong, but I stuck with it. The worst thing was that I caught the kid in the other lane who had like a 0.8 light and I shifted again, into neutral. I figured it out quickly, but still lost the race. DOH!
- Pit area wasn't too important to me. About the only routine I had there was fueling up between time trials and racing, but that was more out of necessity than superstition or routine.
- I hated feeling rushed, so I would get in the car as soon as I saw an official heading toward my line. I had to have my helmet and safety belts done before pulling forward or I would start to panic.
- Ditto on the knowing the opponent's dial. Sometimes the signs weren't working and I couldn't see their window. That would also send me into panic. I often walked through staging between rounds reading the windows of the cars nearest to me and trying to remember the numbers.
- I usually tried to go first. I always wanted to be the car firing up at the end of the National Anthem, although this only happened on Wednesdays for me. I was always quickly into the line when classes were called.
- Except for that first race, I always tried to get my tires hot before the previous cars ran. That way I could practice a launch on their tree.
- I usually raced up to the first staging lights and then waited for the other car to get staged. My four wheel drum brakes, which probably only worked on the front, were a little questionable. I had the car creep bringing up the RPM's so I always made sure I was at 2500 before I finished staging. I pumped the brake pedal and inched into the second lights. This was the only way I could get any consistency on reaction time. I still remember racing a guy dialed at about 19.5. I sat there and waited for over 7 seconds trying to hold RPM and watch the tree. I ended up with less than a 0.1 RED light. I left almost half a second early when my mind finally just blanked out. I think this might be some kind of a record. I have seen people go over 1.0 sec on the reaction time clock, but I don't think I ever saw anyone under 0.4, let alone 0.1.
- I like the idea of checking the shifter, but that wasn't part of my routine. I once ran a race where I started in 2nd. I guess I had gotten to the point of shifting by feel, not tach, and I shifted to 3rd early on the track because it felt right. By this point I knew I had something wrong, but I stuck with it. The worst thing was that I caught the kid in the other lane who had like a 0.8 light and I shifted again, into neutral. I figured it out quickly, but still lost the race. DOH!
- Pit area wasn't too important to me. About the only routine I had there was fueling up between time trials and racing, but that was more out of necessity than superstition or routine.
-
TireSmoker
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Hmm.. that's interesting, never heard of that before, but it makes good sense.AKROVER wrote:
- Except for that first race, I always tried to get my tires hot before the previous cars ran. That way I could practice a launch on their tree.
I too, hate feeling rushed. I also agree with Mark about not working on the car at the track.
I never fully-stage until the other guy is at least pre-staged.
I guess I don't have any real superstitions.
I also try to be the first one in line, or at least near the front. I think there is less idling (or less pushing the car) and less starting and shutting off the engine if I am near the front. I would also be closer in time to the last time the track was cleaned off. I also have less time to think about what I have to do, and the natural instinct to the tree is probably best. There is less likely to be delay meaning the car will not be cooling more requiring adjustment of the dial. Last but not least: if it does not start then I have a few minutes to work it out.
When staging I like to get to the lights first. This way I can avoid that quick drop they sometimes have. Obviously this is more important if I am slower or the dials are close.
When I first started racing I always used to listen to the same music on the way to the track - Diary of a Madman and Pyromania. I am not sure how that got started. I still like some rock or metal music on the way there.
I also try to be the first one in line, or at least near the front. I think there is less idling (or less pushing the car) and less starting and shutting off the engine if I am near the front. I would also be closer in time to the last time the track was cleaned off. I also have less time to think about what I have to do, and the natural instinct to the tree is probably best. There is less likely to be delay meaning the car will not be cooling more requiring adjustment of the dial. Last but not least: if it does not start then I have a few minutes to work it out.
When staging I like to get to the lights first. This way I can avoid that quick drop they sometimes have. Obviously this is more important if I am slower or the dials are close.
When I first started racing I always used to listen to the same music on the way to the track - Diary of a Madman and Pyromania. I am not sure how that got started. I still like some rock or metal music on the way there.
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
-BP[/quote]