Going Fast

[cgarb]

Not exactly engine tech, but it is somewhat related to it. I'm asking for advice from others who have driven faster drag race vehicles. I got asked to wrench on and drive an older gentleman's car that is quite a bit faster than my own. 8.80's and the fastest ive been before is a 9.92, I'm doing everything right, getting the car recertified and getting my license. I just want to know from others if something should happen, the car gets out of shape, hear a loud bang or whatever what is the shut down procedure that would be the best. Shit happens fast at that speed so I want to try and be sure I do the right things. In my mind it should be lift, chutes, kill the ignition...what do others say? I know in comparison that 8.80's isn't that ultra fast for todays standards but its fast for me. Also, it is a top notch car too, no slapped together junk so I doubt I will have many issues, but it don't hurt to be prepared.

[Dave Koehler]

Rule 1: They don't give trophies to those that try to drive sideways. That is unless you are a Fuel Altered.
Rule 2: It's ok to lift. You likely just lost anyway.
Rule 3: If Equipped chutes is the first thing, especially if you don't know where you are. IF in doubt, chutes out.
Rule 4: Don't break the car by getting pissed or attempting to be a hero.

Other: Each second jump in ET seems like warp factor 3 the first or maybe the second pass.
The mind catches up and it will seem normal pretty soon.
Too many crashes happen when someone slams on the brakes at the big end attempting to win. Watch yourself and your equipment.

[steve cowan]

Drive into the chute before lifting off the gas pedal
The first couple of times feels strange because you're brain will tell you to lift throttle first, I have had a 8.50 car where the back of the car lifted off the ground because I didn't drive into the parachute.

Steve C

[cgarb]

Ok, that's what I'm asking for. Thanks, believe me no hero here, I couldn't afford to replace any of what's on that car. I just want to make safe passes and hopefully be competitive doing some local bracket racing. Its a better car than mine, I have won with my junk so this should be a plus for me. I didn't know to drive into the chutes, so I will keep that in mind if I do have trouble...chute first.

[grant6395]

Rule 1: They don't give trophies to those that try to drive sideways. That is unless you are a Fuel Altered.
Rule 2: It's ok to lift. You likely just lost anyway.
Rule 3: If Equipped chutes is the first thing, especially if you don't know where you are. IF in doubt, chutes out.
Rule 4: Don't break the car by getting pissed or attempting to be a hero.

Other: Each second jump in ET seems like warp factor 3 the first or maybe the second pass.
The mind catches up and it will seem normal pretty soon.
Too many crashes happen when someone slams on the brakes at the big end attempting to win. Watch yourself and your equipment.

Good advice right there^
I wish I took this advice before I was looking at the starting line , from the finish line at over 190 mph. Opened the chute and it tore a panel, lifted the chute high and picked up the back of the car. Couldn't do much.

[grant6395]

I forgot to mension that the chute may have been torn when I repacked it. I was in a hurry for the final round. I'm not sure. "Watch your equipment ". ... excellent advice.

[Dave Koehler]

Oh, yeah on that loud bang thing.
If it is followed by silence it's probably expensive.
Worst case scenario, oil on the ground.
Chute first if going fast.
If so and you are not sideways do NOT hit the binders.
If you do brake, a very light, test the waters touch is needed.
If it moves wrong, stop that.
If not going fast with plenty of real estate in front of you just coast down and over to the side if you are under control

I take it by now this might be a dragster, yes.
Sit in it all suited up and make laps in your head including phantom hitting the chute.
Leave the wire out of the chute so you can actually do the lever action.
Do this over and over until you can do it with your eyes shut.
Muscle memory is a good thing here.
You are good to go.

I may be different but I drive one handed. If there is shifting to be done, after that my arm/hand are near the chute lever.

If this is a RED one thing you will notice something that is odd and cool at the same time.
The faster you go, the further behind you the exhaust sound is.
It can get to the point you hear all the stuff moving around in the engine. That's a holy crap moment.
After a while you should know what sounds right and what is off.
If it is 'off" you might as well call it and see what is wrong. Rocker arm, spring, stuff like that.

Learn the vibration of the car. That can tell you a lot.

REDs require a light touch or small moves on the wheel. Jerk it like a heavy, short vehicle and it won't be pretty.

Don't jerk the brakes after the chute comes out. Gently Grasshopper. Diggers bounce and once started it's tricky to get them to settle down.

Which brings up a worst case, bad day scenrio. The chute falls off and you have to go for the sand trap.
Don't get all ugly on the brake. It will just bounce. Do what you have to do but try not to lock it up UNTIL your rear wheels hit the sand.
Then lock it up with all you have. If you do that it will bury itself... right now. Bounce your way into the pit and it will keep trying to bounce and the net is your last hope. If you can bury it all you have is a mess to clean up.

And swing wide at the turn off.

[cgarb]

No, not a long neck...lol. 69 AMX chassis car. I am not a total greenhorn, I have been drag racing since I was 15, I snuck a few months in under the radar before I got my drivers license. A touch over 21 years of racing now. I never had the ambition to get into a dragster. Just not for me I guess. Mainly a footbraker, but just recently got into box racing. I do appreciate the advice. Thank you.

[GARY C]

I have never run a chute but I was always told not to completely lift when running slicks because it can make the problem worse, I ran a nitrous car 1/8 mile, ET equivalent to a mid 9 second 1/4 mile set up. If it got out of shape I was quick to lift enough to disable the nitrous micro switch so about 3/4 throttle and drive it back into control, if it wants to change lanes then let it as long as your competitor is not beside you. In short don't fight it or over correct.

[steve cowan]

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this was my only real race car i have had back in 2005-2010
460BBC tunnel ram 2 x 750 carbs
powerglide 5000stall and brake
9 inch 3.9:1 gear 4 link etc
9.98 @ 135mph on motor
8.80-90s at 150 -152 mph on 300 shot single stage
i actually spent a few meetings deploying the chute prior to running the gas
i didnt drive into the chute first N20 pass 9.20 @ 142mph nearly wrecked
had to use the chute because car hard to stop at 150 and my track shutdown area is slightly down hill so that dont help much,
if its a proven car you will be fine,have fun and how cool is that to get drive a different car at the track.

steve c

[Dave Koehler]

Cowan, neat ride.

Well, if nothing else we have learned the importance and use of a parachute.
The main benefit is that the chute can pull you around back in line with the direction of movement.
It can give you enough time to sort out the next move.

The only time I saw a parachute cause a wreck was when Glidden crossed the line at Atlanta years ago.
A real strong crosswind pulled the car around the wrong way and he crunched it. Kind of a rare thing but it can happen.

It dismays me when I see a lot of chute equipped cars that never use them. Just stupid and the practice will thin the herd.
Depending on the brakes is a mistake. Chances are if the chute has not been out of the pack in a year it will fail to blossom.
It is usually to late if you go to the chutes if the brakes fail or you find yourself sliding in fluid. It's a tool. Use it.

The vast majority of us never see a national event track. Usually it is a 1960s era track with shutdown suitable for 1960s speed.
Risking it all on a short truck due to laziness is just mind boggling.

Repacking the chute is not a big deal.
If you have a chute equipped car there is a reason it is there. Use it every single time. No second guessing that way.

Though cost prohibitive on a purpose built drag car ABS on a 4 wheel brakes car might be a good thing?

Foot versus hand brake.
Years ago when I used my first automatic in a RED I installed a foot pedal brake. Seemed like the thing to do.
I was wrong. It is very hard to squeeze the trigger on a foot brake with mechanical binders.
Not much finesse there. The foot seems to over do it every time. No in between nothing and too much.
I switched it back to a hand brake a year later. Much easier to gentle touch it as needed. Don't know why, just is.
I have used the hand brake as a traction control every now and then. Think that one through.

[FC-Pilot]

Rule 1: They don't give trophies to those that try to drive sideways. That is unless you are a Fuel Altered.
Rule 2: It's ok to lift. You likely just lost anyway.
Rule 3: If Equipped chutes is the first thing, especially if you don't know where you are. IF in doubt, chutes out.
Rule 4: Don't break the car by getting pissed or attempting to be a hero.

Other: Each second jump in ET seems like warp factor 3 the first or maybe the second pass.
The mind catches up and it will seem normal pretty soon.
Too many crashes happen when someone slams on the brakes at the big end attempting to win. Watch yourself and your equipment.

Wise words. As a young driver (I was 18 at the time) I was just getting a hang of driving a Funnycar (naturally aspirated so not a killer rocket ship). I was making a single and within 100' the car moved out of the groove and I pedaled it and drove it back into the groove and finished the pass. Later that night I was talking with the track owner (a former altered driver) and he said I did a nice job of pedaling the car. He then kindly told me to never do it again. He told me that if you get out of shape that early in a run that you already lost and the car is not in a good position, and to not make a bad situation worse. He taught me that by lifting and coasting down the track I can always bring the car back around for another pass as well as myself. If I pushed it too far and smacked a wall or something then I really limited my options.

I have lost a number of rounds by heading those words, but I doubt I would have won then anyway due to the loss of traction anyway. But I did not have to go to the hospital or take the car home in pieces, and that is way more important.

Many have shared great info. As far as driving into the chutes, I like to pull them before the line, but if I don't feel them hit then I am not going to wait to get on the brakes. I have had them get tangled up, or caught in the wheelie bars where they never opened. Now I have screwed with people that I knew were fender racers, where I dialed slower than my time and pulled the chutes to hit 100' before the stripe. They break out every time. (But that is for another thread. LOL)

Paul

[GARY C]

There is a lot of Good Info for us all in the last 2 poets! Drag racing is all about consistency, you have to do everything in a matter of seconds!