Long story about what a typical McRat family dragrace weekend is like.
Found a baby-sitter, threw the race tires on the car, packed an overnight bag, and headed to Carlsbad Raceway in beautiful Carlsbad California (just north of San Diego).
We got there before the gate opened which is 1pm. Chowed down a tasty submarine sandwich and we got in line.
Weather was 81 and very humid. Good! Typical day at Carlsbad. Pretty much year round. Shelled out our $34 (1 racecar = 10 bucks, each driver/spectator= 12ea), rolled up our windows and drove down long dirt road to the track. Thankfully they had recently graded it so the rain ruts were gone. Abandoned cars litter the desert area beside the road.
Carlsbad was a great track in the 1970's, but has not been maintained since. Huge pieces of asphault are missing out of what little pavement there is. The actual dragstrip has numerous 1" wide cracks in it with grass growing. Picture an abandoned road that has been let go for 30 years. The launch pad is concrete for 10 feet, or there wouldn't be a track left.
We get into lanes and prep the car: empty ashtray, lower tire pressure, check Fuzzy Dice alignment per mfr's tech sheet. The car still has all our luggage in it because we didn't check into the hotel yet. BTW - Avoid Fairfield Inn. Looks nice, but poorly managed.
They prep the track while we watch. Prep involves looking at the track, shaking their heads, and putting fresh water in the box. Then they tech us. Teching involves putting on a wristband and scribbling a number in the windows. We walk around checking out the cars, telling lies, and meeting old friends. There are a lot of late model Fbodies and Mustangs. 3 Super Cobras, 1 Nitrous A4 C5, 2 12-sec Lightnings wearing slicks, bizarre looking Imports, etc. It don't get better than this!
Time to race. Get the engine up to temp, then I tell the track guy I want to race the 425rwhp 03 Cobra first. We pull out of stagging and I back into the water. Carlsbad has a waterbox you don't have to drive through, as the staging lanes are 90 deg to the racetrack. I pull forward just out of the water, turn off the Active Handling, hold 6000 rpm, and drop the clutch as I gently rest my left foot on the brake. I torch the shit outta the 11.5 wide ET Streets on the back, and release the brake. Owww... Not going to hook, I can tell already.
I creep forward towards the beams. I turn on the top beam and stop. I inch forward until the second beam flickers, then stays lit. I watch the Cobra's staging beams. When he get the second lit, I rev to 4000 and hold... RrRrRrRrRrRrRrrrr... The Big Yellow Lights start their doomsday dance towards the bottom, 1....2...3... on the third light I go to the floor and rapidly let out clutch. The tires howl in protest and the ass end starts to wiggle, the tach stays at 5000 for 30 feet; I'm spinning. Rats! When the tires grab it's already time to grab second. Hooks solid in 2nd, 3rd, and grab 4th right before the traps. Rats Again. That means 110'ish, I can tell.
Spanked him hard, even on a soft run. No 03 Cobra's took me, nor ran quicker all day. All 3 had mods and 2 had tires.
We each had 5 passes in the time between 2pm and 5pm. That's not bad for 3 hours. I went home with 5 win slips, but only a best of 12.26@112.9. Sixty's were weak all day, 1.86-1.90. Kathy set a new best of 12.33. Right on my heels!!!
We checked into our room, and then we out and got blasted at a local eatery. I get up early and look at the AutoTaps from the days runs. I whup out LS1 Edit, and write some programs for the next day. I pull down the PE table slightly to lean out the top end.
Sunday we rocked! Cost for racing was $44 but the track opened at 8am and first car out at 9. Dew was still on the track, so the first couple of passes were weak, but we got faster all day long. The tuning helped. MPH was up. Kathy set her new best of 12.22@113.4, and I set my new best at 12.12@113.5. I entered brackets, won first round, but broke out the second round. I dialed in 12.300 but ran 12.299 and lost to a car with electronic delay. We had ~10 passes each, and took many breaks. We even hot-lapped it. Hot-lapping DID NOT effect the car at all. Our best passes were hot-laps. The clutch stunk all day long, but held in there like a champ.
I tested the Blackwing Intake vs. the Stock Airbox Sunday as well. I posted a thread about it in Tech.
Sorry to bore the hell outta you, but I just thought I'd post what a typical day at the track is like.
Pat, Sounds like fun, but is your discription of holding 4k,flooring it and rapidly leting the clutch out an acurate discription of the launch techneque your useing? That's not the most eficeant way to get 60' times unless you have a super sticky track, and even then I have doubts. Ric
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02 EB/ModRed,VaraRam,160ts,fan switch,tbb,ripper,drag radials. Best ET 11.659,Best MPH 118.99,Best 60' 1.645
I was browsing my other stomping ground and came across this MCRat, sound familiar?
"yea carlsbad is a big pothole!! At least it wasn't a total waste tedge, you did get your best et and mph ever!!! I think your allowed to round that 109.87mph up to 110mph I can't believe you got 20mpg! I got there with a little under a half a tank and left with 1/8th tank of gas! it drank the gas at the track! I got like 17mpg or so!
My best time was a 12.82 @ 115.6mph, 2.26 60ft! No where near as good as some of you guys but i had fun!!
My friend video'd my car getting beat by a z06 and another beating up on a ss camaro! as soon as he puts it on the net I'll post it! At least you guys can hear my exhaust "
Copied his mods for you also
03 cobra, K&N,4lb pulley,diablo chip,jdm boost bypass, Bassani O/R X-pipe, Dynomax 3" catback,
440rwhp 465rwtq
12.82@115.6mph 2.26 60ft
Originally posted by PowerShifter Pat, Sounds like fun, but is your discription of holding 4k,flooring it and rapidly leting the clutch out an acurate discription of the launch techneque your useing? That's not the most eficeant way to get 60' times unless you have a super sticky track, and even then I have doubts. Ric
Yep, that's my normal ET Street launch. It was too much for Carlsbad. My WORST 60' ever in that car. Less RPM gets bog or wheelhop, which I avoid like the plague. My belief is that if you are spinning a bit, you are being easy on the driveline. My best 60' that weekend was 1.79 which was better than any of the manual trans street cars I saw. I'm happy with low 1.8's, which is what all the rest of the passes were. Kathy normally leaves at low RPM (2500-3000), but as soon as she raised her launch point to 4000, she started going quicker.
My best 60's were 4500-5000rpm at Fontana (1.75's) a few weeks ago. It spins just a bit, then hooks.
Quickest modified SuperCobra ran 12.4@114 w/1.9x 60' against Kathy. She redlit and beat him to the finish, but lost the race.
Originally posted by Z06_2002 I was browsing my other stomping ground and came across this MCRat, sound familiar?
"yea carlsbad is a big pothole!! At least it wasn't a total waste tedge, you did get your best et and mph ever!!! I think your allowed to round that 109.87mph up to 110mph I can't believe you got 20mpg! I got there with a little under a half a tank and left with 1/8th tank of gas! it drank the gas at the track! I got like 17mpg or so!
My best time was a 12.82 @ 115.6mph, 2.26 60ft! No where near as good as some of you guys but i had fun!!
My friend video'd my car getting beat by a z06 and another beating up on a ss camaro! as soon as he puts it on the net I'll post it! At least you guys can hear my exhaust "
Copied his mods for you also
03 cobra, K&N,4lb pulley,diablo chip,jdm boost bypass, Bassani O/R X-pipe, Dynomax 3" catback,
440rwhp 465rwtq
12.82@115.6mph 2.26 60ft
If his car was blue, and missing the passenger headlight, it was him. Can you post a link?
I got Pat kicking my arse in his z06 on video, so i'll post it as soon as my friend puts it on the net for me!! I'm saving up for some slicks pat so we'll have another rematch then I'll have to try and beet you with hp as I'm sure you'll out drive me It was alot of fun and your vette rocks!
Pat, Have you tryed 4k and as you let the clutch out slowley tip in to full throtle as it hooks up? It may feel like a bog but the 60' will be quicker. Ric
Originally posted by PowerShifter Pat, Have you tryed 4k and as you let the clutch out slowley tip in to full throtle as it hooks up? It may feel like a bog but the 60' will be quicker. Ric
Thanks Ric! I'll try that next time out and report back what it does.
Hey McRat, how ya doin'? Now that you have a great handling car when are you gonna drive it on a track that has turns . There's a great beginner's event at Willow Springs on Oct. 9th, only $115 check it out at www.opentrackracing.com I'll even give you a ride and try not to make you
Nice times, "hi" to Kathy, hope to see ya on a road course one day.
Hey Ron! Howya doin'? Nice to hear from you again!
Yeah I want to take the car Open Tracking soon. I might be a month or so though.
There is an AutoX at California Speedway Sunday. How's the Beast handle at 30-70mph? See www.solo2.com under events. I'm in the first run group running "street tire" class.
Originally posted by McRat Hey Ron! Howya doin'? Nice to hear from you again!
Yeah I want to take the car Open Tracking soon. I might be a month or so though.
There is an AutoX at California Speedway Sunday. How's the Beast handle at 30-70mph? See www.solo2.com under events. I'm in the first run group running "street tire" class.
Hey Pat, I'll be at Cali Speedway on Sat. & sun. also. I'll be running the 2.88 mile inside track and oval, should be getting close to 150 mph on the oval. Where's the autoX gonna be set up at? I might come for a visit Sun. or better yet come over to the big oval and I'll give ya a ride, is Kathy gonna be with ya?
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Pretty much year round. Shelled out our $34 (1 racecar = 10 bucks, each driver/spectator= 12ea), rolled up our windows and drove down long dirt road to the track. Thankfully they had recently graded it so the rain ruts were gone. Abandoned cars litter the desert area beside the road.
. There's a great beginner's event at Willow Springs on Oct. 9th, only $115 check it out at 
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