SPF at the drag strip

[Jack Houpe]

A number of my redneck friends talked me into running my car at the drag strip yesterday, its the first time I have ever been on a real drag strip. My car is the one on the left. They told me I lifted and could have had a better time but I didn't think I lifted, I will see when I decode the video. No burn outs, very little tire spin that I could notice. I only ran it one time, they warned me that anything faster than 13 seconds needs a roll cage.

 

[Dave Wood]

Hey Jack, pretty good go for the first time... a little slow on the reaction time..that would have given an even quicker ET. From the speed at the 1000' mark and the 1/4 mile speed, it does appear that you may have lifted right at the end.

 

[Jack Houpe]

All sort of new to me Dave but it was fun for the first time. I use to street drag race in the old days with my 4 cylinder Vega against Pintos, my how time flys. Yep slow off the light, I had all sort of advice from the pros after my run.

 

[Ron McCall]

Damn Jack! With a bit more practice, you could probably break into the tens!
And BTW, the timers don't start until you actually start to move. You can sit there for ten seconds and it will not effect your elapsed time.

 

[Jack Houpe]

Damn Jack! With a bit more practice, you could probably break into the tens!
And BTW, the timers don't start until you actually start to move. You can sit there for ten seconds and it will not effect your elapsed time.

It was funny, I didn't know about the second set of lights, when the top two lights lit up I thought that meant I was in position but there are two more lights below it. Damn Beginner!

 

[Ron McCall]

The first set is the "pre-staged" lights. The second set are the "staged" lights.

Are you using the Avon tires?

 

[Dave Wood]

And BTW, the timers don't start until you actually start to move. You can sit there for ten seconds and it will not effect your elapsed time.

You are absolutely right. I was was assuming that he may have had some quicker shifts etc. if he had had a quicker reaction. That doesn't , however, help in a race, regardless of ET. Except in bracket racing, first to the end wins.

 

[Richard]

Jack sounds like fun. Based on your ET I would say you lifted near the finish line. Great ET by the way. The MPH is based on the last 66' (don't quote me). I would think that a mid 11 sec run would have a trap speed of 120+MPH, but it's been 30 years since I've done any drag racing. Back in the day very few muscle cars could run in the 14,s off the show room floor. You know you may have started something here. So where is the video?

 

[Jac Mac]

Interesting..Russ Noble ran his car thru the drags a while back & times etc are very similar.
....................................Jack H.............. Russ N
1/8th or 660 ft ET...........7.449 secs.........8.061 secs.
1/4....or 1320 ft ET........11.447 secs.......11.770 secs
MPH @ finish.................111.33..............132.000

Hope I got those correct... I know Russ has the 930 porsche trans & used only second & third gears so assume he got some wheelspin @ start & finished on the limiter in third @ the end....... not really a comparison as could be two entirely different surfaces traction wise.

 

[Rich E.]

Jack,

Yes you were asleep at the light hehe, but.....your 60' is pretty good for a street tire. Id say you did a great job first time out.

BTW, generally speaking your MPH gauges your HP and your ET gauges the cars quikness.

Rich

 

[Russ Noble]

Interesting..Russ Noble ran his car thru the drags a while back & times etc are very similar.
....................................Jack H.............. Russ N
1/8th or 660 ft ET...........7.449 secs.........8.061 secs.
1/4....or 1320 ft ET........11.447 secs.......11.770 secs
MPH @ finish.................111.33..............132.000

Hope I got those correct... I know Russ has the 930 porsche trans & used only second & third gears so assume he got some wheelspin @ start & finished on the limiter in third @ the end....... not really a comparison as could be two entirely different surfaces traction wise.

Yeah wheelspin was terrible, couldn't get the power down off the line at all despite only launching at 3500rpm. Once it got moving it really started to boogie though.

An excellent result for Jack. Well done.

 

[Jack Houpe]

I have Avon tires, didn't rev the motor till the light changed, very little to no tire spin that I could tell, the tract was sticky with some crap they spray on it. Outside temp was 88F. I don't have enough money to dump the clutch, if something broke it would it would be just like my pocket book. Its apparent I pulled my foot at the end, I was doing 4 mph faster at 1000' than the end.

My video camera takes MP4 and has to be decoded to WMP at my home computer and I will not be there till tonight. I will post it soon as I can.
Thanks guys.

 

[Rich E.]

The stuff they use on the track is VHT and it will hold a descent amount of power but too much driveline shock will overwhelm the stuff. My opinion, given the light weight and huge TQ of our cars, roll out slipping the clutch a little then when you've got some momentum hammer it. Works for me......

Rich.

 

[Neal]

Nice! Not much into the stab and steer stuff but did represent...

 

[Doug S.]

I only ran it one time, they warned me that anything faster than 13 seconds needs a roll cage.

Jack, if the track required a roll cage for anything faster than a 13 second ET, with that 11.4 second ET you probably wouldn't have been allowed to run a second time.

Nice performance, though!!! For a "factory" car to run 11's was just a big dream for those of us who grew up in the era of the muscle cars and 7.75X14" tires. No wonder we could do a block long burnout on main street......

Doug

 

[Richard]

Jack video would be great. Just think what you could do if you had really good slicks and a lower rear gear. Mid to high 9's at 140 I would guess. Not that I think anyone should be doing that with a GT40! They're much more useful for going around corners and really long straights.

Today I think they would send you to Gitmo as a terrorist if you did a burnout of any kind in downtown "Anywhere". Best TV ad I ever saw was when the owner of a downtown L.A. Ford dealership pulled out of his lot in a brand new 1962 406 Galaxy and lit both tires up for over a block, lots and lots of tire smoke. I must have been a very young child at the time or maybe even a pasted life. Maybe I could blame the way I am on that one ad, works for me.

 

[Jack Houpe]

I have audio not video. I forgot to turn on the switch to the cameras but the recorder recorded the audio.

 

[Mike]

That is an excellent, excellent time for a beginner.

Mike