I'm going to try the Open Comp class at the PSCA race this weekend and wanted to see if anyone has any advice. Open Comp is a bracket class but your dial-in is fixed based on 3 qualifying runs. They take your fastest ET from the qualifying runs minus 0.1 sec and that is your dial in for all elimination runs. They also use a 0.400 pro tree. I think I'm going to Deep stage to try and get a better light. What method do you guys think would be good to shave off a tenth in qualifying? I'm thinking of using my air cleaner for qualifying and then removing for eliminations to get back about a tenth. Any suggestions.
You could take out a degree or two of timing during qualifying (how much being determined during T&T) then move it back in elims. You could also deep state during qualifying and shallow stage during elims (for a slight change in e.t.). If the air temp is going to be much cooler from the time you qualify 'till the time elims come around - you may not need to do anything. The cooler air would get you a tenth (depending on how much cooler). Then, there's always the sandbag approach - pedal during last 100' during qualifying. Pick one! Ha! Good luck. Represent us well, and let us know how you did.
you could also leave at a slightly lower rpm. ust remember the slower you qualify, the easier it is to break out also. good luck. where's the race this weekend? i have to be in tucson.
Very good ideas, thanks. Saturday is qualifying and Sunday is eliminations so I think I'll also need to check the weather forecast for Sunday. This will be interesting because I've never tried a pro tree before or this type of bracket racing. Don, the race is in Fontana where they just finished the new track. I hear it is a great track that is flat, wide, facing east (no sun in the eyes and mostly a tail wind), and I think 330' of concrete. They only had a super comp type race last weekend and some test and tune so far. It seems pretty rare that a new drag racing facility is made in CA these days, so we are all grateful and excited out here about it. I'm thinking if I can come up with an easy change that doesn't involve the driver (weakest link) that would be best...maybe a jet change, or timing, or air cleaner, or shift points or something??? I'm sure it will take a lot of testing and practice to be even slightly competitive, but I got to start somewhere I guess.
good luck. they were talking about the new track on dragraceresults.com. everyone was raving about the new surface. dave and kathy danish are the track managers there. they've been around the race scene for a while. nice people. good luck.
so they finally opened the drag strip up in fontana, they had been talking about it for awhile before i left san bernardino..... well any way good luck, have some fun and kick some bumpers......
ADD WEIGHT!!!! Simple and efficient. We've been doing it for ages in FFW Mod Motor class. Add weight...qualify....remove weight.
Erick backing off the timing worked best for me...I marked a setpoint with a scribe at the base of the distributor and block then backed it down the width of that mark...it took exactly .1 off my ET. With just a little testing you'll know what works best for you. Now I hate a pro tree...I dial all zeros in the box on a .400 so in essence there is no delay...your not runnin a box so try this trick Rick Book told me about many moons ago...as soon as you see yellow...close your eyes and punch it...in the time it takes you to do that the delay should get you close. Good Luck to ya
With footbraking I don't know if I can even react within .4 sec. By the time I see yellow, relay the message from my slow brain to my feet, and launch the car through the wheel rollout, will that take more than .4 sec? I guess I'll find out when I try it out at the track. Thanks for all the ideas.
A note about adding the weight: A rule of thumb is that 100 pounds of weight will generally slow your car by one tenth, HOWEVER (here comes the spoiler - and depending on your class), I 'believe' NHRA rules state that you cannot have loose weights in your car. The weight is supposed to be contained in an enclosed metal box which is held down by two 1/2" bolts per 100 pounds. If you decide to use the weights, and they are not anchored correctly, be aware that you might not pass inspection, that you might be contested by another racer and ultimately disqualified. Even if you DO have the weights anchored correctly, I'm pretty sure you'd be contested if someone saw you take the weights out before running the eliminations. Also, if you get away with the weights being loose, you've added a few more potential "objects of death" in the event of a crash. I realize this all sounds like I know what I'm talking about - but I don't really. 'Just something I recommend checking into before going that route. Good luck.
exceptions to that 2 1/2" bolts per 100lbs are properly fastened down spare tire and jack which can be about 50 lbs. also do time shots with a full tank, then race with half tank. 6 pounds per gallon loss. just make sure that you dont affect your traction by playing with the weight in the rear.
back seat doesnt weigh that much, but 50 lbs bolted under it weighs 50 lbs. and its out of sight, not obvious, and easily removeable.
Spare tire holdown works just fine. Like I said....I've done this for years in FFW Mod Motor class and now in Ultra Stang (where I'm still in first place!) class. You have to test the car to see what weight it needs for the tenth. The "rule of thumb" is 100 lbs. equals a tenth but I have found this really doesn't apply. My '98 GT needed only 60 lbs. The new V6 cars I'm using for U/S need around 50-60 lbs. depending on the weather. Using timing is problematic due to variations in the weather and air readings. Adding or subtracting weight with inexpensive barbell plates is easy. I've even used five pound sandbags to "fine tune" the car. Hell....at the Atlanta FFW event I forgot to unload my luggage at the hotel. Qualified with it in the trunk and damned if it didn't work out to be a tenth when I removed it!!!!
