Help me! I'm a virgin!

[Mister_Johnny99]

I'm planning to run my car at E-town,NJ Saturday.
I've never raced before.
Any advice for a first timer?

[StockV6Cam2]

Yeah...

1) When you're pulling up to the burnout area, go around the water box.
2) You don't need to do that big of a burn out on street tires so just do a small one to clean off the tires a bit.
3) When you're staging rev the motor up to about 1700-2000 rpm's. Adjust from there depending on if you spin too much or bog. My car likes that 1700-2000 range but it's a 3.4.
4) When the tree drops, hit the gas and drop the clutch right after the last yellow is lit. This will help drop your reaction time alot.

[Slow-N-ugly]

ON STAGING:
There is a little room to adjust when you stage maybe 8? or so (if anybody knows please post), barely trip the lights and leave as soon as you see the last yellow. If your reaction time isnt that good stage a little deeper. Whatever you do DO NOT WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE GREEN LIGHT TO GO. You should be running on a .5 tree so you have 1 ½ sec before the green (once the lights start) I do a mental one-onethousand then go. That has me leaving a little early but I shallow stage so it ends up with some good lights.

[ravenp]

The points above regarding staging are great... but dont' worry too much about staging right away. In time trials, it doesn't affect your et...so concentrate on the launch.

Trust me, you'll be more happy with a good et than a good reaction time [img]smile.gif[/img]

Once you get comfortable with the launch...then you can play with the RT. Other than red lighting being embarrassing it doesn't matter unless you're bracket racing.

Good luck!!! And have fun [img]smile.gif[/img]

[MustangEater8251]

this is the last board I would say that at... unless you are a trick then let me help you out...

Either way basically what they said, even more can be found doing a little search for the same topic oyu started in this section. May find some stuff we all missed.

[Skinny]

To pick your launch RPM, it's usually best to start at about 2000, then if you spin, try 1800 on the next pass. If you bog, try 2200. Play around with it until you find a good rpm, and remember that this "perfect rpm" may vary depending on track conditions, so it might not be the same next time you go to the track. As for exactly how to launch an M5 (clutch play and what not), nobody can actually tell you, it's something you just gotta figure out. When you do it right the first time you'll know what I mean. Also a good tip for a better ET is to "shallow stage" as mentioned above. There are two stage lights at the top of the tree, the "Prestage" then the "Stage." The timer for won't start until you cross another sensor that's placed slightly in front of the stage light sensor. There's a little bit of room there, so when you're staging and the first light (prestage) comes on, STOP. Then just barely inch forward until that second stage light comes on. That way you can launch and you'll be moving just a bit when the timer starts. That can help you get kind of a "head start" on the timer.

Most important of all, don't go out expecting great ETs, because you probably won't get them. Have fun, and if you come home with some impressive times, it's that much more fun. [img]graemlins/burnout.gif[/img]

[ October 24, 2002: Message edited by: 96BeastV6 ]</p>

[97chevycamaro]

Dont worry it will happen one day, Cmon someone had to do it

[ October 23, 2002: Message edited by: 97chevycamaro ]</p>

[99Camaro99]

Johnny if you say you're a virgin, going to the track is the last place to go to - to get laid.

To many to's for ya in that last sentence? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Mister_Johnny99]

Thanks for the input guys.
On the street, I'm getting some nasty wheel hop off the line, so I'm concerned about launching.

What is deep staging?
Is it something I should do?

[Mister_Johnny99]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> this is the last board I would say that at... <hr></blockquote>

I figured I'd get someone to look in here, and help me out.
:D

[Mister_Johnny99]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr> Johnny if you say you're a virgin, going to the track is the last place to go to - to get laid. <hr></blockquote>

But that's the only reason I bought this thing.
The salesman said I could lay some rubber with it! ;)

[12secondv6]

We can show you everything at e town.
It is quite easy.
You will be running street tires so you will avoid the water box.
Tire psi I reccomend is 30 psi in the rear and 40 psi in the front.
What will happen is you will pull up to a stopping point where everyone is staging.
The tech will wave you foward when you can go.
You will race one other person.
You will come up slowly and you can either drive through two cones with water in between which is known as the water box. If you have slicks then this is where you go, anything else and it is a waste.
You will pull around the water box just like most street tired cars and then wait again for another tech to tell you you can move foward.
When they say you can move foward you will most likely benifit from a quick snap of the rear tires just to clean them off. Huge burn outs on a street tire are not needed.
Then you pull up to the 'christmas tree' it is a tall metal thing with a whole load of lights on it.
Pull up slowly to it, just light up the pre stage double bulbs.
Track courtesy is once you light up the pre stage bulbs you wait for your opponent to light up his pre stage double bulbs.
Then just creep foward inch by inch and now you will light up both the pre stage and stage double bulbs.
Once you have lite up both then the count down will begin shortly.
The tree will go yellow yellow yellow green.
In theory you want to leave on the last yellow because by the time your body reacts the light will already be green.

Deep staging and shallow staging are used in different maners.
Deep staging means you roll foward enough to turn off the pre stage bulb and you are extremely close to the start line. This will yield much lower r/t's but you can easily red light which means you lose.
Shallow staging technically can yield quicker times because you are allowing yourself a minute distance to start before the clock actually starts.

I don't bother deep or shallow staging on average.

Best advice, have fun.
Also, just take some time and watch others first.
You will quickly get the hang of it.
All saturday's in november are something called trophy marathon, 7 passes for $20 win or lose. These are great days for new people and old. I'll be there for all three

[lord_gufi]

if you wanted to lay the Hot rubber shoulda got a TA or z28 =D

the best ive got with my m5 is a 2.3 30 foot time and i shallow stage ( sometimes best )

to get a good launch i turn my tires over pretty good ( sometimes white smoke em just for them hell of it of course ya know =D )

i used to rev to 1200 and get a small squeel.. but no biggie so one day i revved to 1800 and got a little spin but nothing big and i caught a good ET my fastest yet 15.667
imma try a little high at the track on friday and see if i boil em or just go like last time, and does any one know if i shifted fastenough for my car not to bounch the limiter betwwen shifts if i have to tak emy foot compleatly off the gas... cause i alway sfeel my car fall forward on 3rd...