1/4 Mile - Argh! Good in hole, but then ...

[Tomer]

Hmmmm...I can't speak from experience, but me thinks on a good track with good street tires even you should not be able to break the rear loose so easy (with stock range HP)...Especially granny shifting...

Do you think so, or is this a common problem?...I do have a Gen I, 96 with 415 hp...But based on some practice (although now that I think about it, my smoothest fwy on ramp is quite steep up hill - probably not realistic test due to weight transfer) but I get rubber in 2nd and 3rd, but just a small chirp....

What rear tires are you running?...ALso, most folks drop rear tire pressure which may help alot for you

Now I will stand aside and let those with experience chime in!

Tomer

 

[Daffy]

I'm just using the stock tires & setup, I even left the AC on as it's not much of a factor.

I went to 75-80 Dragway in Monrovia, MD. It's a small track and kind of known for not being great, but it was a spur of the moment decision as I was within 15 mins of it & decided what the hec.

I think it's more track surface than anything else, the hole was quite good, but down the track, umm, eh. I think at a better track, like MIR (crofton)which is a IHRA track I could get that 118 mph near 120mph - that would be cool. But I'll admit I would like to see an eleven sometime to match that mph.

Dave.

 

[toddt]

Are you running a 3.07 rear?

 

[Jason Heffner]

I thinnk you know what the problem was in this case Dave. You went to the wrong track. Anyone I know that has tried to run at 75-80 has come back with disappointing results. Considering where you were you actually ran pretty good. There's not much you can do about the car breaking traction in third gear, it's just the track. I'll bet if you went to Capitol Raceway or to MIR you would be very pleased with the results. Good luck.

 

[red98GTS]

Dave, lemme get this straight. You went to 75/80 where the track wasn't so good.....you ran with extra air in the tires, you had the A/C on, you slid and backed off the throttle, and you ran 118 at 12.5??? Jason's right....at a different track you would have been right where you wanted to be. You had a great time & speed for all considered, or at least that seems to be right in the ballpark for what you have, don't you think? pete the XGG

 

[Tom Welch]

Food for thought,

Leaving the A/C on is NOT a good idea while on the racing surface. The evaporator drips water constantly and it drips on the ground just behind your right front tire. Your rear tire rolls through that water doesn't it?? With that said, going down track the a/c compressor is inhibited so hp loss is minimal.

Its amazing what a few drops of water will do to traction.

Tom
Http://btrviper.com

 

[Daffy]

Thanks for the replies. They make me feel a lot better actually.

Yep, 3.07 rear, only mods are in sig (by Jason I should add).

Jason, I know you're right, next time I'll exert the extra effort and go to a better track, Capitol isn't that out of the way for me, that's my next outing for sure.

Again, thanks for the positive posts, I was just a bit bummed - I guess I tend to think good mph, not so good ET = not so good driving - AHHH, can't be that. LOL!

Tom, Wow, that never occurred to me. I guess for my sake & the next guy I'll not leave the AC on again, duh. Thanks.

Dave.

 

[Daffy]

Well tried 2 runs at the local track & very frustrating. The track isn't a great one for sure, but ...

I get out of the hole OK, 1.9 60 foot time (32psi in rear tires). Trap speed isn't bad at 118mph. But I tried shifting at 5800 and at 5200 on the two runs, both same result. Granny style, as I lay back on the accelerator in 2nd and 3rd the tires go up in smoke & I have to feather it - sliding for 100 feet in both gears. Everyone loved the runs, they were all talking about how the car went from side to side all the way down the track and I left a tire smoke vapor trail for the entire qrtr mile. Looks cool, yea, but 12.5 ET's *****. Even 4th broke on me for a bit requiring backing off a little. Geesh.

It's frustrating to run so "fast" and yet run so "slow".

I'm used to blown mustangs, with 4.10's etc where gears come up fast & the car is floating like a sofa on a skateboard, so driving the viper down the track I feel like I have all the time in the world - like slow motion, rpms roll up nice an easy, but the **** just can't grab. And that's with just over a half tank of gas.

Dave. (argh)

 

[Viperoctane]

Yeah 75-80 is the worst track I ve ever been to!! I went there and the best I could get was 12.7@117 before my mods. And then a week later I went to Capitol race way and got 12.22@118 with the same car and no extra mods. You'll like capitol race way its nice

good luck