Best ET and 60 foot on Pilots?

[HOLD TYTE]

I'm trying to get a few tips from others on pilots..

At the Toofast event I ran an 11.89 at 118 on pilots. My Silver GTS is pretty stock (just exhaust). What is the best anyone has been able to run on a similar setup GTS? I was putting down consistent 1.9 60 footers, what is possible and how?? Comments are appreciated...

 

[SoCal Rebell]

In my exhaust modified '00 RT/10 I did a 1.815 60' on Pilots. Dropped rear tire pressure to 22 psi. rev to 1,500 rpm, dump the clutch, bog a little and nail it.

 

[Saleen-Explorer]

I would think 1.9's or 1.8's are excellent on the Pilots, considering how easy it is to break traction and not get a good launch on them.

Fastest I've seen is 1.8's on the Pilot's, but I'm sure others have gotten quicker with better skills.

 

[motor602]

there is someone on this board who ran a 1.55 on pilots, i think he mounted them on the wall at his home after that run.

 

[Saleen-Explorer]

there is someone on this board who ran a 1.55 on pilots, i think he mounted them on the wall at his home after that run.

crap, thats almost in drag radial times. Whoever that was was a damn good driver, my friends couldn't get better the 1.9's on his ACR but that suspension isn't the best for drag racing.

 

[Cudaman]

Fuelman (John Canal from Orlando, Fl) ran a 1.55 at V-10 Nationals.....documented and prize awarded for his 60 ft...

Cudaman

 

[pauls]

If your the fastest on stock tires at the Viper Nationals PartsRack will give you a new set of 18" Pilots!!!

 

[HOLD TYTE]

I'll have to try the 1500rpm launch.. I tried both 32 and 26lbs.. not a significant difference for me. I'll try 22 next time. Thanks for the tips..

 

[Cudaman]

Pauls...... you need to explain further about your event and the size and magnituide of this NATIONAL event .... press ....amount of spectators coming ...etc, it is creeping up on us quickly!

Cudaman

 

[BigCarrot]

I can get consistant 1.8's on half worn Pilots. Heck, 1.55 is great, even for drag radials!

 

[Mike 99ACR]

It also really has alot to do with track conditions and the way it was preped.

 

[BigCarrot]

It also really has alot to do with track conditions and the way it was preped.

It DEFINITELY does! Huge difference!

 

[MoparMan]

rev to 1,500 rpm, dump the clutch, bog a little and nail it.

As a newbie at launching the Viper (I've only ever dragged in automatics - still haven't taken the Viper to the strip yet) would you say this is a good method for launching it on the street as well? When you say "dump the clutch" do you mean that you're pulling your foot off the pedal very quickly or that there's still some finesse to it?

 

[SoCal Rebell]

The Viper has sooooo much torque it is difficult to launch on Pilots. I've tried every conceivable way of launching from "feathering" the clutch to flat out burn outs and this got me the best times.

And yes when I dump I mean let off the clutch quickly, the car will jump and then bog at which time you floor it, this equates to very little wheel spin and 1.81 60' times.

 

[racewheel]

about the 1.55 on pilots, has it ever occurred to anyone that there could have been a malfunction in the timing system, i've never seen beter than 1.7, and that track could not be walked across it has so much vht on it. until it gets backed up chalk it up to a freak of nature.

 

[Cudaman]

about the 1.55 on pilots, has it ever occurred to anyone that there could have been a malfunction in the timing system, i've never seen beter than 1.7, and that track could not be walked across it has so much vht on it. until it gets backed up chalk it up to a freak of nature.

John.... I saw it with my own eyes..... buddy.... and all the track officials, Larry Macedo, Doug Levin,SW,Albert,Lee and Joe Saunders, Tom Welch and all the Texas unlimited boys and many other Viper owners .... I am not trying to be argumentive....but I think John did a freak of nature on the asphalt.

Cudaman

 

[Tom Welch]

Not to start a flamefest, but I think John launched with the back tires on the starting line, not the front tires. This is why the 60' is better by far than any documented. I have watched several vipers do crazy things on the dragstrip over the years (which is especially common during a drivers learning curve)and there was little in the way of instruction at that event, and an even smaller amount of attention paid by track personnel at the starting line. As a matter of fact, the starting line was poorly marked which makes it even easier for a novice to not notice which pair of tires is triggering the staging lights.


Tom

 

[FikseGTS]

My best on 17" pilots was a 1.69..... here are the timeslips from 3 back to back runs.... nevermind my reaction times.... I wasn't racing anyone, and was really trying to perfect the launch....

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Saleen-Explorer]

I wasn't racing anyone, and was really trying to perfect the launch

Looking at your r/t time I'd have to say thats true lol, nice times on the pilots though

 

[J DAWG]

Not to start a flamefest, but I think John launched with the back tires on the starting line, not the front tires. This is why the 60' is better by far than any documented. I have watched several vipers do crazy things on the dragstrip over the years (which is especially common during a drivers learning curve)and there was little in the way of instruction at that event, and an even smaller amount of attention paid by track personnel at the starting line. As a matter of fact, the starting line was poorly marked which makes it even easier for a novice to not notice which pair of tires is triggering the staging lights.


Tom

I think you are being serious.........aren't you? Didn't see a smilee as implying sarcasm or joking.

 

[J DAWG]

FikseGTS, what was your launching style and what mods were on the car. INcredible 60's. I assume the 17's give a little better than 18's.

 

[Cudaman]

Not to start a flamefest, but I think John launched with the back tires on the starting line, not the front tires. This is why the 60' is better by far than any documented. I have watched several vipers do crazy things on the dragstrip over the years (which is especially common during a drivers learning curve)and there was little in the way of instruction at that event, and an even smaller amount of attention paid by track personnel at the starting line. As a matter of fact, the starting line was poorly marked which makes it even easier for a novice to not notice which pair of tires is triggering the staging lights.


Tom

Tom are you saying John cheated to get his trophy......I would think the 30 -40 people watching or track personnel would have noticed a car stagged almost one car leghth in front of the other car..... The videos I have seen shows John stagging with his FRONT wheels.....Hmmm ....I bet he never even thought of trying to win a race by CHEATING.....

Cudaman

 

[TFAST4U]

FikseGTS,

Blue rules. Great times. Nice 60 ft

-----------------------------------------------------------

Tom W.,

Sad Tom, just sad . Everyone there know's John C. did the 1.55 60 ft . And to go as far to say John C. is a " novice ",and to top it off you start your post by saying "Not to start a flamefest". Man what ever happend to the Tom we all knew ..............just plain sad .............

Not to start a flamefest, at least John was in the proper class, what class did you run in ? We all for got, 1 stage or 2 ?

 

[PRVT JET]

One time at alocal event, a guy in a '96 almost stock gts ran a 1.34 60'. I knew it was a mistake, but he still thinks that it was accurate. So time slips are wrong but only sometimes.

Isaac

 

[Snakester]

Fikse,

I'm also curious how you got those great 60' times.

I've only taken my car to the track once, and my best 60' time on worn 18s was 2.0, with a 12.4@119MPH.
I ran 24psi in the rears and 50psi up front. Dropped the clutch from 2000 RPM, and it got better times than running from idle and bogging, and then I spun on the runs going into 2nd too hard but still got my best times for the night with the better launch.

I'm looking at going back soon, and I would love to hear how to get better 60' times, as they translate into better 1/4 mile times.

 

[MaxedGTS]

fikse, those are great 60' times. ive seen only a few people run those.

Max

 

[Tom Welch]

Who said anything about cheating? I watched John burnout a few times and he always burned his tires across the starting line (which is not necessary unless you are driving in Top Fuel). That in combination with poor markings for the starting line itself may have been the reason that he unsuspectedly lined up with the back tires. This was not just my theory, many at the track made this observation....including someone close to both of you Cudaman and Chris. I see it happen all the time at bradenton on thursday nights...the only difference is that the starting line personnel assist the drivers to insure that they stage correctly. The starting line personnel at that event were sometimes non existant(remote starting cars from the timing tower). I always look at the tree while lunging forward from the waterbox to insure that the staging bulbs do not light up more than once, just as a backup to insure that I have not passed the tree with my front tires. It is not hard to do on a poorly marked track and/or a track that does not have much room between the burnout box and the starting line.

In a nutshell, I agree with John P. Racing is science. While it is remotely and I mean remotely possible for John C to have had a 60' time like that, and I stress remotely possible (especially seeing that he did NOT back it up)
the starting from the rear tire theory is far more believable.

I'm not taking anything away from John C. I thought he did a good job for being somewhat new and at a new facility for him. I don't know when he had that RT if it was during a race or time trial, and of course, I don't care.

So Ward and Chris can pull all the 3rd grade antics that they want, but the reality remains that something caused that printing on the timeslip other than a slicks and skinnies launch on stock tires and you won't get me to believe otherwise.

What about this...next time someone is at the track running stock tires, try a few launches to get a good average 60' time. Then have the track personnel allow you to stage your car with the back tires and see what the difference is. My guess is not much elapsed time but a substantial gain in 60'.

For the original poster, a good 60' time on stock tires with a stock Viper is in the 1.80 range.

Tom

 

[CHAD]

To get back to the original intent of this post for a minute, I know a DLM Level I has run 10.8x at 137+ on stock 18" Pilots. That is the quickest Pilot time I've heard.

Chad

 

[MaxedGTS]

To get back to the original intent of this post for a minute, I know a DLM Level I has run 10.8x at 137+ on stock 18" Pilots. That is the quickest Pilot time I've heard.

Chad

Chad, i saw Doug Levin run CONSISTENT 1.6 short times with that car at VOI with the stock pilots but the wheels kept spinning at the end. Evan Smith from mmff drove that car and made those times with 1.8 short times.

Max

 

[ronviper]

Tom you were there why didn't you and all the better drag racers pose that question then? After the fact makes you look jealous and petty deal with the problem when it happens then there is NO finger pointing after. Would he not have tripped the lights, would he not have 3/4 of a car length on the other guy, what was the 60ft of the other lane? Did he back it up or come close on any other runs?