How do you prep car for drag racing?

95Viper

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Weather permitting, I'm going drag racing for the first time Saturday. I'm using the club slicks and rims I bought from this board.

Is there a checklist of items to not forget?
What is prepping the fenders / wheelwells so cleanup is easy? Zaino?
 

fuelman

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You need a helmet. I like to use a cheap rubber floor mat for the driver side. I take out my nice carpeted one, two reasons the heavy rubber won't move when your working the pedals and if you just take it out all together you may get rubber, sand, dirt, VHT and junk from the track on your Viper carpet. Make sure mat doesn't obstruct the full range of the pedals. Take out anything you can or anything that can fly around when your pounding on those Vettes. Summit and other sell burn out guard for your rear panels, however I find that if you just wash them when you go home all the rubber comes off. Make sure your oil is in good shape and if you make a lot of runs you may want to change oil after the race. Once at the track drop your rear tires to 20 psi, some people like to put the front tires up to about 45-50 psi. Get to the track early and let your car cool down, lift the hood between every run. Race the lights, don't get wound up about the car in the other lane. With the times a Viper will run most tracks will require that you wear long pants, no shorts, no tank tops. If you break into the 11s, they may make you run a roll-bar and fire suit. Good luck
 

fuelman

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I did not see that you were using your club's slicks and skinnies. You may want to check with your club to see where they run best, I know some guys that go as low as 12 psi up to 18 psi on slicks.
 
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95Viper

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Thaks for the tips. Details:
1995 only 2,200 miles (bought last year with 800)
Mods - Stock exhaust but catless now, chrome tubes, K/N
Tires - Pilot Club slicks with stock fronts
Will set rear 26 lbs. and front 5 over tire recommendation
Will post times

Good tips Fuelman, still wondering if I can Zaino the wheelwells. Which Zaino product could I use or should I stop at a few race shops for the burnout guard?
 

BigCarrot

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PAM works great for the fender wells, and it's easier and cheaper to obtain. Take your spare tire out, along with any other "extra" weight. Run as low on gas as you possibly can without running out at the track. Weight makes a lot more difference than you think! Shift gears as fast as you possibly can. Keep it cool! Our cars make a lot more HP when they are cool. You might even put an ice bag on the intake manifold between runs. Make sure your AC is off. Do a burnout, avoiding the water. You don't need the water box unless you have drag slicks. You now know everything I do. BTW, I ran 12.0's in my RT with smooth tubes, K&N's and muffler delete, so there is a method to my madness. Good luck, let us know how you do!
 

viper spray

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PAM works great for the fender wells, and it's easier and cheaper to obtain. Take your spare tire out, along with any other "extra" weight. Run as low on gas as you possibly can without running out at the track. Weight makes a lot more difference than you think! Shift gears as fast as you possibly can. Keep it cool! Our cars make a lot more HP when they are cool. You might even put an ice bag on the intake manifold between runs. Make sure your AC is off. Do a burnout, avoiding the water. You don't need the water box unless you have drag slicks. You now know everything I do. BTW, I ran 12.0's in my RT with smooth tubes, K&N's and muffler delete, so there is a method to my madness. Good luck, let us know how you do!
NO , Fill your tank ALL the way, weight over the rear tires makes a huge difference, remember NO wheel spin!! Good Luck
 

BigCarrot

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Learning to launch the car without spinning is much better than using 100+ pounds of gas as a crutch. Get stickier tires if you can't do that, but I wouldn't add weight intentionally to my car. You don't run the thing out of gass, you just go to the track with as little as possible. Every lb counts!
 
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95Viper

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Milan says no top/windows needed at the club tuning event. Problem is that it is scheduled to rain this weekend so I'm out until next weekend.
 
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