Improving my 60' time

[BAD 2TB]

I have had my 06 Viper for 6 weeks now (Love IT). Took it to the dragstrip tonight. 100% stock including my tires. Could not get the tires to bite. 60' times ranged from 1.99 thru 2.16, Made 5 passes. If I go with a drag radial how much time should that shave off my 60' time? What is the best drag radial for strip driving only? Thanks in advance.

 

[MikeR]

Dont go with a drag radial on a stock Viper. You will end up breaking stuff. Ive pulled plenty of 1.8s on runflats when i only had a Corsa as only mod. There is still room for improvement. Should be able to pull 1.7-1.8's on runflats or any good "street tire". Id just keep practicing and forget about the DR's.

 

[29OUTLAW]

In about 8 runs, the best I was able to manage on run flats was 2.1. Went with a drag radial and instantly got 1.9 with no extra effort at all. That was with driving around the water box, no burnout, and an off-idle launch. Launching with the DR's was like driving on training wheels compared to the run flats.

I agree that a hard, 3500-4000 RPM launch on DR's might break stuff which is why I have no interest in going there. I'm fine with an off idle launch cutting 1.8 - 1.9's. For me, launching on run flats just resulted in major wheel hop. That tends to break stuff also.

 

[Canyon707]

I just put on some new PS2's Saturday. It was raining before I left the tire shop so I have to wait for a dry day to try them. Maybe Sunday.

 

[Disturbed]

Don't launch so hard. Take off like you would quickly on the street. Also, drop the tire pressure down a bit to about 25psi. I've worked my way down from the 2.2's to 1.9's on my stock 01 tires. Those are the two things that helped the most. Launch easy...you need to go slower to get faster.

 

[johnk]

I have had my 06 Viper for 6 weeks now (Love IT). Took it to the dragstrip tonight. 100% stock including my tires. Could not get the tires to bite. 60' times ranged from 1.99 thru 2.16, Made 5 passes. If I go with a drag radial how much time should that shave off my 60' time? What is the best drag radial for strip driving only? Thanks in advance.

There are no drag radials available in stock '06 sizes.

 

[MikeR]

In about 8 runs, the best I was able to manage on run flats was 2.1. Went with a drag radial and instantly got 1.9 with no extra effort at all. That was with driving around the water box, no burnout, and an off-idle launch. Launching with the DR's was like driving on training wheels compared to the run flats.

I agree that a hard, 3500-4000 RPM launch on DR's might break stuff which is why I have no interest in going there. I'm fine with an off idle launch cutting 1.8 - 1.9's. For me, launching on run flats just resulted in major wheel hop. That tends to break stuff also.

1.8's come easy on RUNFLATS, no effort at all. Lower pressure and ease out of the hole. Let that torque pull you out of the box with out spinning tires. i launch at track like I do leaving a stoplight, nice and smoothe.

 

[09 Venom]

Don't launch so hard. Take off like you would quickly on the street. Also, drop the tire pressure down a bit to about 25psi. I've worked my way down from the 2.2's to 1.9's on my stock 01 tires. Those are the two things that helped the most. Launch easy...you need to go slower to get faster.

You MUST lower the rear tire pressure....@ 23-25psi.

 

[HI-NOS-Viper]

1.8's come easy on RUNFLATS, no effort at all. Lower pressure and ease out of the hole. Let that torque pull you out of the box with out spinning tires. i launch at track like I do leaving a stoplight, nice and smoothe.

What RPM would you recommend launching on RUNFLATS, and what about PS2's at the track for best launch on say close to stock viper? Not that I'm stock

 

[Twister]

Well what were your ET's/MPH????????????????????

 

[RTTTTed]

Runflats **** unless you get a flat. They also cost way to much.

I couldn't hook my runflats with only 600rwhp until about 90mph. I think that if the Vipers would have come with PS1's instead of run-flats they would have continued to beat vettes instead of having to come in last.

My 720rwhp Viper has PS and I get traction about 60mph. Absolutely NO comparison to the runflats.

Ted

 

[BAD 2TB]

What I am thinking is: Buy a set of inexpensive rear 18" wheels, mount a set of drag radials. Spend $1000 to $1200 and shave .2 to .4 seconds off my 1/4 mile time. I would use the DRs for drag racing only and save my street tires. Is .4 seconds a realistic figure?

 

[johnk]

Better check to see if 18s will clear the caliper and E-brake caliper.

 

[DMan]

Seems like a lot of trouble & $ for some runs at the track, unless you're really going to be hitting the track alot.

Bone stock a few weeks old I hit 1.8's on the runcraps & found the car pretty easy to drive at the strip 1.8s at 11.90's / 122+mph. The gearing makes the car almost gentle out of the hole. Launching right off idle is the way to go from my exp, no water, no burnout. With a lil practice 1.7s should be pretty standard, to do better would then probably need mods/tires.

 

[HI-NOS-Viper]

Well what were your ET's/MPH????????????????????

Actually I have only ever run down the 1/4 twice with the viper, was before the nitrous was working/installed, and am embarrassed to even mention the times. however, I will inform you it was at elevation in Bandimere Speedway in Colorado. I was completely stock and was spinning bad both runs. Honestly, I dont know the RPM's I was hitting, I know I should of been paying attention. I do know that I did lower the RPM a little lower the next run and got a little better time. I would just like to know with a pretty much stock car, what is norm rpm to launch from? If there is a norm.

 

[DMan]

"Embarrassed"??!! Dude, the drag strip is like one of 100 dimensions of this car, it's such an artificial thing. Unless you're doing it for comp or doing illegal street racing, it's not much of a measure of the whole car, or you. Never beat yourself up over drag strip times!

My advice is coming right off idle, rolling onto the gas & rolling off the clutch, nothing dramatic. I know I've nailed it when the car seems slow, cause of it being smooth. No pwershifts, just quick rolling gear exchanges. I shifted at 5K rpm for 2nd & 3rd my first run and hit 12.2 ... shifted right at 6K rpm for the rest for 11.9's, so keep in mind how small .3-.5 of sec is in your head. Actually i found the third gear shift to be squirelly, I think I'm a bit too agressive to make up for the long shift thru the pattern & always get a little loose at speed hitting it in 3rd a bit too hard.

Good luck & remember even if you didn't get a great time you were looking for, at the end of the day you're driving home in your Viper - grin!

 

[viperjim]

I do the opposite.
I set the tire pressure to 25 psi.
Avoid the water box with the front tires and back into it. Do a quick warm up of the stock run flats.
I launch at 3000 rpm. Leave the accelerator where it is when I rather quickly release the clutch.
As the car starts to move forward, I apply the accelerator.
My best is a 11.68

Best of luck.

 

[BAD 2TB]

Viperjim What was your 60' time? And you did 11.68 on stock run flats. GREAT TIME!!!! My goal is to break 11 second 1/4 mile and I still have alot of work ahead of me. I'll try your method of launching next time out. Thanks

 

[MikeR]

Viperjim What was your 60' time? And you did 11.68 on stock run flats. GREAT TIME!!!! My goal is to break 11 second 1/4 mile and I still have alot of work ahead of me. I'll try your method of launching next time out. Thanks

Dont beat yourself up. My first time at track, my first run was a 13.XX , I spun through 3rd gear and it was cold out. Next run 13.XX. Waited a hour till it warmed up on the track, ran a 12.5 and a 12.2 . 5th run I lowered runflats to 25psi warm and ran a 11.9, followed with some 11.7's and 1.8 60 fts. Only mods at time was corsa and green filters and DC tune. After PS2's and few minor mods, I ran a 11.6 again a 1.8 60 ft. Ive been able to hit a 1.78 60 but only eneded up running 11.8, not sure what happened. Ive yet to run again with my headers and pully.
Again, the hardest thing to remeber is not pay attention to guy next to you or the crowd watching. You end up getting excited and you will spin those tires up. I just keep rpms at about 1200-1500, just enough to have some pressure on gas pedal and clutchI just ease out as I apply a little more gas. The tires rarely even chirp as I launch. I also used to power shift into second, now I just shift nice and firm but not as hard, this way I dont spin up as much on 1-2 shift and then power shift 2-3 shift. It has resulted in more consisten 11.6's-11.7s. Now I can go run 5-6 runs in a a day all very similar times.

 

[Kenneth Krieger]

With the stock 3:07's and 25 to 27psi on PS2's best 60ft time was 1:81.....changed to 3:55's, with the same tire pressure......the next time out (track conditions were pretty close to the same), 1:66 60ft........what a difference!

 

[BAD 2TB]

I read in an old thread that if you lower your gears it will not change your 1/4 mile time. Is this true? If so why change to a lower gear?

 

[Kenneth Krieger]

I'm an "old" drag racer, and that statement is a bunch of *&%%$^#@! If it were true......all you'd see would be high ratio rear ends in cars at the strip......it makes a decided difference!!! If a person has a working knowledge of what I'm about to say....they will agree, that "the engine keeps up with the revs to the torque" better with lower gears in the quarter mile when you find the correct combination.....I chose the 3:55's and what a difference!!!

 

[RTTTTed]

My car has a Roe supercharger. With 3:55's, on street tires it went slower so the 3:08's were re-installed. 10.5@139mph on Pilots.

Ted