Drag Race Friday. Any Tips/Suggestions?

[cheater13]

*Update* The track is going to be muddy so how would I want to take off?




My race is this Friday and it's the first time i raced on this track. It's about a 300 foot drag. I already know to start out in 2nd gear but is there anything else that would come useful to me? Such as tire pressure, if i should tighten my shocks, can i run straight cam2 in it or have to have a little 93 octane and mix it, etc?

[DnB_racing]

if you can strap your front end down, wheeling is the biggest change in your time, if you have any 19 inch fronts they help also,

as far as gas as long as you keep things the same between your practice runs and your race runs .. in other words dont go changing things before the actual race...

if you bracket racing, meaning your racing against your time, speed isn't as important as being consistent, and when trying to figure your dial in time give yourself just a little extra so you dont brake out of your time, its almost as bad as red lighting

and dont try to anticipate the light just rely on your green light timing, dont try to count count the yellow lights you have more chance of red lighting...

remember its all about doing it the same every time, not speed...

oh and one more little trick is try to either get in the first line or the last, if there is a uneven amount of racers they flip for the buy run, and its from the front or back... meaning you get through one round un contested... i always try to get in the front, as soon as you get there go and line up your quad in the staging area

[cheater13]

Alright thank! Ill tighten the front shocks up the whole way and ill see about getting a ratchet strap but i dont have any 19 inch fronts. What about tire pressure or anything like that? We will be running on clay and i heard somewhere between 2-4psi, but not 100% sure.

[DnB_racing]

Originally posted by cheater13
Alright thank! Ill tighten the front shocks up the whole way and ill see about getting a ratchet strap but i dont have any 19 inch fronts. What about tire pressure or anything like that? We will be running on clay and i heard somewhere between 2-4psi, but not 100% sure. as long as the pressure is the same in both sides or you will pull to one side...

but remember you dont want to wheelie, if letting pressure out will catch and cause you to wheelie, then run hard.. but it really depends on your tires and your weight, i prefer to spin over wheelie, im literally sitting on my tank at start then i lean back after start to hook up

I edited my previous post about were to line up, to try to win the buy round, (uncontested) if uneven amount of raceres..

[cheater13]

Yeah races start at 5:30 but we have to be there around 1 for sign up and 3-3:30 for practice. Ill get mine as close as to the front as i can. But yeah ill have to experiment with my pressure and all. Ill strap down the front but i wouldnt want to wheelie either. I spin right now, but my shocks are soft and i didnt make any adjustments to that yet. And what you mean "run hard?" Just hammer the throttle when you go off? I'm going to start in 2nd and have it about half throttle revving it then when it turns green ill probably nail it

[DnB_racing]

Originally posted by cheater13
Yeah races start at 5:30 but we have to be there around 1 for sign up and 3-3:30 for practice. Ill get mine as close as to the front as i can. But yeah ill have to experiment with my pressure and all. Ill strap down the front but i wouldnt want to wheelie either. I spin right now, but my shocks are soft and i didnt make any adjustments to that yet. And what you mean "run hard?" Just hammer the throttle when you go off? I'm going to start in 2nd and have it about half throttle revving it then when it turns green ill probably nail it by run hard im talking about tire pressure, if when you take pressure out(low pressure) the back hooks up more at the start, and causes you to wheelie off the start they are to soft...

but yes full throttle ALL the time,no easing it in... punch it and keep it there, its more consistent then trying to do it the same every time, if its wide open every time that's one variable out of the way

but as far as were to line up try for the very first line or the very last, not in the middle.... i like the first as the track is always in better shape... but if there is an uneven amount of racers someone gets a free run,it gets you through one round, and its usually from the first line or last, you loose 2 and your out so every round you make it through you eliminate that many more

[cheater13]

Oh alright i see. Well ill have to have it kind of low due to my Holeshots not having too much tread left. They probably have around 60-70% though. Ill practice this week before the actual race but is it better to hit the rev limiter before the light turns green then just let of the clutch? I tried that and i pretty much didnt hook up till 3rd.

And ok, i see what you mean about lining them up. Hopefully ill get there and be able to go right into the lineup after they take a look at my quad.

[DnB_racing]

Originally posted by cheater13
Oh alright i see. Well ill have to have it kind of low due to my Holeshots not having too much tread left. They probably have around 60-70% though. Ill practice this week before the actual race but is it better to hit the rev limiter before the light turns green then just let of the clutch? I tried that and i pretty much didnt hook up till 3rd.

And ok, i see what you mean about lining them up. Hopefully ill get there and be able to go right into the lineup after they take a look at my quad. as far as the starts I bring my throttle up as the light come down by the time its green im WOT... but do what you can do the same one time to the next, its all about doing the same thing every time, and any variables that you can eliminate the better, the throttle position is the easiest variable to eliminate just by using WOT, but there are plenty of other varables to mess you up..lol


but its a lot of fun, you will be running in the trail class, most of that class is still learning so you will do fine

[cheater13]

Alright thanks for your help! But ill be racing in the amatuer stock class.(Supposed to be the one for riders that never raced). I was going to race in stock appearance because its payout but ill get my butt handed to me because ill go up against 450's and banshees.

[DnB_racing]

Originally posted by cheater13
Alright thanks for your help! But ill be racing in the amatuer stock class.(Supposed to be the one for riders that never raced). I was going to race in stock appearance because its payout but ill get my butt handed to me because ill go up against 450's and banshees. speed doesn't matter, the 450' have a hard time keeping the front down and banshees spin all the way...

one thing that helps you when racing against a faster quad is your lights start first, so they see you go and get antsy and impatient and have more a chance to jump there light and red light, I would rather race a faster quad then a slower one, the faster quads have to wait at the line for there light, and I red light almost everytime , when my quad is the slowest of the 2 I usually do much better

[cheater13]

Well i wont be racing banshees but ill be racing 450's and smaller ones im sure. But the lights start as the same time so i would have to get the holeshot before they do to have a good chance of winning

[DnB_racing]

Originally posted by cheater13
Well i wont be racing banshees but ill be racing 450's and smaller ones im sure. But the lights start as the same time so i would have to get the holeshot before they do to have a good chance of winning are you sure about the lights? usually its race what you bring, and you have to dial in your time after your practice runs..

meaning after your 2 practice runs you see your running say 7.00 seconds for your first and 6.90 for your second, then you would want to dial in around a 6.8 so you dont break out. and you could be racing against a quad that's dialed in at 6.5 seconds. .. he would start .3 seconds behind you, this way you both should finish at around the same time..

it makes for a better race, and is how most drags are run, this way it fun for all not just the people that have thousands invested,

the bracket race is for more then who spends the most to have the fastest... it takes skill to run the same time all the time, it just takes money to run the fastest.. I would be surprised if your lights arnt staggered to allow for speed handicaps

[cheater13]

I'll try and get more information about the lights but thats how it was last year unless they changed it. Hopefully thats how it is!

[DnB_racing]

Originally posted by cheater13
I'll try and get more information about the lights but thats how it was last year unless they changed it. Hopefully thats how it is! ya i hope so. it makes it much less frustrating,

it puts in in the hands of the rider not the wallet ..

that bieng said,
a couple years ago I lost to a 4 wheel drive Honda foreman, I was running very consistent 5.82 to 5.84 all day which is tight,
so I dialed in a 5.80 and I lined up against the Foreman who was had dialed in 8.9 seconds... he started almost 3 seconds ahead of me... my time was 5.82 and his time was 8.91 so he actually beat me by .01 seconds, its all about getting your time dialed in exact

[cheater13]

Wow that really sucks man. There was an artic cat last year racing and it was an automatic and he was woopin butt in the class he was in. There was also a Raptor but when the light turned green he gunned it pulled a wheelie straight up, bounced off the grab bar, then landed back on the bar bending the thing.

[cheater13]

Ok mani got information. I asked him about the lights and he said they aren't handicapped so both lights go down at the same time. I'm going to have tough competition haha

[01boneless]

youl be fine i only have a wiseco 11:1 piston a pipe uni filter and jeted and i can out run stock 450s all day long and tie with mild worked 450s sometimes even beat them cause they dont know how to keep the front end down like me lol

[cheater13]

Haha yeah hopefully I do good. I'm guessing you sit up near your tank and then go back when you take off?

[01boneless]

no to get traction i set towrds the back over the tires but lean forward towards the bars just takes practice i do alot of drags

[cheater13]

Ok thanks I'll have to give that a try

[cheater13]

The track is going to be pretty muddy now due to to the rain. Should I start out the same or do something different?

[DnB_racing]

Originally posted by cheater13
The track is going to be pretty muddy now due to to the rain. Should I start out the same or do something different? it wont be muddy for long, once all the quads practice and the graders start to flatten it out the mud packs and dries, and it will be a fast track...

but the wetter the track the more weight you can put on the rear tires,
if the track is hard packed the more chance to wheelie

more then likely the track is going to get faster as the day goes on

[cheater13]

Alright good. I was wandering because the truck pulls was last night on it and it stayed muddy

[DnB_racing]

Originally posted by cheater13
Alright good. I was wandering because the truck pulls was last night on it and it stayed muddy you would be better off with muddy track, that is if you were racing any 2 strokes or 450s, they would loose the speed advantage a little because of tire spin,

but if your racing other quads at around the same level as your quad is you want it dry as your tires are not the best,

any chance you could borrow a set of scat track haulers ? from a buddy or something

[cheater13]

Yeah hopefully I'll still be able to grab with my holeshots. But if I knew someone I would borrow them tires, but unfortunately I don't