[elky] Drag Racing Report
- From: Chris Lindh <chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:21:54 -0400
I wanted to go drag racing to help me decide the direction I want to proceed
with the '80. More power? Durability? T56?
The drive to the "Atlanta" Dragway takes an additional hour on a Friday due
to rush hour and the race track being 70 miles from Atlanta. The
lifesaver? Ear plugs: with no carpet and headers the '80 is loud. I
arrived at the track 30 minutes early and was first in line. Paid $20 and
proceeded to tech. The tech inspector passed the '80 without comments, I
wanted to ask him what things he looked for, but I was in a hurry... to then
wait 30 minutes for racing to start (hurry up and wait, this seems to be
common theme for sportsman racing).
First run, blew away the tires off the line and in every gear thereafter.
Clearly traction, or the lack thereof, would be the theme of the day. 16.3
at 88MPH. I had hoped to be quicker. Although the Marauder in the other
lane blew my doors off he red lit... so I win dammit.
Next run 15.4 at 103MPH. This is more like it. 103 miles per hour
calculates ~300 hp to the wheels, and the elapsed time should be 13 flat.
So I'm not putting the power to the ground... should this be a surprise?
Air shocks, Eibach springs and hard tires with little sidewall... like a
recipe for no traction. I did lower the pressure in the air shocks, but I
was afraid to lower it too much lest the 275/40s get into the fenderwell.
I hotlapped the next 4 runs, all 16 something at ~97 MPH. Then I was told I
had an oil leak, so I made a banzai run to a local parts store for a valve
cover gasket and swapped it out in the parking lot.
I came back and made 4 runs, getting into the low 15s at 97. I wonder if
the 103 MPH run was correct? I took a break to snap some photos of other
cars (night shots, mostly blurry, I need a monopod). Something happened on
the track so the line to race got long, so I headed for home around 9:45. I
was pleased to have made 10 runs, I data logged so I can tune places on my
fuel map that I will never see in street driving (high load, high RPM).
Carnage to the '80? Header collector gasket (sounds like a log truck) and
possibly the heater core. Not bad all things considered. Where do I go
from here? For traction I at least need to install the load leveler springs
and air bags waiting on the shelf, then maybe drag shocks? (I had planned
on Bilstein shocks like the front) Drag radials or slicks are a
possibility, but too much traction will no doubt lead to the demise of the
original 7.5" rearend, driveshaft, or both. I have an 8.5" from my
Malibu... or maybe go to a Ferd 9"?
A trailer would be nice, take the worry out of breaking something at the
track & being stranded... I'm visiting my brother next weekend and I may
come back with his trailer and my old MGB. Our driveway would look like a
home for wayward cars...
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