[Tracie]

scottwww's drag times at Firebird Raceway in Eagle, Idaho.



Car 137: Best time 13.633 @ 103.23 mph - 100% stock

2007 BMW 335i E92, Montego Blue on Cream Beige, ZSP, ZPP, CA, PDC, CWP and Style 188 for winter

Car 156: 15.261 @ 93.64 mph


Car 134: 17.761 @ 81.71 mph


Time slips

[addicted 2 turbo]

it seems to slow for a 335, bad reaction time too.

[Tracie]

Couldn't get any traction. Never raced before. The second race no traction through 1st and 2nd gear and halfway through 3rd.

[Tracie]

Did you know that if your car turns better than a 14 second ET that you must wear a helmet? NHRA rules.

[addicted 2 turbo]

it your 1st so its ok just keep practicing, i just press the dts button once and i lauch at 1500 rpm.

[addicted 2 turbo]

Originally Posted by Tracie

Did you know that if your car turns better than a 14 second ET that you must wear a helmet? NHRA rules.

i did not know that, where i go they dont care

[Tracie]

The temperature was about 55 degrees today at about 2400 feet elevation. I was running Shell 91 octane.

Both of my runs were launched at 3000 RPM and with all nannies off.

The first run, had a strange feel. It seemed as if the traction control were turned on. There was kind of a shudder (I'm not certain that is the right word) all through first gear. I also ran up to the rev limiter (unintended). Then no problem. Maybe that "shudder" was the wheels hopping, but still getting some traction.

I was surprised my ET 14.270 and speed 101.91 mph were as good as they were (about what I thought I might get if I had a better launch than I did) since I don't street race, and this was my first time at the drag strip as a driver.

The second run, at the line, I didn't keep my foot on the brake, so I rolled back slightly as I revved the engine to 3000 and kept it there. My staging light went out and my pre-stage light was on. No red light. So I was slow to react (momentarily not certain what I was to do), but I went on the green. Still a very slow reaction time (although a lot of people had 2.5 seconds and thereabout). I think 1.313 was actually not much worse than average today. It seemed that most anybody that had a reaction time less than .6 was red-lighted at -.13, etc. With an ET of 15.561 and 99.96 mph I was disappointed. A lot of cars that ran in the 12s were at about the same trap speed.

On this second run, I had no traction through first gear, no traction through second gear, and no traction through part of third gear. I hadn't really expected that (since my first run was a whole different feel), but I wanted to see what would happen if I kept my foot in it again.

The left lane may have been slicker than the right lane too. That would explain why when I pulled in to the left lane, there were far fewer cars lining up for the left than for the right. Maybe they new something I didn't about lane choice today.

It's a good thing for everybody it was test and tune. Some of the pro-bracket cars didn't even keep on it after the 1/8th mile even though at this point, we were running 1/4 mile. Apparently working on their launch technique?

It was a lot of fun. This was the first test and tune event of three scheduled for this spring. I might go next Saturday. If I go, I will be certain to show up at the start of the event, since I missed two 1/8 mile runs.


OT: I tried to turn off my DRLs. The switch in the off position still left the lights on. I could not get them to go off. What's with that? I think today was the first time I had tried to turn them off.

[scottwww logged in on tracie's account]

[sflgator]

Originally Posted by boriquaguerrero

it your 1st so its ok just keep practicing, i just press the dts button once and i lauch at 1500 rpm.

+1. Although many ppl have said to turn DTC and DSC off completely as the OP did, I've tried that and got waaaay too much tires spin in M1. It seems like turning DTC ON (with just 1 quick press of the DTC button) is the best way to get a decent launch (especially in a PROcede-equipped 335i ). I haven't gone to the racetrack yet, but according to my Beltronics Vector FX1 timer, my best 1/4 mi. so far is 13.02 sec. @ 108.3mph.

[Tracie]

Originally Posted by sflgator

+1. Although many ppl have said to turn DTC and DSC off completely as the OP did, I've tried that and got waaaay too much tires spin in M1. It seems like turning DTC ON (with just 1 quick press of the DTC button) is the best way to get a decent launch (especially in a PROcede-equipped 335i ). I haven't gone to the racetrack yet, but according to my Beltronics Vector FX1 timer, my best 1/4 mi. so far is 13.02 sec. @ 108.3mph.

You should get it to the track. Take a helmet with you if it is an NHRA drag strip. I can't imagine launching with Procede on these stock tires. I would love to replace them, but I can't spare the dinero right now.

Maybe next time I will try launching as I do occassionally on the street (I have never street raced), just "spirited" driving without so much wheel spin (not just flooring it). I guess that's part of what test and tune is all about.

[scottwww logged in on tracie's account]

[musc]

I still remember the first pass I ever made. It takes time, and you'll get a lot better with practice.

Sounds like your launch was too aggressive. I am assuming you have an MT? You definitely don't want to dump the clutch with street tires. More or less have to feather out a little bit.

Just make sure you stage as shallow as you, just enough to set off the stage light. This will give you the most rollout and faster speed/time.

A lot of tracks still bracket race 1/8th mile, so they have been testing/tuning for that.

[Tracie]

Originally Posted by catm3

I still remember the first pass I ever made. It takes time, and you'll get a lot better with practice.

Sounds like your launch was too aggressive. I am assuming you have an MT? You definitely don't want to dump the clutch with street tires. More or less have to feather out a little bit.

Just make sure you stage as shallow as you, just enough to set off the stage light. This will give you the most rollout and faster speed/time.

A lot of tracks still bracket race 1/8th mile, so they have been testing/tuning for that.

I have the manual transmission.

Staging shallow can lead to faster ETs, but if you are in eliminations, you need every inch you can get. Or, I guess that once you have your timing down, you can stage shallow, hit the gas at the right moment on the last yellow light, and not red-light. Just have to get that timing down pat.

Keep it legal. Race on a drag strip. Post your times on e90post.com.

[scottwww logged in on tracie's account]

[serge]

What's that track's elevation?

All you need is more practice. You should see low-mid 13's pretty soon with a TS of 104mph or higher.

[rjs]

Originally Posted by serge

What's that track's elevation?

.

Originally Posted by Tracie

The temperature was about 55 degrees today at about 2400 feet elevation. I was running Shell 91 octane.

[serge]

ups...

2400 ft. are definetely hurting your times by .2-.3 sec. Same goes for speed.

[Tracie]

What really is the best tire pressure for drag racing on the Bridgestone Potenza runflats? My first run was with the rears at 35 psi. The second run was at 33 psi.

[scottwww logged in on tracie's account]

[bbelt88]

yah, that does seem a bit slow......My best time in my e90 was a 14.34 @ 97.1; you should have been running well into the 13's.....(this is assuming traction, sea level, and weather.

[CoralRedPlz]

sea level, i hit 13.60 at 102 stock, but that was with the RFT's and i had no clue how to warm up tires or anything else for that matter.

[scottwww]

Originally Posted by CoralRedPlz

sea level, i hit 13.60 at 102 stock, but that was with the RFT's and i had no clue how to warm up tires or anything else for that matter.

That's incredible! How did you launch?

[S4to335]

You should wear a helmet regardless.

[scottwww]

I made a few more passes at the drag strip today. It's still test and tune.

Overall, it was a good day. Weather conditions were good. It was 56 degrees (according to my instument panel) while I was in the staging lanes waiting for my 2nd run. It had climbed to 66 degrees by the time I was staging for my 4th run. Elevation at Firebird Raceway is about 2400 ft.

Here are my time slips:


I'll try to post pictures of each of the cars that ran next to me.

[Evo8MRto335I]

Scott,

What Firebird Raceway are you refering to? the one in Phoenix?

Carlos

[scottwww]

Originally Posted by Evo8MRto335I

Scott,

What Firebird Raceway are you refering to? the one in Phoenix?

Carlos

That's Firebird Raceway in Eagle, Idaho.