*drag racing virgin!! - tips & advice please*

[Brin]

Howdy all,

Long story short, my man has two turbo VL's. The Calais is defected and purely for track, and the other, the wagon, is his daily as well as for the track.

He is giving me well, what I think is, the opportunity of a life time!! I mean theres no way my VN would make a time to be ultra proud of... He did not get a chance to drag race till he was 24, and I am only 19. My Pop did not get a chance till he was 30 - and made 17's which was apparently smackin in those days haha. My Mama and Nana think I am going to die, and keep rubbing it in, but Pop is stoked for me.

Obviously, i'm racing the daily cause the Calais is his pride and joy..... And i'm too scared to touch it, I might put a finger print on it!! Hahahah.

I'm racing the wagon tomorrow night at WSID... Up until now I have been talking it up, been really psyched and excited actually, and saying I won't get scared... But now... Don't tell anyone I know, (hopes man is not reading this lol) BUT I THINK IM SCARED!! NOPE, REPLACE SCARED WITH NERVOUS ACTUALLY... OR MAYBE BOTH TOGETHER...

I have driven the wagon down to the shops and all, but he always puts it on stage on boost cause he thinks I'll give it a thrashing.. Haha. Once, under his "supervision", I had it sideways at 25kph on 13 pounds... And was like... WHOAAAA... It also has an LSD, which is new to me as the VN can only spin one wheel But he is only putting my old 14"s on for me to destroy... Lol.. No slicks for me. He reckons it will be safer.

He and his engine builder were going to take me out and practise launching, and burnouts to warm the tyres etc etc, and stalling something which I just think is a regular burnout in my VN haha. I said i'd wanna go practise in the VN first so I could get comfy and know what i'm doing, then take his out tonight to practise when I have a bit of an idea.... Had the MADDEST fun ever in the VN "Practising", even though he was not shouting, but the way he was talking to me was making me stress, you know, talking so fast and all. I can control my VN, I know that...

Just a bit scared to drive with an LSD, especially if the drag strip is gonna be wet, I don't know if the back will swing as I burnout to the starting line... *cries* He said I will reach 180 kays before the finish line and the max i've ever done in the VN is 160..

I'm full of questions, like how much throttle do I apply, as it is not responsive like my buick I know I have started her first thing in the morning, put my foot down and the thing stalls on me... He knows the "trick", I don't... WHAT IF IT STALLS AT THE LINE? When do I start braking?? He says at the finish line. Me thinking, duh! But how?! Usually speed and long distance braking i would tap it a few times, he said just go straight onto the brakes.. WONT THAT LOCK UP THE BACK WHEELS?? We're going out to the paddock again tonight (double demerits i know) and I know i'll have mad fun... But when I roll up to that starting line I think ill **** myself. *cries* *cries some more*

I'm not scared. I'll keep repeating that to myself.... Do I imagine everyone in their underwear?? *cries again* I know my VN like my best friend and how she handles in all situations, most I have gone is maccas runs in the VL and he checks the computer out after i've driven it tooo....

I'll attach a pic of the wagon.

Do you guys have any tips? In racing the car? Controlling the car? Not being nervous? What if I don't do a decent burnout? (haha) What if I go over the starting line and have to reverse back, how embarrassing...

I drive a VN, you can turn her on and have your foot to the floor and be very throttle responsive.... The VL is not like that... He reckons it weighs the same as my VN Berlina, which I think it feels heavier than my car. And how am I supposed to drag race in a car that doesn't like your foot to the floor straight away?!

We have a bet going that if I beat his PB in the wagon- 13.2 seconds - He will pay my license fines off $200......... Seeing as I am 38 kilos lighter, (I weigh 47 kilo) every kilo in drag racing matters doesn't it?? He's gonna take out the jack and the spare tyre, take out the left headlight so the turbo has more induction... He reckons i'll be fine.. Do you think my theory will work though?? Could I expect a 12.9.... If I launch properly and have as little wheel spin as possible?? Wheel spin will lose me time, am I correct?? Or am I dreaming..... Beating his PB would put me over the moon, not to mention that my licence won't be suspended haha. But he would not be happy...

Give me tips and advice guys!! I can just imagine me sitting there at the starting line now... And my foot will be shaking all over the accelerator. I'm being a wuss, if I was racing the VN i'd be fine coz I know how she handles all conditions and speeds, but not a turbo wagon, not an LSD diff, I hope the track will not be wet....

How does an LSD handle in those high speeds??

So many questions, forgetting them all, I didn't think I would be this scared.. I'm not.. I'm nervous.

I'm gonna be so nervous sitting in the water on the starting line......... Imagine if I passed out (even though this is a dream come true) or worse, I flatten it, and she stalls?

ARRRGGGGHHH! HELP ME!!!

Any advice is appreciated guys..... Or even something to calm my nerves....

Cheers

Sabrina


PS. Sorry if there is anything repetitive or any typos, I haven't been this nervous up until now just talking about it... I'm pretending to him that i'm all sweet, but he still reckons ill sh!t it.

[minux]

Why would the track be wet? Since when do meetings allow racing on a wet track?

Anyway, speak to your boyfriend about it, he obviously has the experience. Regardless, if the PB for the wagon is 13.2, i wouldnt even be worried, when the light turns green, tramp it and go. Hardly a powerful car running low 13's. Not sure how you can expect a 12.9 from a 13.2...

Anyway, have fun, if you are not confident, do not race. Otherwise, in a slow car(13.2 is pretty slow) just boot it and drive.

[Emackulation]

Ask your boyfriend for tips. I don't know how he thinks 14" rims will be safer then sticky stuff, more chance of spinning and losing control = more danger. Oh yeah, hope the brakes are good because coming over the finish line at 170km/h+ is scary with withering brakes.

[VN_Luke]

Yeah just relax

if you haven't drag raced before and are nervous etc - then just go out there and get the 'feel' for it the first few times around. - all you're doing is driving in a straight line, which isn't that hard!.. after you have a few runs, you'll get used to it all and start having heaps of fun!

the track is going to be sticky as anything - way more grippier than the road - with a low 13 sec car I wouldn't be too scared of skating half the track or anything.

you won't notice a difference between an lsd and an open diff if you're not wheelspinning. - if you take off rough as you might get the arse of the car kicking a bit... if you feel uncomfortable with it just back off the gas and it'll straighten up. (just be smooth with everything you do ) - with a turbo car (depending on if it's manual or auto etc) you might even want a tiny bit of wheelspin to get it up onto boost right away off the line - but there are a million different factors - and you'll get the 'feel' for it all anyway.

Other than that, just listen/watch the officials - they'll tell you when to do a burnout, where to stop on the staging lines (and tell you to go forward or back etc)

once the lights go green - don't stress too much about launching right away. The time you take to take off from the lights doesn't contribute to your ET. - so you can be comfortable launching etc if you want. - the hardest thing I've found is that I can't even HEAR my own car most of the time I run, as there's some crazy pipe-less 454 big block in the lane next to me lol.

After you launch, just keep it planted and try drive in the straightest line possible! (the track is wide as!)

You'll know you've passed the 1/4 mile after you cross a line, or the walls change colour or something like that. Sometimes you can see your time on the board, other times you can't - depends on the track I guess.

There is HEAPS of room for cars to pull up after a race from MUCH faster than you'll be going (you'll be going 160-170km/h).... They're not out to kill people lol. Just brake normally (but reasonably quickly), and you'll see where you have to stop by (it'll be ages away).

most importantly, relax and HAVE FUN - that's what it's all about!

If you don't do the best on your first time out, don't stress! there's always next time. - and the more practise you can get, the better!

[immortality]

just HAVE FUN. i'd say you don't need to do a big burnout. not going to make a huge difference anyways. just enough to clean the treads off. first time outyou don't need to nail the throttle. as you gain more confidence you can give it more revs off the line

[Brin]

Yeah dudes im gonna go out to have fun... But we have this bet going me and Lukey... I don't wanna get smashed... *sigh* Lol.

It's mainly when the boost kicks in that i'll get a bit scared...... Kicks out and I correct it and yeah.... And have to TRY to keep her straight.... My first time though so like you guys said, i'll just be getting a feel for it..... I wonder if I could talk him into letting me drive the Calais next meet haha (was last front cover of Zoom) but I doubt it..

Mama and I had a huge fight about it today, going on like she does. So I cant wait to print all the pics from Cackling Pipes & Badger Photography and stick them all around the house... Like I do with pics of my VN from my mobile phone haha..

Practise makes perfect I guess!! God damn when I grow up, i'm making sure my backyard is big enough for a drag strip hahahahaha

[Brin]

Maybe he just wants to chuck the fourteens on...... So I don't burn through his chasers hahahaha makes sense, doesn't it..

[vlv8vic]

I am only 19.
I I know my VN like my best friend and how she handles in all situations,
.

That scares me. Don't become complacent. that is when kids make a mistake - they believe they know all driving situations and can win them all.

Sorry i can't help with the drags. Sounds like your fella is the one to listen to.

[Julie]

I'm confused, the max speed you have ever reached in your VN is 160 but this is the first time you have drag raced. Where did you get the VN up to 160, circuit?

[shanecam81]

dont have your phone on in your pocket, my mate did on his first run, it rang just as the lights changed, cost him 3 secs lol

[666vt]

I'm confused, the max speed you have ever reached in your VN is 160 but this is the first time you have drag raced. Where did you get the VN up to 160, circuit?

people speed on roads...

[vlv8vic]

people speed on roads...

and are dumb enough to admit it in print on a public internet forum.. loooool

[VT SERIES II]

obviously with the amount of questions you have your not ready yet...
Theres no rush- do heaps of practise until you feel comfortable with what your doing(especially since you have only driven the car your going to be using a few times)

- its much less embarrasing f*king up infront of noone than it is f*king up in front of everyone....(of course for the spectators its rather amusing)

Also theres no way I would drag anyones car but my own/ I know its your man but I can tell you right now that when it comes to money people change very quickly....

[VN_Luke]

I presumed the 160 was done on a private stretch of road.... - or a non-limited public stretch.

in either case - the big speeds don't really feel that dangerous on a track! - you have a really wide lane, with really good quality surface, the right safety teams and equipment on hand - and not much to hit! - feels smooth as (presuming you don't have any wheel/tailshaft/etc balance issues!)

I can't imagine how bumpy and dangerous a public road must be at those speeds - even the 100km/h roads in some places can get 'floaty' at the speed limit!

[immortality]

if he's gonna put skinny 14's on (and probably shit rubber) maybe turn the boost down as it may break traction quicker with less rubber and lots of boost

[Brin]

Okie dokie guys, thanks for the support and tips, hey.

I'm all ready for tonight, not as nervous anymore after a little bit more practise yeddy

For those of you whom are presuming I have reached 160 kays on the road in my VN, good on ya!! I would not endanger my life nor others, on a public road. Not to mention damaging my pride and joy, as well as possibly ending up with a hefty insurance claim!! If you must know, my mate owns a very large piece of land out in Austral, grass, gravel, concrete, you name it - he's got it!! When I first got my car he told me if I wanted to get up to any mischief, do it in his 2 acre yard - score!

I know it may be no biggie to you all, and 13 secs may be slow, BUT I know i'm gonna have a HUGGGGGGGGGGE adrenalin rush, I know i'm going to LOVE it, so.. *pokes tongue out*

WISH ME LUCK!!

Sabrina

[Brin]

By the way, with the tyre business, I think i'm gonna wonder down to the wreckers today and get myself a set of decent slicks for tonight..

[immortality]

highway max tyres for traction. $67 fitted foamy tells me. fit nice on some ceptor rims

[Emackulation]

Good luck for tonight, brake an axle!

[needwork2-4fillhabbit]

Good luck and tell us how ya go!!

[Brin]

Hahaha it was all fun up until now...

At about 3:30 this afternoon, I got a phone call saying GAS30T's bottom radiator hose/clamp came loose on the M5 and was over heating mad ways. He cut the hose, re clamped it, all he could get was FOUR LITRES OF WATER to crawl home in.

Possible damaged or warped head now, will see when it has cooled down in the morning.

So, all in all, it was great fun.

*cries in dismay* Thanks for the support anyway guys. I feel like throwing bricks at the car now ha.

[vlv8vic]

If you must know, my mate owns a very large piece of land out in Austral, grass, gravel, concrete, you name it - he's got it!! When I first got my car he told me if I wanted to get up to any mischief, do it in his 2 acre yard - score!

You got to 160kmh on a 2 acre block? that right there is amazingly dangerous. 2 acres is pretty bloody small. Even if the land were an average house block wide it'd only be about 100m long.... one hellava VN you got there to do that then stop as well....

[Astranomical]

Well at least you have some experience now. Glad to hear you had fun though, thats what its all about!

[calais_304]

You got to 160kmh on a 2 acre block? that right there is amazingly dangerous. 2 acres is pretty bloody small. Even if the land were an average house block wide it'd only be about 100m long.... one hellava VN you got there to do that then stop as well....

what the hell are you talking about...it's a VN

[vlv8vic]

what the hell are you talking about...it's a VN

lol i forgot they come standard with jet engine and parachute. Still might struggle on the old 2 acre block though.....