I Have A Few Q's About Drag Racing (Cars)

Wow, that’s really impressive. I had no idea guys were going that quick for that little money? Are they reliable? I may have just found my new dream/wish commuter car? Is the GolfR still pretty quick with a stick?

I like Golf’s, the Audi too. The Mercedes would scare me, that it would break expensive stuff? However they all have “wonderful” German electronics.

 

It’s harder to launch. The wet clutch DSG VAG has has amazing launch mode and lightening fast shifts. I’d say 3 tenths slower for a stick.

They’re all German cars. Maintenance is a must. Those cars kick you in the nuts if you neglect them. But the golf’s 4cyl has been around for a long time and it’s in everything. And the DSG has no known issues.
Mercedes I dunno. I got a kit up here in Canada buying e85 from me who runs 10.80s on an e30 mix. Exhaust and tune.

 

Check out the YT thread for a guy drag racing
using his feet only to drive the car (because he
has no arms).

 

That is so insane. I can recall how incredibly fast we thought the '87 5.0 Mustang was - it could sneak into the 13s with the right driver and skinny front tires.

Back in the day ('90 or so), a local guy was building a 'street' 10sec '69 Chevelle. It was only a street car in the sense that it had a license plate. A built 427 that barely idled with an extra slippy torque converter didn't really make for a car to run errands in. I can't recall if he ever actually got into the 10s with it or not.

 

Not sure what you consider budget, as decent ones are still closer to $30K. one for $20k will need a lot of maintenance to get up to task, and at the end of the day, it's FauxWD, you can still overwhelm the front tires to not hook up and just spin

 

I know where you can get a nice 3rd gen Camaro street/track car that will run mid tens on motor(406 SBC) and low tens with some spray for like 26K. Needs maybe only wipers to be a nice bracket drag and drive car.

 

Up here in Canada they start at 22k cad. Todays exhange rate that’s just over 16k usd.

You want a puff cream low miles unit or you wanna go drag race it?

 

No homo.

 

My times and speeds are better than that what the magazines do. And I'm not some midget.

 

1992.

 

Interesting, what 1/4 mile times, what bikes, which drag strip, and what magazine? You did this on a stock exhaust/airbox bike, no engine mods, with no electronics/air shifter, etc?

I’m asking because for a while my dad class raced with the dragbike organization. We went to a lot of places around the midwest, and no one matched the times on stock stuff, back then. I did see one guy who was close, but he internally modified the transmission so he could shift without letting off the gas or tapping a kill button. He also modified his brake calipers. I remember his name, what’s your name?

Back when I was younger, to get those times, they usually went to a near sea level drag strip. Then they hired Per Wee Gleason to set many of the fast times the bike mags used. He was Danny Pedrosa sized.

 

Gleason was the rider in the greatest motorcycle commercial ever made, the V65 Magna at the drag strip.

 

Im positive JU himself posted on this board the times they ran on the bikes were "as delivered".
Since it was pre fuel injection... I would imagine the OEMs had their best wrenches prepping the units doing the little things like jetting, tire pressures, etc.
I have no doubt Peewee (RIP) could do alien times on bikes like the Vmax, V65, & GPZ turbo.
I know I tried running a gpz turbo numerous times at 1/8 & 1/4 mile tracks years later to try to match the published times and was nearly a 1/2 second off. Later on when I figured out how you could add another 15hp simply removing stuff... suddenly the mag mph made sense & nobody would have known out at a test.
Also Kawi had these items available for purchase very early in the models release but if you remember all the fuel injection voodoo morons claimed it "ran hot" from being lean...lol. That bike made an honest 74 ft lbs of torque bone stock on a light switch turbo & at 550lbs ready to ride. When 60 mins did a hit piece on them in late 84... Kawi wanted no part of that model anymore.

 

The guy was a living legend. I remember how excited I was to drag race against him in Texas at an ET race. I even won.

 

Alabama, what area track are you looking for?
Holiday Beach raceway (I20 between bham and Tuscaloosa), i22 raceway (I22 between bham and Memphis), Montgomery raceway, Alabama international raceway (Steele, AL), Atmore has a track close to Mobile, AL
Most test and tune nights are run what you bring. Street tires are allowed on most test and tune nights around here. Most tracks in AL are 1/8th mile.
If it's a race day with test and tune slicks will be required. Helmet and seatbelts are required. That's pretty much it unless it's nhra or ihra sanctioned event here in Alabama.
Some test and tune nights/open track night don't require helmet.
I suggest a helmet.

 

I remember the first time I drag raced at either Green Valley or Kennedale in Texas. I was surprised guys in motorcycles were racing with jeans and a t-shirt and possibly a helmet? They did it because it was soooo hot and I was there in leathers, boots, gloves and a helmet. You couldn’t get away without gear in Illinois. Plus I thought it was more comfortable in Texas. Even though the temp was warmer, the humidity was much less.

 

Stock 2010 Aprilia RSV4R 10.0 @ 150mph. I've never saw any test better than that. That's still faster than the tests of newer versions.

Cycle World
RSV4 R APRC ('12) Issue 9/12 10.36 @ 141.0
RSV4 Factory APRC ('12) Issue 10/12 10.28 @ 143.7

I remember most tests being in the 10.3 range.

 

What track,or did you use your own stopwatch. Them are some nice round numbers.

 

High school friends "street legal" Camero. He owns "Real Deal Steel" Search YouTube for Hooters & Hot Rods in Castleberry FL on 01/20/2013 it is normally the 3rd or 4th video.