Things I learned tonight - Tuner-Junction

88 rex · #1 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 07:27 AM

First of all, to a keep a short story long. I get a message on my phone from John saying he's making a last minute decision to go to E-town. I think it was around 630 when he called. I think "hmmmm....wife is out with some girly work friends for a going away party, I don't feel like cutting grass, and it's simply beautiful out. What should I do. " SCREW IT!! I grab my helmet, a sweatshirt, cell phone, wallet and hit the road at 645. Met John a little after 8 at the track.

SOOOOO............my first run is against and EVO. This is my FIRST TIME EVER at the tree. I manage to stage and then I didn't realize the tree had started!!! While bringing the revs up to what I was hoping would be about 4-4.5k rpm, I see the green light and this EVO just shoots out of the hole!!! I just floor it. Did my best to feather it, but just spun all of first. Even shifted short of redline to get to 2nd and get traction. Once I got traction then it was a smooth run (even though I can't remember shifting at all). From memory I think I ran a 14.089, but once John posts my slip it I'll know.

The fun part: Coming across the line I start to get on my brakes HARD. Then all of the sudden I hear a loud POP! Brake hits the floor along with my Jaw and heart. Blew a brake line. Get back around to pits and borrow someones jack. What I felt was a huge tear in my brake line. I think something had been rubbing on it and slow wore it down, then with all that pressure it just ruptured/exploded. Brake fluid all over the underside of the motor and all components.

GREAT NEWS: It didn't happen on the street or an off ramp or on the turnpike/parkway. Fortunately, it happened on a little 1/4 mile piece of track that has safety features in the event something like this happens.

CLIFF NOTES: I suck at drag racing. I blew a brake line and got one run. AAA towed my home (funny old fella and his wife).

What did I learn?

1) Legal drag racing isn't all mash it and go. Timing is key.

2) I suck at drag racing

3) Early version of Full-race bars don't have tow hooks. I have the newer version (which I didn't know until explaining to jadkar how my tow hooks rub on anything before my oil pan/header and he looked at me confused and is like "What tow hooks?") Came in handy because the guy didn't have to run chains all under my car and potentially rip up my lip.

4) Any lower and the car would have some issues getting on the tow truck.

5) SS brake lines wear when rubbing on something.

6) Drag racing is fun, autox is better

7) EVO's are fast........as well as SRT4's.

8) The people running the tech/track are all serious domestic guys, but I think they realized we weren't some ricer kids and they turned out to be some nice guys.

9) John's first gear is useless.

KibaRUN · #2 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 08:00 AM

cool that u had fun, bad that ur brake lines failed....lucky ur ish is aite!

Ricky · #3 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 09:56 AM

lol @ johns first gear

jadkar · #4 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 10:11 AM

for refrence.........

88Rex - Run #1

R/T: --> .751
60' --> 2.381
330 --> 6.249
1/8 --> 9.288
mph --> 81.93
1000 --> 11.896
1/4 --> 14.087
mph --> 103.28

I hate SRT-4s!!

88 rex · #5 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 10:33 AM

thanks

triniskill · #6 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jadkar

I hate SRT-4s!!

..thumbs up to that..

triniskill · #7 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 12:41 PM

did you guys do any changes to the cars..like tire pressure or anything?...

88 rex · #8 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triniskill

did you guys do any changes to the cars..like tire pressure or anything?...

The only change I made was removing all my brake fluid to save weight

triniskill · #9 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88 rex

The only change I made was removing all my brake fluid to save weight

lol...thats the best thing to do when your doin close to 100 on the 1/4mile.

jadkar · #10 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 03:05 PM

Both of us really did nothing. We droped our pressures down to 25 & 23psi which we think wasn't enough. This trip was really spur of the moment. I mean we didn't even get to empty our cars. I had SO much stuff in mine, I wanted to dump it all but we had nobody else there to hang on to our gear. In my car I had....

floor matts
laptop
video camera
power convertor
crap in my glove box / rear cargo box / center console

I couldn't believe the joke that tech inspection was

When I tech out my car for road course they actually jack it up and check everything, takes about 30 minutes. Here, nothing!! they didn't even pop my hood or check my tires!! Totally insane!!

I want to go back again but with more people on a Saturday this way we can video

Ricky · #11 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 07:16 PM

yeah the track inspections are a joke untill you start getting into really crazy set ups. I dont know about e town but down here once you reach certain times with certain cars they make you wear an engine diaper

triniskill · #12 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 08:00 PM

I got to give you my number jadkar..I only live about 25 minutes from the track...If I would of known u guys were goin I would of been there to meet you and 88rex.

jadkar · #13 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triniskill

I got to give you my number jadkar..I only live about 25 minutes from the track...If I would of known u guys were goin I would of been there to meet you and 88rex.

yeah...PM it to me. I would have definitely called you, we needed a video man

triniskill · #14 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ricky

yeah the track inspections are a joke untill you start getting into really crazy set ups. I dont know about e town but down here once you reach certain times with certain cars they make you wear an engine diaper

they get strict at e town..but only when they know you have something thats is crazy or if u run times that you need a rollcage and dont have one..they make you stop right there.

triniskill · #15 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 08:05 PM

hey 88rex..don't you have the Phearable.net P28 ecu, isnt there a luanch control set-up on the ecu?

88 rex · #16 (**permalink**) July 1st, 2006, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triniskill

hey 88rex..don't you have the Phearable.net P28 ecu, isnt there a luanch control set-up on the ecu?

I do have that ecu, but I have don't have that option.

Does anyone know if there is any truth to the requirement of fire jackets for FI cars that were not initially FI?

njn63 · #17 (**permalink**) July 2nd, 2006, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 88 rex

Does anyone know if there is any truth to the requirement of fire jackets for FI cars that were not initially FI?

I've never heard that. I actually don't know the official rule on when you have to have a jacket though.

jadkar · #18 (**permalink**) July 2nd, 2006, 01:10 AM

^^^^^

This inquiry comes because the tech inspector told me he was gonna turn me away because my car was FI and I didn't have a fire jacket. He said any car that is non-OEM FI (including turbo, SC, NO2) you need a jacket. We think he was messing with us though because he goes, "I'll let you go this time".

triniskill · #19 (**permalink**) July 2nd, 2006, 01:21 AM

found this on the racewaypark web site...
2. ALL POWER ADDER RACERS WITH N0N-OEM/FACTORY POWER ADDERS IE:SUPERCHARGERS,TURBOCHARGERS,OR THE USE OF NITROUS. SECTION 1A,PAGE 24 OF THE 2006 NHRA RULEBOOK READS AS FOLLOWS. "10.00(*6.40 1/8 MILE) AND SLOWER; ALL E.T.NON-OEM SUPERCHARGER,NON-OEM TURBOCHARGED, OR NITROUS-EQUIPPED CARS WITH AN OEM OR .024-INCH STEEL FIREWALL: JACKET MEETING SFI SPEC 3.2A/1 MANDATORY. " THESE JACKETS ARE AFFORDABLE. THIS RULE WILL BE ENFORCED!

jadkar · #20 (**permalink**) July 2nd, 2006, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triniskill

found this on the racewaypark web site...
2. ALL POWER ADDER RACERS WITH N0N-OEM/FACTORY POWER ADDERS IE:SUPERCHARGERS,TURBOCHARGERS,OR THE USE OF NITROUS. SECTION 1A,PAGE 24 OF THE 2006 NHRA RULEBOOK READS AS FOLLOWS. "10.00(*6.40 1/8 MILE) AND SLOWER; ALL E.T.NON-OEM SUPERCHARGER,NON-OEM TURBOCHARGED, OR NITROUS-EQUIPPED CARS WITH AN OEM OR .024-INCH STEEL FIREWALL: JACKET MEETING SFI SPEC 3.2A/1 MANDATORY. " THESE JACKETS ARE AFFORDABLE. THIS RULE WILL BE ENFORCED!

Damn...looks like I'm buying a jacket.