So my friend owns a Saturn Ion Redline with a stage 2 clutch,and he wanted to see what it could do at the track...

My husband has never taken my Camaro down the track so I let him have a go at it. They both raced.The Ion got a 11.16 and my Camaro,a 11.87. those are terrible numbers!! It's an 1/8th mile track!!

I have raced him before and gotten 10.5 and 10.3 the best.

My friend in the Ion,said he couldn't get it in 2nd gear. He was upset and wanted to try again. I said I would race my Camaro myself this time,no offense to my husband or anything.

He got a 10.5 in his Ion the next race,I only got 11.3...

We recorded both our races,and we both had the same problem...the tires would just not stick to the track!

Halfway down the track the tires still smoked! I have never raced him that bad myself!! The regular track guy,was not there,and there was an older guy,that didnt scrape or do anything to the track between races. He slopped a mop down occasionally,and that was it. It is a grudge match race set up,you pay to take your car down,don't matter what you race. Even seen a windstar go down the track today!! Was pathetic!

Before getting in to go home,I noticed this on the back of my car...

I have peeled out quite a bit on the streets before and never had that on there before!! I think warming up my tires...it just encased my tires with whatever was on the track already! My friend in the Ion couldn't get them to light up enough,so I believe it was a traction issue with me.

I was thinking on the way home to about possibly getting different tires for the back,just to swap for when I take it to race,but wouldn't all the crap on the track just get on them too? I know bigger tires have more grip,but with all the cars that go down that track that could have leaks of all kinds..would I still have the same problem? I raced only a couple weeks ago...maybe i'll try again when my buddy is working the tracks and see how it goes again... I was excited putting my new heads on,i gained .02. This week I couldn't stick!!

Sorry for te long post...i'm just bummed =[

 

Put a set of M/T drag radials on it, and hang on.

 

The rubber is normal. Don't do a burnout on street tires. Drive around the box and a quick spin to clean them is all you need. Contrary to what most people think regular street radials will lose grip the hotter they get. They get hot and then they get oily. If your spinning to half track try rolling into the throttle off the line.

 

My husband also thinks the track may be too hot...It was like 90 degrees yesterday,in the sun was probably more brutal...

I have raced quite a few times,and that was a terrible day!

If I didn't warm up the tires at all...wouldn't they of still gotten all the track crap on them?

 

that sucks i havent takin the 3rd gen to the trck yet trying to get all the ''idiots'' out of it hope it goes better next time for ya

 

That stuff all over your car is traction compound that most NHRA tracks spray on the track surface. Only way to avoid it is to drive around the wet box, and don't do a burnout. Even then you'll get some from the starting line, but not nearly as much. Your times will improve too!

 

Yep. Used to love it street racing back in the day when guys would do big huge burnouts with regular street radials. We'd tell 'em to do a bigger one lol.

My group all ran bias ply DOT approved street slicks or straight up drag slicks, especially if we knew we were going to race and the money was going to be enough to risk the tickets and/or the hook. This was back in the early/mid 90's, there were no drag radials back then.

Also don't let air out of regular street radials either. Run them the same way you do when your driving the car normally. Some guys would actually run a little higher air pressure if they thought they were going to race.

 

Not sure what you mean by wet box.... if that's where they mop up from the area where you do the burnout,before pulling up to the tree...you cant go around it..its all in pretty much the same area. I'll try next week to take a pic from behind...to give a better idea...I wont burnout,see what happens too..thanks for all the help.

 

The water box. Right where you do your burnout. If you husband goes to the line with you have him tell the starter or guy at the box you don't plan on burning out. At least they won't add water. If you do have to roll through, after you get out of the box give it a quick spin. That with help get water out of the treads on the tire. The last thing you want is to track water to the line.

Another tip for when you do get slicks. Have your husband bring you it the box. Tell him to get your tires right to the edge of the water and burnout there. That is so you don't spin through the water. Going through the water sucks heat out of the tire. Again that is for slicks.

 

I haven't been to just 2-3 local tracks, but all of them have water boxesw(wet box) that are controlled areas that we can drive around without getting our tires wet.