Going to the 1/4 track in June. Suggestions?

[ultravorx]

Hey guys, this June i will be taking my STS to the tracks. Any suggestions for good runs. I have the K&N air filter in the factory box, and i know to run it in 2nd gear with 1500 to 2250rpms for "boost", and to let my tires out to about 25psi.. Are there any other ideas? Maybe removing the air box resonator for better flow? Any info would be great.
Frank
p.s. On my Race meter, i was doing 0 to 60 in 6.9, and the quarter mile in 14.9 sec. I was hoping to get slightly better at the tracks.

[BUILDINGCTSAMG]

take out all the crap in your car, spare tire etc

[elwesso]

You could even consider taking out the back seat. In my car, it takes about 20 mins to take it out.

[lux hauler]

Letting air out of your tires isn't always the best thing to do. When you let pressure out of the tires, the tread starts to cup inward leaving you with less tread contact to the pavement. Less contact with the pavement means less traction.......less traction means more tire spin.
Stay out of the water pit. Drive around it if possible. Even if you do a burn-out, water can stay in the treads and lessen traction. If they put that sticky traction spray down, traction shouldn't be much of a concern.
If you are looking to run consistent times, I'd let the tranny shift itself. Power brake it at the line, lift off the brake, down on the gas and let the car take care of the rest. If your reaction times are consistent, your ET's will be too.

[kempie]

I'm going back when the local track opens Tue nights for trials.
Gonna remove spare & R. seat. Front tires 36 to 38 & rears appx 50 psi.
I have heard/read something about disconnecting the battery to clear the computer of your previous driving style. I dont know if this is a help or not. Any suggestions?

[AKPsiMC03]

signed up for Drag Day, eh?

ummm... take out as much weight as possible, maybe go on a diet, launce in 2nd gear to get a better shift.

[LymanSS]

Who ever said to avoid the water is right. keep your tires dry if you can. If you have to drive through, do a little bit of a burn out to try to dry them off, but don't waste too much tread, cause you'll just be spinning one tire anyway. Remember to turn traction control off if you have it. It'll cut in and ruin your run. As for tire pressure, start out at your stock pressure, do a couple of runs (is this an open track day, or a reserved event where you can make a lot of runs?) then drop the pressure a couple of pounds and see if it changes your 60 foot times. Keep the rears at normal pressure, or maybe even a little higher to reduce drag. Taking out the spare is good, running with a half tank of gas saves some weight. Make sure you are running the best gas you can afford. The northstars can run on 89, but they actually do run better and make more power with the higher octane gas. If you don't regularly use that, you might want to tank up on 93 or 94 octane a few times before going to the track to give the computer a while to adjust to the gas and advance the timing. A new air filter wouldn't hurt. Don't be tempted to run without one...it's just not worth it...not much of a performance gain. Oh...while you're taking seats you, you might as well take out the passenger's seat. It's probably a lot heavier than the rear seat. Practice your launches and your reaction times before you go...it never hurts to be in good form Let us know how it goes.

Scott

[ultravorx]

I'll definatly keep you guys updated, thanks for the advice. I already have a k&N air filter.
The date is June 21st, so I should have enough practice time for launches and stuff.
Frank

[elwesso]

Here is another idea: get some carb/tb cleaner, and spray it in there (a whole can). Follow the directions on the can, and it may help a little.

[cobrayankee]

Carb cleaner in where???? Do NOT do this.
And as for the tire pressure. You're not creating enough torque to flex the tires to the point where there's less traction. I have about 75-80 1/4 mile passes so far in my Lightning and past vehicles. If you're spinning, then lower air pressure (all the way down to 19-22psi) CAN help. Good luck, let us know how you do.