Friday February 20th was the first time I took my srt4 to track. The first event of the year at Texas Motorplex in Ennis. Very Disapointed on my times but I nailed my reaction times. No traction till 3rd gear in both runs. First time I felt it torque steer this bad (Not this bad on my N20 Civic, then again it wasn't no where near this strong.) First run: R/T .559, 1/4 16.587, MPH 97.70. Second Run: R/T .380, 1/4 15.283, MPH 97.00. Still learning how to control this beast. The event was sold out at 400 cars there so I didn't wanna wait another two hours for my next run . Hopefully it won't be as packed next month so I can get more runs in. I'll post my time slips as soon as I find someone with a digital camera. Anyone got any launching techniques. I tried my first run at 3500 RPM and the second one around 3100-3200 RPM.

 

In my first day of driving mine I noticed that it eats up first gear way too fast. If your breaking loose from 1st through 3rd try easing on the throttle after your shifts instead of WOT.

 

Yup, that first gear is over before ya know it and takes some getting used to; otherwise, it's nearly perfect.[&:]

 

If you have to drive the car to work don't try this. Here is what works for me and i use each one for diffrent tracks. If they don't maintain the launch area of the track, there is enough rubber left laying around to make a set of slicks or there is enough water to flood a street, etc. Bring the revs just above idle 1300 -1500 rpms, when the green lights up come off the clutch and down on the gas, smoth as possible( Less so if you have to use the parking brake to hold the stageing lights, yes i have been to a track with a hill next to the lights in the stageing lanes) Keep giving it the gas don't look at your tach or boost gauge, watch your spedometer the limit is 30mph in first gear if it picks up fast, or goes over 30mph your spinning the tires in either case do an everyday shift to second gear, you know, let off the gas press the clutch, shift, let out on the clutch and push the gas pedal to the floor, if you get torque steer you did it right, the tires are spinning just above your forward motion and will calm down around the 45-50mph, at 60mph with the gas pedal on the floor shift to third gear if you havent practiced shifting without letting off the gas then shift it normal, but when you have shifted and the clutch is half way up stomp the gas pedal to the carper. This will net you real low 14's or high 13 second runs and you should cross the line at around 95-101mph in third gear with around 5000-5200 rpms the car is still pulling good but the quarter is over.
Second. This is for a well maintained concrete track like ennis or houston raceway park type track. NEVER do this unless you have some one to tow or trailer you home as you will brake something before long. After stageing at the lights put it in second gear and rev the motor up to 3000-3200 rpms when you get the green light pop the clutch, side step it, let off of it as quickly as you can, YOU will get all kind's of torque steer keep it stright, on this one your watching the tach not the spedo, at 5500 - 5700 rpm with out letting off the gas shift to third gear, if you hear it backfire don't worry it just banged the factory rev limiter no big deal the same will happen as you cross the line as you were holding higher rpm's then before and you should get high 13 or mid 13 second run at 99 thru 102 mph depending on your reaction times. Practice both of these the next time your at the track. Again get ready to work on it if you launch like this often. And its not a SRT-4 thing its every car that launches like this mazda, honda, etc.