So I took the neon to the track today. It was horrendously packed. I was there for about 7 hours and only got in 7 runs. I did okay....although I didn't hit the times I was hoping for. But I did run all of these times with my 17's on there and full trim. If I had a few more runs in I might have gotten the time I was hoping for...but I had to wait so damn long to run again that I got out of sync.

1st run 16.798@83.72
2nd run 16.701@83.44
3rd run 16.323@85.66
4th run 16.283@85.82
5th run 16.478@85.66
6th run 16.361@85.47
7th run 16.386@86.08

I was pickin more up on the top end it seemed every run because my shifts kept getting better and better. I just couldn't get it off the line. I ran 2.4 and 2.3 60fts all day. I usually run 2.2s. On the last run I had some torque steer, first it pulled to the right, then the left and then I got traction and I was on my way. Overall I'm not too disappointed with my times, I am afterall running 17's with full trim. Makes me really wonder what I would have done had I been running my 15's or had I dropped some weight. Oh well...I have all season to find that out. I just wanted some base times for my new wheels.

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sounds like u had some fun, better luck next time

 

The waiting is one of the few things about it that sucks, that and having to have the windows up and A/C off even in 90+ degree weather.

 

Sounds like some good runs for 1st of the season.

 

Yeah, not bad. But I can't get my car off the line. Once I get it off the line it pulls hard. I don't quite power shift....but I do shift hard enough that it jerks you in the seat. I'm getting killed off the line. I tried launching it at 2000, 3000, 4000. Alll of those produced a lot of wheel spin. Launching at lower speeds seemed to produce wheelspin and then I bogged. I think I needed to try letting the raging fury loose from about 5 grand. It seemed to get going better when I launched it higher. But then again, I didn't have very many chances to try anything.

 

first time out is always slow...i wouldnt worry about it...are you gonna run 15s next time? and yank the interior?
A/C at the track? lol every time i go run the mirada, there are retards in stangs and ricers who have to be told to turn their AC off before they get on the track...[:@]

 

I'm trying to. I just want to hit something in the 15s with what I have on the car now. Then I'll probably only go to road tracks after that...at least until I do more engine mods to the car that would make a difference. Yes, there was plenty of retards out there. One person wrecked, person in the right lane lost control and ended up in the left lane, right into the wall. And I think the person in the left lane ran into the guy that ran into the wall. I can't stand all the people who break their cars. And now after seeing that person lose control, I'm kind of afraid to run next to anything super high powered that is running slicks. I don't remember what kind of car it was....but I just barely saw what happened. I don't think anyone was hurt at all. I don't think either car was damaged that bad, I believe they both drove off the track on their own power.

 

Dave. How are you launching the car? It's a manual right?

 

Hey Todd....I have a bit of a question for you, or anyone else who knows the answer to this. What is the difference in rotational mass between my wheels.

Stock 15s
185/60/15 tires

My 17s
205/40/17

When I go to a tire calculator I get 23.7 in for my stock 15s and 23.5 for my 17s. I don't know what the weight of my stock rim, but my 17s weigh in at 17.9lbs.

Basically how I launch is I just pick an rpm and then ease on out of the clutch. I don't dump it, but I also don't hold onto it forever. Its like constant, but quick pressure until it engages and then I let off it. I don't know if that makes sense. It seemed as though the higher in the rpms I started the better the launch was. It also made for more wheel spin. So I'm not really sure...how to get this thing going.

 

The general rule of thumb is

1 oz. on the wheel = 4 lbs on the car. Now the closer that wheel wait is to the hub, the less effect it has. If the stock 15's were aluminum, there is probably only a slight difference in weight. It's hard to say if your aftermarket wheels are heavier, or lighter. I know the Neon wheels/tires I just sold were 30 lbs. That was with Goodyear F-1 tires 195-55-15, on MoPar aftermarket rims. They were considerably lighter than the stock steel wheel and 185-60-15 tire combo by a couple pounds anyway.

Slipping the clutch was what I was going to suggest. I know when i had my Neons, that's the way I'd come out of the hole and I never really had any issues with wheel spin. But that is on the street too.