Going to the race track... suggestions?

Hey guys.

The engine in my race truck blew up last time at the track. I've been planning on hauling it down to Tennessee for a race/meet with some friends. I'm still going to go down and was thinking about racing with my Ram as they have a street class at the track.

I wanted to ask anyone that either has raced, or is racing their Ram for suggestions on what I should do with my truck to be consistent.


Leave it in drive?
Put it manually in a gear so it'll only shift so high?
Tow haul mode or not?
Traction control on or off?
2wd, 4wd auto or 4wd locked?


The track is only 1/8 mile... so it won't be going very fast, or using many gears to get to the finish. I'm thinking either second or maybe somewhat into third gear.


I've heard that you don't want to brake torque these trucks as they'll pull timing out. So my thought is to go to the floor off idle.


My truck is a '17 1500 4x4 crew cab with the 5.7 8 speed. I'm running the BFG KOA's in a 305/55/20... not an ideal drag tire. lol




Thanks in advance.
Jeff

4 auto and let it rip. It will get you off the line then it wont drag you down after that. Try different ways if you get a chancw and post back your results. If the track is sticky enough 2 wheel will be your best bet

Ribtipram said:

4 auto and let it rip. It will get you off the line then it wont drag you down after that. Try different ways if you get a chancw and post back your results. If the track is sticky enough 2 wheel will be your best bet

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Thanks.

Have a 2011 Ram with k&n drop in, flowmaster hd50 with single exhaust and superchips flash pak tumer set for 87 octane towing tune. Runs 2.00 sixty foot, 14.01@ 9.5 in quarter. Leave in 2 wheel drive with traction control on in drive, it will shift faster and at the right time. Don't power brake it as it will take timing out and you will have less power. Just put gas to floor, you don't need to punch it just leave quickly like you are leaving from light. don't think you have to worry about spinning tires, they are pretty wide and tall. If you have a limited slip even better. Just have fun, it doesn't matter when you leave, the timer starts when you break the beam. Pull up and light first pre stage light then pull up a little at a time just till the second light comes on. This will give you a better roll out about 6 inches before gree light. and slightly quicker time and mph. If there are 3 ambers and a green, leave when second amber goes out. That should give you a pretty good reaction time. I wouldn't do a burnout, I messed up a pair of KOa'S by doing a massive burnout and cupped some of the tire threads that run cross ways. Enjoy

You cannot compare 6 speed to the 8 speed at the line
Basically stock ram 8 speed will spin to much
Definitely 4 wheel in the 1/8 mile drag

Try it in both 2wd and 4wd,with and with-out traction control and go from there.Usually the convertor will flash a bit higher if you launch off idle,but that might not work in your favour if you start spinning.Drive around the water box if you can,to keep your front tires from picking up water and dripping it ahead of the rear tires when you stage.A short little hop is all you need to clean the rocks and crud off the tires,as stated don't do a burn-out,street tires have carbon in them,and all you do by getting them hot,is bring the carbon to the surface which subsequently makes the tire slippery. On an 1/8th mile i'd leave in 3rd,and if you need to shift to 4th hit the button at about 5600,it'll make the shift just before 6,000 and that's basically where the stock cam noses over and falls on it's face. Pull all un-necessary weight ie: tailgate/tonnue/spare tire,and if you're really ambitious the extra seats,if you pull everything I listed,that'll gain you in the area of 2/10's.Open the hood between rounds if you can,and pull the engine cover,all it does is trap heat in the intake manifold and heat soak it,and the hemi hates a heat soaked intake manifold.The above advice is good about staging and leaving when the second amber goes out.It takes a bit of experimenting to see what the truck likes,don't be scared to try a few different launch techinques,as some guys report better times by foot braking the trucks to 1500 and then mashing the go pedal,i've never had any success with that technique,but it's worth trying just to see if your truck does like it.Get there early if you can,so the truck can sit for an hour or more with the hood open to cool off,my best passes are always my first pass,after the trucks sat for at least 1.5 hours. Depending on how the truck likes 2wd,you can drop the rear tires down to the 26/28'ish range on pressure.

Thanks for the information guys.

I've drag raced for decades, so I understand how to do the basics... I've just never driven a street car/truck.

My race truck is a tube chassis S-10 that runs very low 9's in the quarter and 5.70's in the 1/8 mile. Actually, right now it can't do anything with a blown up shortblock. lol

I'm looking to try and make it down the track consistently every pass. I'm not looking to get it to run a great ET, as long as it's consistent. If I can't get it to leave with a good reaction time I may try deep staging?

I'm heading down late next week. I'll try and get some pictures, and I'll update when I get back.




Jeff

406shark said:

Thanks for the information guys.

I've drag raced for decades, so I understand how to do the basics... I've just never driven a street car/truck.

My race truck is a tube chassis S-10 that runs very low 9's in the quarter and 5.70's in the 1/8 mile. Actually, right now it can't do anything with a blown up shortblock. lol

I'm looking to try and make it down the track consistently every pass. I'm not looking to get it to run a great ET, as long as it's consistent. If I can't get it to leave with a good reaction time I may try deep staging?

I'm heading down late next week. I'll try and get some pictures, and I'll update when I get back.




Jeff

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I think we're all looking for consistency--Your years of experience will no doubt be a major factor in your quest. I just remember one thing--if I see the green light, I'm already in second place.
Jay

Running in 2wd will be faster if it hooks, but running in 4wd will be more consistent if you are strictly looking to bracket race. Just put it in 4wd, leave off idle, and drive it straight. Very easy on a stockish bracket truck.

Thanks again guys.

Sounds like I'll just put it in 4wd, hit the tow/haul mode and go. Then figure out what my reaction times will be, and change my leave to hopefully not lose before the race really gets going. I run a transbrake and leave on the button with my race truck. Going to take some testing to get used to foot brake racing. I do know that my Ram will be much more comfortable. lol

I'm planning on getting it up to operating temp (205°) and just run it there every pass. It'll be much easier to keep it up there instead of trying to cool it down... assuming of course that I'm able to go rounds. lol




Jeff

Hemi's HATE heat
Jay

Pull Ya said:

Hemi's HATE heat
Jay

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If it hates the heat the same every pass... I'm okay with that. They have a test and tune night on the Friday. I'm planning on doing test hits to see what works. The race itself is Saturday afternoon into evening.




Jeff

Pull Ya said:

Hemi's HATE heat
Jay

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He's bracket racing Jay,so heat isn't really an issue,being consistent is more important.It doesn't matter what you dial in at,it's a matter of running that number round after round,and cutting a good tree.If he was running something like Friday night street legals or a test and tune,then he should lighten the truck up as much as possible and try to keep it cool to get the best et possible,but in brackets giving up a tenth or 2 isn't a big deal,as you're not looking for it's fastest pass,just it's most consistent passes

You'd be surprised at how much better these damn things run in the cooooool air. Up where your at it might be a lot cooler in the evening than it is down here. The other night down here it was still 90 at about 7pm.
Jay

Wild one said:

He's bracket racing Jay,so heat isn't really an issue,being consistent is more important.It doesn't matter what you dial in at,it's a matter of running that number round after round,and cutting a good tree.If he was running something like Friday night street legals or a test and tune,then he should lighten the truck up as much as possible and try to keep it cool to get the best et possible,but in brackets giving up a tenth or 2 isn't a big deal,as you're not looking for it's fastest pass,just it's most consistent passes

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They do a lot of **** different since I was really active in racing. Bracket racing, breaking out, slamming your brakes on at the end --**** to much for this old guy-----LOL
Jay

Pull Ya said:

They do a lot of **** different since I was really active in racing. Bracket racing, breaking out, slamming your brakes on at the end --**** to much for this old guy-----LOL
Jay

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That's sand bagging if you're slamming on the brakes at the top end Jay,not me/nope never/ well maybe ,lol

Pull Ya said:

You'd be surprised at how much better these damn things run in the cooooool air. Up where your at it might be a lot cooler in the evening than it is down here. The other night down here it was still 90 at about 7pm.
Jay

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Everything I've ever raced preferred the cool air. I'm going down to Tennessee... that's where the race is.

We get crazy humidity up here. I switched my race truck over to alcohol... really helps with dialing it in no matter the weather.




Jeff

Pull Ya said:

They do a lot of **** different since I was really active in racing. Bracket racing, breaking out, slamming your brakes on at the end --**** to much for this old guy-----LOL
Jay

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I can't afford heads up racing... it's either bracket or index racing for me.

No slamming on the brakes for me. I will hold a couple of numbers once in awhile just to make the race look different to my opponent. You have to keep them thinking.

Wild one said:

That's sand bagging if you're slamming on the brakes at the top end Jay,not me/nope never/ well maybe ,lol

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Never say never. lol

Although I've never locked my brakes up... I have dragged them under throttle to shave off a few numbers if I have them covered.




Jeff

Just got back from the weekend down in Tennessee.

I entered the test and tune Friday night to see if I could get dialed in to the tree and launch my Ram with a decent reaction time. I made 9 passes, and couldn't get the reaction time down at all.

I attempted to deep stage. I attempted to leave on the second yellow instead of the third yellow. I even attempted to deep stage, and leave on the second yellow.

The closest I got was deep staged, and leave after the second yellow went out. The best I was able to do was a .052, which ain't going to go many rounds if any.

Best pass was a 10.175 @ 69.35 mph.

All passes were made in 4x4 locked, tow haul button pushed, traction control button pushed and the trans in drive.

I would hit the throttle, it would not do anything for what seemed like forever... then it would finally go. It pulled until it hit 3rd gear, then it would kind of bog for at least a second or more before pulling again.

Oh well... still had fun hanging out with friends and helping them work on their cars/trucks.



Almost forgot... I got 19.8 mpg average on the way home with the cruise set at 70 or 75 mph depending on the posted speed limit.


Jeff

The drive by wire is hard to get a good reaction time. I have always got a 2.05 60 foot leaving off idle with traction control on. Fastest was 2.05 slowest was 2.10. I have the 2011 that runs 13.7-14.01@99-100mph. Reaction time are all over the place. I leave when the second amber goes out and shallow stage just enough to light stage light. Have a bunch of 00 lights and some 2.50 lights all leaving the same. The drive by wire, you can't really notice the lag but the time clocks tell a different story. The pedal comander or a good custom time will help but is it really worth it. The other way is to get drag radials and leave close to 2,500 rpms. Seems to over ride the throttle lag. Then you have to deal with wheel spin, and at that rpm it usually doesn't hook well at all, and torque management system starts to pull timing and horsepower as it sences the load. Best time I got was just to pull away just putting pedal to floor with traction control on. I also have a 5 speed trans which is garbage compared to new 8 speeds. I have a friend who runs mid 12's with 321 gears, sticky tires, mild cam, long tube headers, spare tirs and tailgate off and 4,000 converter. My 2011 is also a 2 wheel drive short bed with 392 gears, k&n drop in, flowmaster hd 50 muffler with single exhaust and a superchips tuner set at 87 octane performance tune. Shifts at 6,000 instead of 5,600 which made a big difference. My local track shut down last year so I have to drive over 2 hours to the nearest track. I started running the truck as I have a Nova SS 4 speed, lot of motor and gears and it isn't a car you want to drive that far with no air and not too good gas milage and in bumper to bumper traffic to get there. Glad you had fun, that's what it's all about.