First Run at the Track

[Dave00GT]

Tonight was my first time at the track with my Stang. Temps were in the low 50s at the start and high 40s near the end. I admit I babied the car quite a bit the first two runs. I was affraid to break something. My first run was in the left lane, the track was prepped HORRIBLY in that lane! I spun all of first and part of 2nd. No traction at all. So I switched to the right lane for the last two runs :

Run #1
R/T - .112
60' - 2.313
1/4 - 14.342 @ 98.85MPH

Run #2
R/T - .223
60' - 2.224
1/4 - 14.173@ 99.75MPH

Run #3 (My best)
R/T - .101
60' - 2.037
1/4 - 13.895 @ 101.02MPH


Track prep was pretty good in the right lane and my times showed it. Still had very little wheel spin the last run, but my shifts were perfect. Mods in my sig. What do ya think for first time out? I'm pretty happy with that 13.8!

 

[dsg_gt2004]

THOSE ARE great runs...so really all you have performance wise is a cat-back?

if not what else do you have...really im impressed

just get some drag-radials and get the 60' down and u may even bring it down to a 13.6

 

[NightLife]

thats a really good time for your first time out.... weather was a bit cold so thats good for the hp, but if you were on stock rubber traction was probably hard to get....

jackiechan on here ran a 13.7 stock i believe, or close to it and thats one of the fastest times ive seen. he pulled a 1.9 60ft i believe.... dont quote me though.

anyways congrats.

 

[NightLife]

oh and for some good mods...

first off a short throw shifter.... steeda tri-ax or pro 5.0 are good brands.

GEARS! 4.10's or 4.30's gas mileage stays just about the same.

DR's.... w/ the gears and tires u should be close to 13.4's....

 

[Dave00GT]

Thanks. My first run was horrible because of all the wheel spin I got, but I still pulled a decent 14.3, so I knew there was hope if I could hook up. So I switched lanes and that lane was alot nicer. No way to avoid the burnout box ( Atco Raceway in NJ ), so I did some nice smokey ones and my last one the car just launched! I raced a Turbo Honda Civic the last run. He ran a 13.7, beat me by a tenth, but I whooped him good on the start. He didn't get next to me until I shifted to third. But we were door to door at the end. My first two runs were against a Trans Am with ALOT of work done. I got Owned big time. He ran low 11s. So of course I was mad I didn't beat that ricer, but I still pulled a nice time. Street tires (which are bald), removed my stock air silencer and pulled the passenger side headlight, removed the air filter too. But thats all.

Weird thing though, driving home I was doing like 55, pushed in the clutch and started to brake for a stop sign. The car died. Not the first time this has happened, but it seems like whenever I push in the clutch doing over 55 and apply the brake, it wants to stall. But only when I touch the brake. Think it might be the Brake booster line has a hole? Its weird though, only does it when your braking with the clutch in.

 

[DaNd4Speed]

Very good run for first time out and very minimal mods. Atco is known for great times. I'd love to give that track a try, but it's quite a drive from NY, so I stick to Englishtown which is still a 2 hour drive.

 

[seany425]

yo man, i saw you there i was with my buddies with the ss's the flamed one in front of you when left, whatever happened with that dude who crashed?

 

[JonJon]

awesome

 

[65straightsick]

Yo must not have babied it too much to run a 13.8........

 

[Mr GT 02]

WOW ARE U SERIOUS? U ran a 13.8 in a fairly stock GT???? Excellent! My best is a 14.4. And I shift at redline! Im jealous!

 

[hotmustang331]

I ran 14.4 at 96.5 with only ramair and K&N filter...I heard jacky say something about the head light being pulled netted him like 2-3 MPH.Anyways VERY good run..bet your happy.Man wish I could run in 50* weather.My run was in like 75-80* weather I believe.

 

[Dave00GT]

I don't know what happened to the car that crashed. I got tired of waiting so I left.

" My best is a 14.4. And I shift at redline "

Thats your problem right there. I've looked at many Dyno's of the GT's stock, your power drops off just before redline. So I shifted at 5500rpm on the ball everytime. Never redlined the car the whole run. You really have to pay attention to your tach, or get an aftermarket tach for the shift light. Redlining the car just waste's tenths of seconds when she stops pulling. By shifting at 5500, I shifted right into and out of the power everytime. Also on launch, you can NOT drop the clutch. Hold your tach at about 1200, let the clutch up half way quickly, you'll feel it grab. Just hold that for a brief tenth of a second then let the clutch all the way out while EASING into the gas. Slamming gas results in spun wheels. Just ease the gas to almost the point of breaking traction. Takes practice, but I drove a Dirt Modified race car for about 5 years, so I've had practice at "easing" the gas

Yo must not have babied it too much to run a 13.8

Actually, I never slammed a gear or flat shifted. The last thing I want to do is break my car trying to get a fast time slip. Like I said before, I shifted before redline everytime. I shifted fast, don't get me wrong, but I never "popped" the clutch back into gear. I always let the clutch up with my foot. My friend said it sounded like I shifted slow, but again I don't want to break my car.

Next on my list of Mods is a Steeda short-throw shifter, 70mm Ford racing throttle body and maybe a set of slicks for the track. Not trying to go too crazy as this is my daily driver. At least until the '07 Cobra comes out

 

[Dave00GT]

And also the headlight trick is good if you remove your stock air silencer (the rubber boot) and remove your air filter. When I took off my stock silencer, it felt like the engine came alive more. I didn't have to remove my headlight cause I got Ram Air My friend swears that I have aftermarket gears, but the guy I bought the car from was an old dude, so the car hasn't been romped on until I bought it. And even then I take her easy. He says that I shift out of first way too quick. But I've never driven another Mustang so I have nothing to compare it to. These cars have alot of power, its just a matter of getting the power to the ground, and maximizing the power throughout the entire run. I've heard people redline and scream out gears, and you can visually tell when a car's power drops off up top. It sounds loud and mean, but its all show no go. Once you see the front of your car start to "settle" down, its time to shift. Ideally you want the nose of the car up the whole run. I still have a feeling I can better 13.8 with the car the way it is now. That 13.8 run I was still spinning somewhat off the line. But with street tires, its expected.

 

[Jackie Chan]

thats a really good time for your first time out.... weather was a bit cold so thats good for the hp, but if you were on stock rubber traction was probably hard to get....

jackiechan on here ran a 13.7 stock i believe, or close to it and thats one of the fastest times ive seen. he pulled a 1.9 60ft i believe.... dont quote me though.

anyways congrats.

nope i went a best of 14.3 @ 98 in the summer.. in good weather a coupe driven by the right guy is a 13.6+ car stock IMO.

shifting at 5500 in every gear is definately key also in a very near stock car(even with all the boltons too)

 

[JonJon]

jackiechan on here ran a 13.7 stock i believe, or close to it and thats one of the fastest times ive seen. he pulled a 1.9 60ft i believe.... dont quote me though.

I think that was UncleMeat or something... Someone in an auto DEFINATELY ran 13.7x stock.

nope i went a best of 14.3 @ 98 in the summer.. in good weather a coupe driven by the right guy is a 13.6+ car stock IMO.

agreed
great weather and great prep = fast stock GT

 

[Steeda2004GT]

Awesome times man. I take it they are uncorrected? I can't wait until we get some nice cool weather down here. The last few times i have been to the track it was in the high 80's and the humidity was terrible. Get some more mods on that bad boy and let's see what all you need to get some lower times. I am thinking some suspension work and DR's .

 

[NDBullitt]

that 60' time is the really good. won't get much better on the original tires.

did you shift into 4th or leave it in 3rd to cross the traps?

congrats on the times, very good for a first timer, or anyone, really.

 

[Jackie Chan]

that 60' time is the really good. won't get much better on the original tires.

did you shift into 4th or leave it in 3rd to cross the traps?

congrats on the times, very good for a first timer, or anyone, really.

stock tires with stock susp and gears is good for low 1.9s if you learn to launch it right, there is another tenth in the 60' alone

 

[Dave00GT]

Those times shouldn't have to be corrected. Acto is pretty much at sea level. Its pretty close to the beach. My first run I shifted to 4th before the traps, but after that I finished in third turning about 5800. The only reason why I didn't shift to third was I felt that 4th gear, with the stock rear end anyways, just bogged down more then it did topping out third.

I don't know if I'll ever see that time again with the way the car is now. I don't plan on running it again until I get the short throw and a few other things. Its just with the temps the way they were, and a decent launch, you couldn't get a better night to race. Humidity was low too, around 40% I think.

 

[XStanger]

Great times! Sounds like you had the picture perfect track conditions as well.