Sorry for the huge pictures...
Well heres my time slips... I left the night depressed and pissed off. :(
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/davewmarkert/Drag3_10_06006.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/davewmarkert/Drag3_10_06005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/davewmarkert/Drag3_10_06004.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/davewmarkert/Drag3_10_06003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/davewmarkert/Drag3_10_06002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/davewmarkert/Drag3_10_06001.jpg

Ive got a heavily modded S52 powered 328i. running 225s all around... didnt change tire pressure... tried all kinds of different launches. all resulted in either wheel hop or mad tire spin... I wrote my opponent car on the top of the other lane and circled the lane i was in. cept for one of them which i was on the left. 2nd gear was also pretty much worthless. would have to let off and ease into the gas to mantain traction, then by 3rd i could acutally floor it. Ive never been so mad in all my life... Ive put so much time and money into this car and i cant even get the bitch to go. Any tire reccomendations?. or help in general. WTF couldnt i get any traction

Clutch - you HAVE to slip the clutch. Looks like you just need some practice launching. Getting the 60' down below 2.2 (sub 2.0 is excellent) and managing your traction will help bring your times down drastically and your trap speeds will go up. You should be trapping, what, 102-104+ with a heavily modded S52? Or am I on crack?

Clutch - you HAVE to slip the clutch. Looks like you just need some practice launching. Getting the 60' down below 2.2 (sub 2.0 is excellent) and managing your traction will help bring your times down drastically and your trap speeds will go up. You should be trapping, what, 102-104+ with a heavily modded S52? Or am I on crack?
I should be running sub 14s. "SHOULD".... i tried slipping the clutch. I heard your supposed to maintain traction with the clutch not the gas. and i did that. didnt help very much.

In short....you suck at launching. Practice makes perfect.

I ran a 13.97 in a nearly stock 97 M3 sedan with lower traps than what you are getting, but I was getting 2.04-2.1 60' times. That was on 18" BBS RGR's with Pirelli 245 all seasons. Only mods (besides the wheels) are a clutch/ltw flywheel, and an Active catback. Stock intake, stock software.

What rpm are you launching at? If you are getting wheel hop or mad wheel spin, drop the launch rpms big time. Drop them enough so that you actually bog a bit just to see where the limit is. Also, ease the clutch out on the 1-2 shift also, to let things hook up. Get the 60' down to 2.1 and you will be in the high 13's.

What were the weather conditions, and what is the altitude of the track?

I ran a 13.97 in a nearly stock 97 M3 sedan with lower traps than what you are getting, but I was getting 2.04-2.1 60' times. That was on 18" BBS RGR's with Pirelli 245 all seasons. Only mods (besides the wheels) are a clutch/ltw flywheel, and an Active catback. Stock intake, stock software.

What rpm are you launching at? If you are getting wheel hop or mad wheel spin, drop the launch rpms big time. Drop them enough so that you actually bog a bit just to see where the limit is. Also, ease the clutch out on the 1-2 shift also, to let things hook up. Get the 60' down to 2.1 and you will be in the high 13's.

What were the weather conditions, and what is the altitude of the track?
on the run where i ran 14.9 or so i acutally launched like i was driving on the street... eased the clutch out slow and then slowly began to floor it. tires still break loose... 1000ft altitude or so and 70 degrees outside... maybe its the 225 kumos...

Well the first thing is that it's supposed to be fun! If you put too much pressure on yourself to run an ET or a short time then you will find the whole thing a negative experience. Basically the car will do what the car will do; no amount of wishful thinking or urging with your fingernails on the wheel will change the mechanical reality.

However as a racer you *will* continue to get better with each and every pass. It's all experience, even if that experience is what not to do next time.

There used to be a sticky thread here that gave advice about how to get a good launch at the drag strip, I'll see where it has gone.

To examine your timeslips, it's your short times that are killing your ET. 2.5x - 2.7x 60' times are terrible with such a low powered car. As a reference, when you get it right you should be able to get it down to 2.0x and below. A good racer will crack 1.8x - 1.9x short times. A really good racer might even manage a 1.7x in your car.

For now, aim to try all different parameters on your launch. Try different RPMs. try different clutch modulations. Try different tyre pressures. Just try one different thing at a time, and document your findings (what you tried vs your resulting 60' time) somewhere. Then analyse your records and make descisions based on the facts.

Most importantly, have fun! ETs are not meant to be a punishment!

Clutch - you HAVE to slip the clutch. Looks like you just need some practice launching. Getting the 60' down below 2.2 (sub 2.0 is excellent) and managing your traction will help bring your times down drastically and your trap speeds will go up. You should be trapping, what, 102-104+ with a heavily modded S52? Or am I on crack?
you may be on crack, ET has very little to do with trap speed, that is purely a function of hp/weight. agreed 60' times are killing et's though. tyres and technique are critical for 60' times and et. the best 60' time I have managed on kumho 225/45/17's was 1.80 (euro 3.0l, bolt ons only), but that was ecsta V700's (although at least 5 years old), but thread starter should invest in better tyres if he really wants to chase 1/4 mile times

There used to be a sticky thread here that gave advice about how to get a good launch at the drag strip, I'll see where it has gone.
Inside the sticky marked: Look Inside For Links To Several Tech Threads
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47538

new tires and an lsd

new tires and an lsdhey that's right, a regular 3 series does not have an LSD. Seems like that would make it hard to maintain traction with all that power.

Inside the sticky marked: Look Inside For Links To Several Tech Threads
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47538
Cool.

you already posted this in a different forum and i already said that you suck at teh shiftering. you've really never drag raced before ever have you?? go hang out on a mustang/LS1 board for awhile, if you cant go to the strip and see what the real racers are doing.

definitely bring down your short times...

my times suck also, but just for comparison sake:

60' - 2.109
1/4 - 14.208 @ 99.21mph

before that i was running

60' - 2.209
1/4 - 14.440 @ 97.18mph

i used to dump the clutch all the time @ 2500rpm. i would spin a little off the line. then i learned slipping is much better for the launch and the drivetrain.

try slipping the clutch at 2500rpm and see if anything improves. play with your tire pressures, see what rpms bog/spin or are perfect for you.

as mrblonde said, its all about experience. just go out there and have fun.

you already posted this in a different forum and i already said that you suck at teh shiftering. you've really never drag raced before ever have you?? go hang out on a mustang/LS1 board for awhile, if you cant go to the strip and see what the real racers are doing.
I hope you're trying to be helpful and that just came out clumsy because what is required for new racers is encouragement.

Thanks guys... i think im going out again this friday... gonna try dropping the pressure on my pos tires and playing with my launch a little more.
It just drove me crazy last time that i would spin half the way down the track, not just at the launch. 2nd would break loose like crazy too...

Thanks guys... i think im going out again this friday... gonna try dropping the pressure on my pos tires and playing with my launch a little more.
It just drove me crazy last time that i would spin half the way down the track, not just at the launch. 2nd would break loose like crazy too...?

Spinning halfway down the track WILL affect ET AND MPH. Need more info...
Do you have an LSD? what gear ratio are you running? tire pressure and age of tires? How are your shocks? Worn shocks contribute significantly to weight transfer and the ability to control wheel hop. A drag setup will have lotsa compression and low rebound up front and low compression and high rebound in the rear to plant the weight over the rear end. NOT ideal for E36 handling though...:)

Since you are going Friday, lower tire pressure to 20-25 psi. Tires won't get hot enough in a 1/4 mile to damage them. (bring a tank to the track to fill for the drive home), less RPM at launch. You can also disconnect one of your sway bar end links up front which allows a little more rear weight transfer. Or bring a fat friend to sit in the back seat ;-)

Better tires may ultimately be the solution. Let us know how you do!!!:alright

Dave D
94 Z28, 00 C5, 98 M3/4

?

Spinning halfway down the track WILL affect ET AND MPH. Need more info...
Do you have an LSD? what gear ratio are you running? tire pressure and age of tires? How are your shocks? Worn shocks contribute significantly to weight transfer and the ability to control wheel hop. A drag setup will have lotsa compression and low rebound up front and low compression and high rebound in the rear to plant the weight over the rear end. NOT ideal for E36 handling though...:)

Since you are going Friday, lower tire pressure to 20-25 psi. Tires won't get hot enough in a 1/4 mile to damage them. (bring a tank to the track to fill for the drive home), less RPM at launch. You can also disconnect one of your sway bar end links up front which allows a little more rear weight transfer. Or bring a fat friend to sit in the back seat ;-)

nope...2.93 open in the rear, same tranny as the M. Tirepressure around 40psi, really low tread, 120K on original suspension...

keep your fornt tire pressure high and drop your rear pressure to low 30's-high 20's (i think i heard some mustang guys runnin 28psi in their rear tires, maybe lower)

keep your fornt tire pressure high and drop your rear pressure to low 30's-high 20's (i think i heard some mustang guys runnin 28psi in their rear tires, maybe lower)

tire compound is very important. Even my car could spin halfway down the track on shitty all seasons.

Get some better tires. LSD. Drop tire pressure to 30psi in back. Slip the clutch on 1-2 shift. Good Luck, let us know how this friday goes.

hey man, at first when i seen your SN '328junkie' and you ran a 14.881 thinking you had a 328i.

my heart just sunk because i have an S50 powered 325i with just chip, intake and catback and i went to the track for the first time in my life and ran a 14.7 twice:eek: so i was thinking that you were slower by .1 with a 328i!!.... but then i realized you had an heavily modded S52 which made me feel bad for you man.

but hey man my like everyone said, it just takes practice and im gonna go this friday as well and hope i can pull off some low 14's:D

good luck :buttrock

by the way, i ran the 14.7's staying in 3rd....while hitting the limiter several times and letting off just before the line. Should i be in 4th with a 2.93 open and '95 M3 trans?

2.616 60ft
93.22 @ 14.7891/4 mile

hey man, at first when i seen your SN '328junkie' and you ran a 14.881 thinking you had a 328i.

my heart just sunk because i have an S50 powered 325i with just chip, intake and catback and i went to the track for the first time in my life and ran a 14.7 twice:eek: so i was thinking that you were slower by .1 with a 328i!!.... but then i realized you had an heavily modded S52 which made me feel bad for you man.

but hey man my like everyone said, it just takes practice and im gonna go this friday as well and hope i can pull off some low 14's:D

good luck :buttrock

by the way, i ran the 14.7's staying in 3rd....while hitting the limiter several times and letting off just before the line. Should i be in 4th with a 2.93 open and '95 M3 trans?

2.616 60ft
93.22 @ 14.7891/4 mile
hey man, my best time was acutally a 14.5 and change at 99.2.... whats your limiter set at?... Im right at 7K in 3rd as i cross the line... my 3rd ends at 100 or so... ive got the same setup as you(2.93 and ZF trans)

hey man, my best time was acutally a 14.5 and change at 99.2.... whats your limiter set at?... Im right at 7K in 3rd as i cross the line... my 3rd ends at 100 or so... ive got the same setup as you(2.93 and ZF trans)

damn, then something must be wrong with my TMS chip....im not sure what rpm i am at exacatly but my trap speed was only 93mph bouncing

what chip do you have?

damn, then something must be wrong with my TMS chip....im not sure what rpm i am at exacatly but my trap speed was only 93mph bouncing

what chip do you have?
Custom AA software

Are you sure you got a s52, I got better times when my m52 was stock heh.

Ok ok, that was kinda mean. Anyways what kinda kumhos do you have? If they're 712's then that's your problem. Also 225's are pretty skinny for a s52 powered car.

Are you sure you got a s52, I got better times when my m52 was stock heh.

Ok ok, that was kinda mean. Anyways what kinda kumhos do you have? If they're 712's then that's your problem. Also 225's are pretty skinny for a s52 powered car.
Kumo Ecsta Supras whatever those are...

your tires must really suck if you say you're spinning that much with ~220whp and a 2.93 diff.

Like we told you in your other thread, you need an LSD, and you need to be able to smell your clutch. :)

Tirepressure around 40psi, , ...40 ?!?!?!

No wonder they won't hook up! That's too high for any application! Start your rear tires at the recommended pressure on the inside of your driver's door, then try dropping it a couple psi per run till you get to around 30, and see if it helps.

Don't forget to put the proper pressure back into the tires the next day when the tires are cold.

I've heard dropping the pressure in today tires doesnt work that well because the sidewalls are so stiff. Therefore decreasing tread patch/traction.

those kumho's are known for not gripping really well for drag racing. also 40 psi is toooo much. put the rears at 26 and the fronts at 40.

those kumho's are known for not gripping really well for drag racing. also 40 psi is toooo much. put the rears at 26 and the fronts at 40.
yeah i figured that, didnt bring any air supplies to the strip so i couldnt air down... ah your Jeep ran close to what i did :( :(

dont feel bad, it only weighed 4000lbs and had 360lb ft of torque. plus i've been drag racing for a long time. well 16 to the ripe age of 21 now, lol. you are definitely making the power, no doubt about it. just need to tie up the loose ends and put the power to the ground.

some crappy 15x8's for the rear with mt e/t streets would do wonders for you if they will clear the brakes. if they dont make a good size in that i'd go to a 17x8 or 17x9 with a 275/40/17 drag radial. you will need to play around with pressures.

get some drag skinny's for the front! ha! i've never seen a bmw with drag skinny's. helps weight transfer and drops a few lbs. get some 26x3" moroso's.:redspot

since were talking about tires...will i run a better time with my stock 15'' bottle caps all around?

what about with the bottle caps just in front?

-thanks

..
get some drag skinny's for the front! ha! i've never seen a bmw with drag skinny's. helps weight transfer and drops a few lbs. get some 26x3" moroso's.
..

You have now

any wheel/tire combo that is lighter weight with less rolling resistance will help your 1/4 mile time. that is why drag racers run skinny front tires with fairly high air pressure. so yes, your bottlecops up front will be a better idea than some big 18's. pull your subs out, put your front shocks on their loosest setting and the rear shocks stiffer than normal. (if you have adjustables). dont forget to pull your subs before you race...and did you know that "12000K 'hid' kit" you have its completely rice.

and that is sweet, now i've seen a bimmer with skinny's, hehe.

any wheel/tire combo that is lighter weight with less rolling resistance will help your 1/4 mile time. that is why drag racers run skinny front tires with fairly high air pressure. so yes, your bottlecops up front will be a better idea than some big 18's. pull your subs out, put your front shocks on their loosest setting and the rear shocks stiffer than normal. (if you have adjustables). dont forget to pull your subs before you race...and did you know that "12000K 'hid' kit" you have its completely rice.

and that is sweet, now i've seen a bimmer with skinny's, hehe.

thanks for the advice on lowering my times and i wish i had some Konis to adjust, but about the '12000k HID kit' comment...can you STFU:D

just because im one of the few bimmer enthusiasts that run ultraviolet lights and make peoples heads turn WITHOUT adding rice wings and 50 million stickers doesnt mean its rice. another reason is to not be like everyone else and run the same color HIDs. have a great day:D

thanks for the advice on lowering my times and i wish i had some Konis to adjust, but about the '12000k HID kit' comment...can you STFU:D

just because im one of the few bimmer enthusiasts that run ultraviolet lights and make peoples heads turn WITHOUT adding rice wings and 50 million stickers doesnt mean its rice. another reason is to not be like everyone else and run the same color HIDs. have a great day:D
Yeah +1 i think 12K HIDs are crazy, not rice... Yeah lower light output but very unique...
I plan on using my stock 15"s and putting some drag tires of some sort on them since theyre alot lighter than my 17" M5 reps...

That 2.93 is killing your ETs too, especially if you have the stock transmission.

Are you crossing the line in 3rd? You really ought to be using 4 gears to get the best ET.

That 2.93 is killing your ETs too, especially if you have the stock transmission.

Are you crossing the line in 3rd? You really ought to be using 4 gears to get the best ET.
Ive got AA Software so my redline is 7K, Im crossing the line like right at ~6900 in 3rd yes, My 3rd ends right at 100 im pretty sure. I plan on getting a 3.15LSD soon if i can find one cheap.

making peoples head turn with lights that actually hurt your vision of the road, is dumb. actually saying that you want to impress people with your 12000k hid kit is even dumber. i'd bet it puts out alot less light than even a stock h1 halogen low beam in a euro car. they were meant to be 4000-4300k for a reason by the factory. your car already looks damn nice.

That 2.93 is killing your ETs too, especially if you have the stock transmission.

Are you crossing the line in 3rd? You really ought to be using 4 gears to get the best ET.
Agreed, a 293 is not optimum for drag racing. I get through 5 gears in my car and have the fastest street BMW (drag strip) on this board.

Agreed, a 293 is not optimum for drag racing. I get through 5 gears in my car and have the fastest street BMW (drag strip) on this board.
Yeah i plan on going 3.15, Ideally i would like to go like 3.91 with a 6speed... mm...sex. Yeah i also plan on going boost eventually so yeah... How do you get fng traction?. espically with a steep rearend like that.. You running like 3.91 or so?... Your first gear must be like 30mph or so...

Yeah i plan on going 3.15, Ideally i would like to go like 3.91 with a 6speed... mm...sex. Yeah i also plan on going boost eventually so yeah... How do you get fng traction?. espically with a steep rearend like that.. You running like 3.91 or so?... Your first gear must be like 30mph or so...
No, an F-ing BIG turbo. 10.775s ET @ 134MPH in an MCoupe!!

Your tires are crap (Kumho Ecsta 712s are probably the crappiest tire that people are still buying today), pressures too high, get a 3.15 or 3.23 limited slip, get 15" wheels with sticky tires, learn to use / borderline abuse the clutch for launching, and you'll see consistent mid 13s on a good day.

No, an F-ing BIG turbo. 10.775s ET @ 134MPH in an MCoupe!!

Your tires are crap (Kumho Ecsta 712s are probably the crappiest tire that people are still buying today), pressures too high, get a 3.15 or 3.23 limited slip, get 15" wheels with sticky tires, learn to use / borderline abuse the clutch for launching, and you'll see consistent mid 13s on a good day.
My advice would be to fit a 445 diff with your gearbox and to get 15" wheels under your rear guards. For rubber I'd be going with 26"x8.5" Mickey Thompson ET Drag slicks with say 12 psi. On the front you can go with some 3.5" or 4" wide very hard tyres with say 50 psi to redice rolling resistance.

On launch, set your RPMS to redline (just under your softcut limiter) and pop the clutch instantly on the second amber. You aren't making enough power to pull slicks through. Then shift every gear at redline as quickly as you are able.

Here are my thoughts. I've assumed the following:

+ Street radial tyres
+ Pump fuel

Setup For Drag Racing - Weight Reduction
First setup you car before going to the strip.

Your first task is weight reduction. Ensure you get to the strip with 1/8th tank of fuel. That means allowing enough fuel to get there with 1/8th left. Better to arrive with too little fuel and then topping it up a tad from your jerry can, which is of course filled with the same 93 octane fuel you have in your tank. A properly mixed slug of octane booster will give you some peace of mind too. Remember to put the booster in first to allow the petrol to mix with it properly in the tank.

Every 1 litre of fuel weighs 640 g.

Next drain all the water out of your washer botle. My M Coupe takes 5 litres in the washer bottle which is 5 kgs you don't need.

Then remove the spare tyre, toolkits and anything else from your boot and from inside your car. Anything that can be eaily removed should go (CD Stackers, carpets, lose stuff, etc).

Now decide if you want to go to the trouble of removing your rear seats and passenger seat. Believe me when I tell you it will make a big difference. On average they say every 100 lbs (~45 kgs) is a tenth (0.1 off your ET).


Setup At The Strip - Tyre Pressures
Now you've driven to the strip and been through scrutineering, get out your trusty pass journal and tyre pressure gauge.

Ensure you've got 1/8th tank of fuel - you don't want to starve for fuel during a pass. Now hook up your compressor and increase your front tyres to 55 psi. If you don't have access to a compressor then swing by the closest servo to your drag strip and do this before you lob at the strip.

You increase the pressure in your front tyres to minimise rolling resistance. If you happened to have an alternate set of narrower wheels/tyres then you'd fit the narrowest practical set for race day.

The rear tyre pressure is more involved, because you've got to try a range of pressures and see what results in the best 60' times. The optimum setting changes as the weather conditions change, so this is a bit of a black art. That's what your Pass Journal is all about. This is where you record your car setup and the results after each run. That way you can make changes one at a time and make some sort of analysis in order to optimise your setup.

Generally speaking you should drop your rear tyre pressure 4 psi from standard and then work your way down by half a psi at a time until your 60' times get worse.

Remember that fine adjustments on street radials is less of a factor than when you graduate to drag radials or slicks. However it is still well worth your while to get close to the optimium.

Your Pass Journal will have an entry for every pass you do, including the following information as a minimum:

+ Tyre pressure
+ Launch RPM
+ 60' result
+ My comments

More on how to use your Pass Journal seek the optimum setup in a later post.


The Burnout - How Long?
If you are a beginner or feel a bit nervous about the upcoming pass, then simply drive around or through the water box and don't worry about a burnout. You can add the burnout to your later passes as you become more comfortable.

Remember that street cars using street radials are very different to a Top Doorslammer. You're not going to do a half track burnout and wow the crowd. Street cars that do long pointless burnouts are basically wasting everyone's time. Don't be one of them!

Now street radials like a touch of heat in them to get optimum traction. But too much heat and their traction is reduced. However if you don't spin the tyres at all then you've still got some water and grit on your tyres from the water box (unless you managed to drive around it).

My advice for street radials is to drive through the water box and come to a halt. When signalled by the official, dial up the revs and drop the clutch. Wait until your tyres smoke a tad and then button off. We're talking less than a 2 second burnout here. More than that and you risk cooking the rubber (ie reducing traction until they cool).

Realise that drag radials and slicks are made totally differently to street radials. These special tyres require a lot more heat to work. Street radials don't.


The Burnout - How To Do One?
Now you know how long to let the burnout go for, exactly how do you perform a decent burnout?

Let's start from standstill, waiting for the official to motion you to start your burnout. Select the appropriate gear (1st, 2nd or 3rd depending on your horsepower, the higher the gear the more power required to turn the tyres over). When the official signals to start your burnout, dial in some revs and drop the clutch. You can dance your left foot over to touch the brake a tad and balance the revs via throttle with forward movement via brake (takes a bit of practice).

Now if you continue to creep forward and start to contact your tyres with dry sticky track then you're obviously going to put more strain on your driveline.

When you've got some heat into the tyres, just let off the brake and /or drop revs a tad and your car will creep forward. Get off the gas and allow the car to roll gently towards the staging lights.


How To Pre-Stage
You're rolling gently towards the staging lights. Keep your eyes on the Christmas Tree and look for the White Pre-Stage light to blink on. The instant you see this light come on you nail the brakes and come to a total halt. You're not yet fully staged - just pre-staged. The second Full Stage light is still unlit.

I recommend you now wait until your opponent is at least Pre-Staged or even on Full Stage before you bump in to Full Stage. Once either compeitor is on Full Stage, the other racer has only 20 seconds to fully stage or the starter may disqualify you. In practice at a street meet the starter will rarely disqualify you, but they may come over and bang on your side window to hint that you're holding things up!

Once you are pre-staged you must now focus on that Full Stage light with all your concentration. Because as soon as you fully stage, the starter can trigger the Christmas Tree at any time.


How To Bump On To Full Stage
You're at a halt with the Pre-Stage light up and your competitor is fully staged.

Now apply your handbrake gently and dial up your pre-determined launch RPMs. You've already thought about what RPM you're going to launch at before you lined up. If this is your first pass, then just choose whatever starting point you think appropriate.

Your clutch is in, your RPMs are steady at your launch point and your handbrake is slightly on. Now you ever so gently tease your clutch out - looking for the friction point where the RPMs start to dip showing you the clutch is dragging you your engine just slightly.

With your left hand you are holding the handbrake just slightly on. This is a delicate balancing act, ensuring your engine is at launch RPMs, your car rolls forward ever so slightly and your rear brakes are just slightly on to ensure you move very very slowly on to Full Stage.

This is called bumping on to Full Stage and is not easy to do. If you roll forward too far you will Redlight by crossing over the start beam. No big deal, it's all practice and you'll do better next time.

Once you bump on to Full Stage you pull your handbrake up firm so your car comes to a dead stop. But you don't allow the handbrake to ratchet on lock, you keep it on but not locked by pressing the button as you hold it.

If you get it right you will find yourself fully staged, motionless on the start line and most importantly, you are solidly locked on your launch RPMs with your clutch just at friction point, dragging against your handbrake.

You are not looking at your tacho to check your RPMs. You are not looking at your handbrake. You are not looking at anything other than the Christmas tree.


The Launch
It's been covered in detail in many other places so I'll just state it here. Because of human reaction time and because of the vehicle reaction time of your car's suspension and drivetrain, you do not launch when you see the Green light on the Christmas Tree. You launch the instant you see the last of the three Amber lights come on.

You're at steady launch RPMs with the clutch at friction point and the handbrake held on but not locked. As you see the last Amber come on, you release the handbrake fully (holding the button in), progressively mash the throttle and modulate your drivetrain using your clutch.

This is not easy to do and takes many repetitions to get a good result. This is where it's all at - your reaction time versus your opponent and how well you can launch your car without wheelspinning.

You must slip your clutch mercilessly to get an optimum launch. Sometimes you may find you have not let the clutch out fully before it is time to change up a gear. This is OK.

Wheelspin on launch or upshift will cost you precious time. The optimum launch is at 10% wheelspin. This is very difficult to achieve and again comes only with much practice and experience. It's all good!

Yes, you will punish your clutch. Yes, it will give off that awful smell of tortured components. Yes - it is the only way to optimise your launch.

Clutches are consumables and are meant to be replaced. Regular drag racing will severely shorten the life of your clutch, but so what? You replace the clutch and go on your way. Just like tyres.


Getting A Better Time
Your reaction time (RT) is all about how quickly you react on the start line. It does not factor into your ET at all. However the winner of each race is very much affected by the RT. So once you are comfortable with the process of doing the burnout, launching and shifting up through the gears I recommend you treat each pass like it's a race. The only way to get better is to practice like you race.

Drag racing is all in the launch. Every tenth (0.1 second) reduction in your 60' time is .15 to .25 reduction in your ET.

You can beat an opponent with a much more powerful car by getting a sharp RT and by getting a sweet launch.

Using Your Pass Journal
After each pass I recommend you drive back to the pits after collecting your timeslip. Get out of your car and get your Pass Journal out.

Now note down the vital pieces of information about the pass:

+ Launch RPMs: (eg 4500 RPM)
+ Tyre Pressure: (eg 28 psi)
+ 60' time: (eg 2.150 seconds)
+ My comments: (eg Car bogged down, need RPMs)

Sometimes you can easily tell what you did wrong - too few RPMs on launch and you bog down. Too many RPMs and you get wheelspin or wheel hop.

Sometimes you have to use your 60' times to help you work out what's going on.

The important thing to remember is to only change one thing at a time. Otherwise you have no idea which of the changes you made created the different result, not to mention that the combination of changes hopelessly confuses things.

I recommend you start with your launch RPMs and keep your tyre pressure at your standard setting (ie what you run on the street).

The rule of thumb is that you want to launch at your peak torque figure. Now this is not so easy to find, because as you launch your engine and drivetrain slow as the load comes on. So you have to launch at an RPM level higher than your engine's peak torque, so that as the load comes on then you are at your peak torque.

In practice, pick a fairly low launch RPM .. say 3000 RPM, and then bump it up 500 RPM at a time. Keep doing this until you get hopeless wheelspin on the launch. Then drop the launch RPM down by 250 RPM and try again. You're doing a sort of chop sort by way of hitting on the optimum launch RPMs.

And how are you evaluating what is a good launch? By examining your 60' times after each pass. You soon note that wheelspin or wheel hop means a shitty 60' time and that bogging down results in a shitty 60' time, too. But sometimes it all goes right and you get a stormer!

Before too long you'll have a good idea of the RPM band your car best likes on that day. Remember that different weather conditions will change what your car wants, but it will only change so far.

Let's say you finally settle on 4750 RPM as the best launch, the one at which you consistently get the best 60' times. Now it's time to fiddle with the tyre pressures. So you dial in every pass at 4750 RPM and then you adjust your rear tyre pressure down by 0.5 psi each pass until you again notice your 60' times get worse.

You should notice that the 60' times improve for a while and then get worse again. In any circumstance, you don't want to go much below say 10-12 psi less than recommended; that can be dangerous.

Once you've done this analysis you will have an optimum launch RPM and an optimum tyre pressure for that day.

Now you will find that the optimum tyre pressure will allow you to launch at a higher RPM! So you start the trial and error analysis all over again. Of course, for each pass you pre-determine what the launch RPMs will be so there's no thinking on the start line. And you record all your results in your pass journal when you get back. A pass journal may sound fancy but I use the back of a scrap of paper usually! Whatever you prefer.

Also don't forget to factor in your improvement as a racer. Your first passes will be crappy compared to your most recently passes as you get the hang of it all.

It's all good fun! And it doesn't matter if you've got the most powerful car in the world or a stocker, the thrill of drag racing is there for everyone.

A good racer can beat an opponent with much less hardware at his or her disposal using the techniques listed above. And it doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile ... winning is winning ;-)

Then I load this info onto a spreadsheet where it can be analysed. The journal for my Porsche is not very handy, but I have 48 passes on my M Coupe - the more data you have the more valuable it can be.

Excellent Kenny!

I think I will print that one out, or copy it somewhere for reference!

:buttrock :buttrock :buttrock :alright

Using Your Pass Journal
After each pass I recommend you drive back to the pits after collecting your timeslip. Get out of your car and get your Pass Journal out.

Now note down the vital pieces of information about the pass:

+ Launch RPMs: (eg 4500 RPM)
+ Tyre Pressure: (eg 28 psi)
+ 60' time: (eg 2.150 seconds)
+ My comments: (eg Car bogged down, need RPMs)

Sometimes you can easily tell what you did wrong - too few RPMs on launch and you bog down. Too many RPMs and you get wheelspin or wheel hop.

Sometimes you have to use your 60' times to help you work out what's going on.

The important thing to remember is to only change one thing at a time. Otherwise you have no idea which of the changes you made created the different result, not to mention that the combination of changes hopelessly confuses things.

I recommend you start with your launch RPMs and keep your tyre pressure at your standard setting (ie what you run on the street).

The rule of thumb is that you want to launch at your peak torque figure. Now this is not so easy to find, because as you launch your engine and drivetrain slow as the load comes on. So you have to launch at an RPM level higher than your engine's peak torque, so that as the load comes on then you are at your peak torque.

In practice, pick a fairly low launch RPM .. say 3000 RPM, and then bump it up 500 RPM at a time. Keep doing this until you get hopeless wheelspin on the launch. Then drop the launch RPM down by 250 RPM and try again. You're doing a sort of chop sort by way of hitting on the optimum launch RPMs.

And how are you evaluating what is a good launch? By examining your 60' times after each pass. You soon note that wheelspin or wheel hop means a shitty 60' time and that bogging down results in a shitty 60' time, too. But sometimes it all goes right and you get a stormer!

Before too long you'll have a good idea of the RPM band your car best likes on that day. Remember that different weather conditions will change what your car wants, but it will only change so far.

Let's say you finally settle on 4750 RPM as the best launch, the one at which you consistently get the best 60' times. Now it's time to fiddle with the tyre pressures. So you dial in every pass at 4750 RPM and then you adjust your rear tyre pressure down by 0.5 psi each pass until you again notice your 60' times get worse.

You should notice that the 60' times improve for a while and then get worse again. In any circumstance, you don't want to go much below say 10-12 psi less than recommended; that can be dangerous.

Once you've done this analysis you will have an optimum launch RPM and an optimum tyre pressure for that day.

Now you will find that the optimum tyre pressure will allow you to launch at a higher RPM! So you start the trial and error analysis all over again. Of course, for each pass you pre-determine what the launch RPMs will be so there's no thinking on the start line. And you record all your results in your pass journal when you get back. A pass journal may sound fancy but I use the back of a scrap of paper usually! Whatever you prefer.

Also don't forget to factor in your improvement as a racer. Your first passes will be crappy compared to your most recently passes as you get the hang of it all.

It's all good fun! And it doesn't matter if you've got the most powerful car in the world or a stocker, the thrill of drag racing is there for everyone.

A good racer can beat an opponent with much less hardware at his or her disposal using the techniques listed above. And it doesn't matter if you win by an inch or a mile ... winning is winning ;-)

Wow dude thanks for such a great writeup. And that log you have is very impressive and informative. Yeah i tried experimenting with launching the last time i ran and i threw in once or twice heating up the tires to see any improvements. I couldnt seem to find a point bewteen mad crazy wheel spin and mad wheel hop. ~2K-2300-wheel hop and any point around or above there they would just spin like mad. I think i need to get new tires just so i will have a beginning point. With my cooked worthless skinny kumos i just cant get any traction at all. I also have some modding to do just to get my car strip ready. Open rearend needs to go and also i can notice a lot of up and down movement when shifting and when launching in my suspension. Im still running the same suspension the car had when it was put together in 1998...:( ... Thanks again man for the writeup. Im defenitly saving this for future reference. Thanks! and by the way your car is really slow... REALLY slow... :D :buttrock hahhahah. Keep it up

^^thanks to you Mr.Blonde!!:buttrock

your techniques have inspired me, i will definately use them this friday at the track and hopefully will help a noob dragracer like me:D


by the way, what 60ft times do you think i should i be able to hit with my car by looking at the mods listed?

should i run my stock 15'' bottlecaps all around or just the front?

im bouncing 3rd while i pass the line, should i be shifting to fourth with my 2.93 open?


thanks again

making peoples head turn with lights that actually hurt your vision of the road, is dumb. actually saying that you want to impress people with your 12000k hid kit is even dumber. i'd bet it puts out alot less light than even a stock h1 halogen low beam in a euro car. they were meant to be 4000-4300k for a reason by the factory. your car already looks damn nice.

hey man, thanks for complimenting my car. But it wasnt like i just said to myself one day "hey i want purple lights so i cant see as good, but peoples heads will turn":confused . i just didnt have the money ($600)for Depos, with Predator chrom, and HID's. my friend had them for sale for only $230 and they fit 9006 bulb type on my usdm headlights. I really wanted something brighter than the standard american halogen and the lighting on these were perfect for my spirited driving and the purple was something unique that no one has on the road.(that ive seen)

speaking of drag racing, i think i may have found a good 2.8 crank for the m50 i'm buying sunday. i wonder how a 2700lb e30 will do with an m50 2.8L with m3 cams and a 3.73lsd on drag radials...?

^^thanks to you Mr.Blonde!!:buttrock

your techniques have inspired me, i will definately use them this friday at the track and hopefully will help a noob dragracer like me:D


by the way, what 60ft times do you think i should i be able to hit with my car by looking at the mods listed?

should i run my stock 15'' bottlecaps all around or just the front?

im bouncing 3rd while i pass the line, should i be shifting to fourth with my 2.93 open?


thanks again
Well from reading everyones input i plan on putting drags or something close on my stock 328i rims and putting good street tires on my 17"s and switching at the strip. Whats sizes should i go on my 15s you think. I know i want skinny front huge rear but whats the biggest i can run?... i think the 15s are 15x7 maybe...

Well from reading everyones input i plan on putting drags or something close on my stock 328i rims and putting good street tires on my 17"s and switching at the strip. Whats sizes should i go on my 15s you think. I know i want skinny front huge rear but whats the biggest i can run?... i think the 15s are 15x7 maybe...


well i was kinda doing some research and soon as i get suspension, im running my stock 15's all around. and im putting some BFgoodrich Drag radials on size 225/50/15(should fit your 328i wheels aswell). theyre on tirerack.com for only $114:D

until then im gonna just run my DSII's in the rear and my stocks up front:buttrock

Well from reading everyones input i plan on putting drags or something close on my stock 328i rims and putting good street tires on my 17"s and switching at the strip. Whats sizes should i go on my 15s you think. I know i want skinny front huge rear but whats the biggest i can run?... i think the 15s are 15x7 maybe...


hey man, did you get to run at the track again?

hey man, did you get to run at the track again?
Me and a bunch of friends are going back this friday. Im gonna let my friend try to drive my car once or twice and see if he can have any better luck with traction too... gonna do some basic weight reduction to see if i can break 14s...