Race in Bitburg this weekend... need your thoughts.

DorianL

DorianL

solid fixture here in the forum
Staff member
Hey All,

I have two races coming up... One this weekend (18-19-20) the other next on June on 8-9-10.

Both races are in Germany - 200 miles away.

I was planning on going to both. The Chevy drove reliably 2x 100 miles last week. I went to a Marcus Miller concert in Genk. ;)

Anyway - here is the dilemma. So far I have been swapping tires back and forth off of my Torq Thrust IIs. Radial Cooper Cobras 295/50R15s and BFG Drag Radials 325/50R15.

I ordered some new cheapy rims... but they might only get here for the NEXT race.

So here is the dilemma...

I am concerend about two things:
- Ruining the bead of me Cooper Cobras; this will be the fourth time I swap them back and forth.
- I'll need to take a few hours of leave to do this - I HATE doing that. (I am basically saving all my hours to go on a Boy Scout summer camp for a month as a rifle shooting instructor/archery ;) )

I can go to the race with my street tire and mostly work on tuning the top end. But everything in first and second will be gone.

I swap the tires... and risk ruining bead.

I sit this race out...

What think you?

Other bits:
- I am worried my rear end will break if I hook hard (I never have)
- I intend to tune reading plugs and O2 sensor.

D.


PS - the TT is one hell of a street ride right now. VERY nice!
 
I don't see it being that big of a problem swapping tires, it's not like they have been on there a couple of years and are hard to remove.

But what happens if you break......anything, not just the rear end? How will you get it home? How many hours of leave will you have to take then? If you are racing 200 miles away, you need a plan for getting the TT home.

If you go, I would keep the street tires on, go have some fun and do some tuning!

If you have a second vehicle and rent a trailer that can get the back end off the ground, then it's a different story.



 

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So it is possible to tune still with street tires? Man that is going to be tought to get traction in 1 and 2.

I have an AAA insurance...
 
DorianL said:
So it is possible to tune still with street tires? Man that is going to be tought to get traction in 1 and 2.

I have an AAA insurance...
Click to expand...
I'm no expert on tuning, but I would guess that it would depend somewhat on how far off the tune is. If your getting close then maybe there is not much you can do.

Doesn't AAA have a maximum distance they will pay for? Just need a plan B if something breaks.
 
This is what they do here:

A AAA tow truck driver will drive as far as necessary to get to you – at no charge. If we can’t get the vehicle running, we’ll tow you to your desired destination. Classic members can be towed to the contract facility rendering service or elsewhere within five miles at no charge. Additional mileage is charged on the scene at special rates. AAA Plus members have more flexibility to choose where they want their car towed up to 100 miles, AAA Premier members up to 200 miles.
Click to expand...
 
honestly if your going to race on a budget like most of us do, especially if you don,t have a pick-up truck and a car transport trailer to tow the performance car to the track with its an EXCELLENT idea to have a small parts trailer to tow behind your car , "that youll want to be driving with, while using good street tires not on race tires on your car", too carry the almost mandatory accessories like slicks, too race with, floor jacks, ramps and a lockable tool box bolted to the floor of the small trailer,so you can lock the tools up with at least minimal security while your not personally watching them and having a folding chair, ice cooler full of drinks and sandwiches and a small shelter sure improves things at times.

IT should be very interesting to see the results of the changes youve made, especially if you manage to get a consistent controlled launch and not have any other mechanical issues as your engine tune seems to have improved
canopya.jpg

race tires wear out very quickly as by design they are much softer and more flexible, and should only be used for racing
its also a very good idea to have a trailer that can be locked up when your not standing next to it to keep parts and tools from walking off!
from experience I can tell you that any trailer should ideally use axles, bolt patterns and tires that will interchange with your cars street tires
but you don,t need to spend a fortune on the trailer, naturally having fabrication skills and a welder helps but shopping around for a used trailer as a basic start point also helps reduce costs.

smalltrailer.jpg


smalltrailera.jpg

a trailer like this one pictured above, if properly sized and designed, can be built economically, adds a good deal to track tool and tires security and allows you to carry things that make the trip to the track more enjoyable

2043.jpg

you don,t need something this complex and expensive


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Well, I called the AAA over here - they will tow me if I breakdown.
 
Having another "cheap" set of rim for your drag radial is a good idea. I see plenty of local guy with screw tire to the rim.

x2 for a tow trailer if possible.
Id probably use the street tire for the first race and drag radial on the next race.

Can't wait to see your comment and time "with traction", make me want to try some drag radials and race time in the futur.
 
I've got questions about the race course and layout.
Is it on the old airfield? [Curious as I spent many fine years there - as a Bulldog - back in the day.]
It would be great to see some pics of the set up--and the race too.

Cheers - Jim
 
Yup - it is the airfield. I'll take pics, of course.

Very much leaning to going with street tires...
 
Hm, I am thinking about swapping the tires on for one last race - this week and three weeks later. After that I will retire the TT from racing altogether. It now is a good reliable car... I just want to dip into 11s (which I don' think is possible on street tires.)

From now on just working on reliability, fighting off rust.

I think so - I think I will do that. That way I don't have to worry about wearing out those race tires - this will be their last run.
 
Hmmm, getting kinda depressed here - I think this season will be the Tangerine Tornado's last ride... at least no more drag racing.

It will have achieved it's full potential - I might get kicked off the track for lack of a roll cage. I am not going to do that.

As I say, from here on in, I think I will be just perfecting what I have. The TT will have nothing left to prove.

I am hoping for 11s.
 
I think with drag radias you will get in the 10-11s no problem with a good tune.
 
DorianL said:
Hmmm, getting kinda depressed here - I think this season will be the Tangerine Tornado's last ride... at least no more drag racing.

It will have achieved it's full potential - I might get kicked off the track for lack of a roll cage. I am not going to do that.

As I say, from here on in, I think I will be just perfecting what I have. The TT will have nothing left to prove.

I am hoping for 11s.
Click to expand...

even a car that does high 11 seconds or low 12 second times is going to be far faster than 95 % plus or more of the street driven cars
and unless you have nearly unlimited cash flow the last 1%-2% is all but UN-attainable, as your talking hundreds of thousands of dollars in a car to compete with some of the true exotics
the reason I sold my big block 496 corvette that ran low 10s was mostly due to a major financial reversal at the time but partly because a car with a full roll cage that seemed to attract cops like a cute nude girl walking down a street attracts stares from guys.
it was not all that much fun to drive a car that could easily run very quickly ,while restricted to loping around at 40 mph to avoid getting tickets,especially with a full roll cage installed , I had much more fun with the car when it only ran low very 11 second times, and had even more fun with a 1965 Pontiac that was usually even slightly slower, but had room for 4 passengers and a trunk

read these links
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viewtopic.php?f=52&t=5078&p=18935&hilit=first+fast#p18935

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Yeah i agree with that, i never had a car with roll cage or the like. but my camaro can still take passager and has a usable trunk and its gonna stay this way for very long.. Help with the value of the car, no collector want to buy a backhalved, minitubed and rollcaged car.
 
DorianL said:
Hmmm, getting kinda depressed here - I think this season will be the Tangerine Tornado's last ride... at least no more drag racing.
Click to expand...
Don't make me come over there and slap you around! You know there's going to be some smart ass that makes a comment and you will have to bring the TT out of retirement! :lol:
 
Harbinger!!!

I SERIOUSLY had to LMAO yesterday. We are talking cackling like a mad man here.

I took the TT out for a test drive yesterday evening. Mostly cruising not really pushing hard. Anyway, as I came to a roundabout inthe middle of a fairly quick road, this sporty-looking Audi pulls up behind me. Tailgates a little. You know the kind: itching to get by as we get closer to the roundabout.

Well, I ham it up. I slow down a bit and drive like this is a big heavy, sloooow, American car. I take the round about veeeery slowly. I can feel his itch to get by me build even more.

Just as we exit the roound about, as expected, the Audi immediately tries to overtake me. I don't fully drop the hammer... but I come down on the gas good! Even with the extra-wide sticky tires the rear started coming out in second. Minor corrections... BOOM I was on my way with two little dots of light in the review.

Once I hit about 70-80 mph I settled in a cruise cackling like a mad man. The guy eventually caught up with me. Saw me laughing like a mad man... and gave me a thumbs up and took off. I could not stop laughing the three miles left backk home...


:D
 
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