1/8 mile racing...

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4.10 gears and a 5k stall here....I run mostly 1/8 mile, but I had to get a higher rev limiter chip to run 1/4 mile this year. It was smacking the 7k rpm limiter just after the 1000' marker.

I also drive a lot on the street.
 
I race both 1/8 & 1/4 depending when fits my schedule. My sportsman car w 3.55 axle is perfect for longer track as it crosses line at 6k just above shift lite. The 1/8 track, I shift to 3rd and cross finish. I don't change gears because then need roll cage for 1/8. I enjoy both types, but 1/4 gives more time to use top end to catch up.
 
I think the launch is the best part, I like it to be over at the 60'.
 
I just like to race. 500 ft, 1/8 mile, 1/4 mile, flying mile, oval, road course, dirt or pavement, makes no difference to me. Just give me 5 wheels, 4 to roll on, and one to steer. Been doing it for 60 years.
 
When did you start racing Charlie? At 5 years old? LOL, Keep on racing friend.
 
I grew up on a 1/8 mile track, it was 3 miles from my house.
Spent many a night there either racing or watching.
Made my first attempt at a pass at 16 years old 8.04 in my grandpas old 65 corornet.
Not fast but it was a total street car.
I had evicted the old slant and 3-speed.
Put in a junkyard 318, 4-speed with 3.91 gears.
Added the usual headers, aluminum intake 4bbl, typical high school car.
Built out of high school budget, it was a fun old car.
The junk yard was the parts store for that old car, and back then, there were alot local.
Its a shame the track is gone, urban development got it, along with all the old school junkyards.
None of them left.
 
I've always heard that it was hardest to win on a eighth mile track but that's where I've won the most rounds and finals over the years. So I don't think it's true.
 
Regardless of what someone considers fast or slow as far as times go to me its like the op stated at the beginning. 1/8 is premature. 1/4 gives you a chance to wring your heap out, throw in the fact it might be a tin can death trap with crap drum brakes and that just adds another bit to the excitement while at speed. 1/8 vs 1/4 to me is like the first couple laps at a track day on a motorcycle vs. in a groove later on and really feeling the adrenaline rush
 
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To play the finish line game, you have to get it into high gear and then start judging how fast you are coming up on him/her or how fast they are catching up to you.........................1/4 mile you have a lot of time to watch it all play out. 1/8 mile even if you have your gears set up to red line threw the traps.......there is just not as much time to, size up you play.
When all i had raced was 1/4 mile i hated 1/8! I felt i was getting jipped from part of my run.

Now that i race 1/8 mile and have my car set up for 1/8 mile, it a blast! even if i go out 2nt round!!!

Our little home town 1/8 mile track would NEVER have become a reality if it was 1/4 mile, just because of the insurance.
and it only covers the spectators. we had basically no spectator to start with and it still cost us $700 per race. That was 15 year a go.
 
As long as you are having fun and enjoying your car, who the hell cares what anyone else thinks? Have fun, drive the car the way it was meant to be driven, and enjoy. Few things in life piss me off more than someone who won't drive a car because they don't want it to get dirty or they're afraid of a stone chip or scratch. Life's too bloody short to worry about all that crap! Race it, cruise it, do burnouts and smokeshows, live life! I remember doing a burnout contest 3 weeks after my car was painted, a guy came up to me and started giving me bullshit attitude about "treating such a nice car like that". I told him point blank, "it's my car and I built it to enjoy it, and I don't give a **** what you think".
 
missing linc said:
As long as you are having fun and enjoying your car, who cares what anyone else thinks? Have fun, drive the car the way it was meant to be driven, and enjoy. Few things in life piss me off more than someone who won't drive a car because they don't want it to get dirty or they're afraid of a stone chip or scratch. Life's too bloody short to worry about all that crap! Race it, cruise it, do burnouts and smokeshows, live life! .
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LOL... First sentence - "as long as YOU are having fun and enjoying YOUR car, who cares what anyone else thinks???" 3rd sentence - Few things in life upset me more than someone who won't drive THEIR car because THEY don't want THEIR car dirty or scratched........ LOL :D :D Sorry, I just saw nothing but contrast.:poke:
 
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My brother built this car, it is a clone, but exceptionally well done. For the first several years he was "that guy", don't wanna have to clean it, might get a stone chip, blah blah blah. I really love that car, my absolute favorite year Chevelle, 1970. It's a blast to drive, 496 big block, around 600hp,
20160910_135708 (1).jpg
with 200 4R trans and 3.73s in the 12 bolt, full Hotchkiss suspension, etc. I finally ragged on him enough that he has been driving it a lot more the last 5 years or so, even to it to the track a couple years ago when I had my 2011 Camaro SS, he has a few other cars, buys and sells,but it's the only one he is unlikely to sell anytime soon. It ran altitude corrected 11.80s with no tuning off the trailer, has been upgraded with MSD ignition and Atomic EFI since then, I haven't driven it since, but he feels the butt dyno says it's improved.
 
missing linc said:
My brother built this car, it is a clone, but exceptionally well done. For the first several years he was "that guy", don't wanna have to clean it, might get a stone chip, blah blah blah. I really love that car, my absolute favorite year Chevelle, 1970. It's a blast to drive, 496 big block, around 600hp,View attachment 1715403017 with 200 4R trans and 3.73s in the 12 bolt, full Hotchkiss suspension, etc. I finally ragged on him enough that he has been driving it a lot more the last 5 years or so, even to it to the track a couple years ago when I had my 2011 Camaro SS, he has a few other cars, buys and sells,but it's the only one he is unlikely to sell anytime soon. It ran altitude corrected 11.80s with no tuning off the trailer, has been upgraded with MSD ignition and Atomic EFI since then, I haven't driven it since, but he feels the butt dyno says it's improved.
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I hate to ask you this but what the heck is running an altitude corrected 11.80? Did you self calculate the actual number it ran at the track.
 
pittsburghracer said:
I hate to ask you this but what the heck is running an altitude corrected 11.80? Did you self calculate the actual number it ran at the track.
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Using the correction factor on the NHRA website, lists all the tracks and altitudes. Actual times were 12.20s. Most magazine tests are either done at or very close to sea level, otherwise they use the same calculation tables to correct E.T. to sea level.
 
missing linc said:
Using the correction factor on the NHRA website, lists all the tracks and altitudes. Actual times were 12.20s. Most magazine tests are either done at or very close to sea level, otherwise they use the same calculation tables to correct E.T. to sea level.
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Lmao I’ve never seen anyone ever self correct the track times they have run at the track. But I guess it does make it sound better at the local car cruise. Soon we will just be able to dyno test it, correct those numbers, then fill out our ET slips without wasting gas.
 
pittsburghracer said:
Lmao I’ve never seen anyone ever self correct the track times they have run at the track. But I guess it does make it sound better at the local car cruise. Soon we will just be able to dyno test it, correct those numbers, then fill out our ET slips without wasting gas.
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Think of the savings on broken parts and burned up slicks! lol
 
I get it if somebody is racing at mile high. I would state it ran "__" at 5200 ft. For me, my track is 600 ft above sea level, it's hot/humid in the summer and we have good air in the fall. Most racers experience about 2 (maybe 2.5) tenths between July and October.
 
Yup, where I used to race, it was around 720 ft I think, so I never bothered to run any calculations, headwind was generally more of an issue anyway. Closest track here is 2400 ft.
 
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