Why are people scared of the drag strip?

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Exactly what I told her lol I said I would make some easy passes to get a feel of the track and the car. Then work my way up I basically want to go to the track for tuning trials anyway. I told her its alot safer to test on the track than backroads.

Safer yes but does it help you tune for the street, nope.

Tune for where you run.
 
Those that give excuses have either never been there, or have deep concerns about actually knowing how good or bad their car is. They thrive on dyno numbers and stories at shows and cruise nights. Basically they like the reality they can create, without having the added complication of actual fact to break that up.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ditto on the cruise nights and such . Heard a kid from Claremore in the stands at a prostock match race say , his 340 mopar car was as fast as Bob Gliddens 340 arrow !
 
I can chime in on this as it's very relavent to me. I built my 408 two years ago and my car is set up for it. It dyno'd 500 hp at the machine shop and 400 on the chassis dyno while tuning. Several things have kept me away from the dragstrip. I suffer from anxiety during normal day to day life. Through medication I am able to keep it under control, but it's always there. The thought of taking my Dart to the dragstrip sounds awesome but I would be a nervous wreck. Here are the thoughts that are keeping me away in no particular order.
* The track is a two hour highway drive away. I have drag radials and no spare. Not to mention the other terrible things that could happen on a two hour blast down the highway.
* What happens if I get out there and my car doesn't pass tech?
* What happens if I get out there and break something? It's a long tow home.
* What happens if the kid next to me gets loose and puts me into the wall? My insurance won't cover his mistake.
These are just a few of the things that keep me awake at night. I would LOVE to find out what my car runs and I have some friends that will help get me there. A buddy has offered to trailer it to the track for me. We could take tools, air tank, etc in his truck and keep my car nice and cool. The track has a test and tune coming up on Friday July 5th, and I've already taken the day off of work.
 
I can chime in on this as it's very relavent to me. I built my 408 two years ago and my car is set up for it. It dyno'd 500 hp at the machine shop and 400 on the chassis dyno while tuning. Several things have kept me away from the dragstrip. I suffer from anxiety during normal day to day life. Through medication I am able to keep it under control, but it's always there. The thought of taking my Dart to the dragstrip sounds awesome but I would be a nervous wreck. Here are the thoughts that are keeping me away in no particular order.
* The track is a two hour highway drive away. I have drag radials and no spare. Not to mention the other terrible things that could happen on a two hour blast down the highway.
* What happens if I get out there and my car doesn't pass tech?
* What happens if I get out there and break something? It's a long tow home.
* What happens if the kid next to me gets loose and puts me into the wall? My insurance won't cover his mistake.
These are just a few of the things that keep me awake at night. I would LOVE to find out what my car runs and I have some friends that will help get me there. A buddy has offered to trailer it to the track for me. We could take tools, air tank, etc in his truck and keep my car nice and cool. The track has a test and tune coming up on Friday July 5th, and I've already taken the day off of work.
Yes a trailer from U-Haul and so my $55 for a day. Also you can let the guy in the lane next to you take off at the green light and you can wait 10 seconds and take off and it still going to give you the same time slip as and it doesn't start counting until you cross the line. You would just end up with a bad reaction time. You can ask just to take a single pass by yourself... Usually test and tune it's kind of a grudge night as well so you can ask who you want to race next to. on those nights usually there's everything just get some kid in a 19 second Volvo who's not going to get out of control...
 
Yeah, and someone mentioned above taking it easy on the first couple of passes. That would be my plan. Maybe if I start planning it now, I won't be anxiety ridden by next month? That's the way it usually works. I build things up in my mind and it keeps me awake at night and then when the time comes, the thing that I had built up so big turns out to be nothing at all. I can't explain it, it's just the way my mind works.
 
Yeah, and someone mentioned above taking it easy on the first couple of passes. That would be my plan. Maybe if I start planning it now, I won't be anxiety ridden by next month? That's the way it usually works. I build things up in my mind and it keeps me awake at night and then when the time comes, the thing that I had built up so big turns out to be nothing at all. I can't explain it, it's just the way my mind works.
I think everybody does that to one extent or another. It's called butterflies LOL...
 
The biggest fear most people have is to find out their 11 second street car runs in the 14's LOL
 
Yeah, and someone mentioned above taking it easy on the first couple of passes. That would be my plan. Maybe if I start planning it now, I won't be anxiety ridden by next month? That's the way it usually works. I build things up in my mind and it keeps me awake at night and then when the time comes, the thing that I had built up so big turns out to be nothing at all. I can't explain it, it's just the way my mind works.
Practice tree app: DragTracker.com
 
There isn't a track within hundreds of miles of me that isn't 100+ degrees by 9 am for one.
I have completely the wrong setup for 1/8 or 1/4 mile.
Give me a mile.:D
Go at night!
Pretty much every track has at least Friday nights.
For standing mile, look for the sanctioning group schedules.
 
I think everybody does that to one extent or another. It's called butterflies LOL...

Yup, everyone has them to one degree or another. It's how you deal with them that makes the difference. One thing that might help him is to do what I do before my first pass of the season. I check, tighten, adjust, and prepare everything on the car that I can. Check brakes, adjust valves, check for any fluid leaks, electrical connections tight, tire condition and pressure, etc....... That way, I know in my mind that I have taken care of all that I can control. Now go let her eat and have some fun.........
 
Yup, everyone has them to one degree or another. It's how you deal with them that makes the difference. One thing that might help him is to do what I do before my first pass of the season. I check, tighten, adjust, and prepare everything on the car that I can. Check brakes, adjust valves, check for any fluid leaks, electrical connections tight, tire condition and pressure, etc....... That way, I know in my mind that I have taken care of all that I can control. Now go let her eat and have some fun.........
Yep put it on 4 jack stands and take a handful of wrenches under there and start at the front and work your way to the back putting your wrench on every Nut and Bolt you can find....
 
Here's a list of all the things I've broken at the track in the several years I've been taking it. First I blew up my 318 trying to hold 3rd gear to the end of the track one night LOL guess whose fault that was? I broke an 8 and 3/4 with heated up wrinkle wall slicks on a very prepped track dumping the clutch at 6 grand...
Also I threw an alternator belt because my bottom pulley was too big...
Knock on wood that's it...
 
Here's a list of all the things I've broken at the track in the several years I've been taking it. First I blew up my 318 trying to hold 3rd gear to the end of the track one night LOL guess whose fault that was? I broke an 8 and 3/4 with heated up wrinkle wall slicks on a very prepped track dumping the clutch at 6 grand...
Also I threw an alternator belt because my bottom pulley was too big...
Knock on wood that's it...
Not bad. What rear gear were you running when the 318 blew? 5:13? Lol
 
Yeah, and someone mentioned above taking it easy on the first couple of passes. That would be my plan. Maybe if I start planning it now, I won't be anxiety ridden by next month? That's the way it usually works. I build things up in my mind and it keeps me awake at night and then when the time comes, the thing that I had built up so big turns out to be nothing at all. I can't explain it, it's just the way my mind works.
We all get "butterflies" in the stomach as J par had mentioned... over one thing or another. Some points for you to ponder....
  • Much higher risk to wreck your car on the street by somebody texting while driving, drugged while driving, drunk while driving... etc etc. Very very very few accidents on the dragstrip.
  • What if it breaks down 2 hrs away? You do the same thing you'd do if it broke down anytime you are driving it. We took my wife's '77 Ramcharger across 9 states and almost 4000 miles last Sept. Took a few tools and a couple of common parts. We had no troubles at all.
  • Most likely, you will be the one the other drivers are scared of... LOL. They've most likely have been down the strip hundreds of times.... :D
 
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