How You launch Your Bugs

[bedjo78]

I still struggeling to Lounch Properly.  The stagging Brake seem not work for me.

Please share your experience How Your best Launch Practice

Any tought really apreciated

[Fasterbrit]

I hold on my staging brake and preload the tranny at the same time. Gas pedal flat to the floor and dump the clutch (let go of the staging brake) on green! I have quite a tall first gear so need to have the rpm high to avoid stalling off the line. Also, I need the rpm to spool the turbo. Seems to work for me...

Just a thought... if you post some specs of your car, people can give a more informed answer with better tips.

[Peter]

I think it also depends on your car;
like mine for an instance:
the tyres are not sticky and when revved higher to start, the tyres kept spinning longer than with a launch at 3500 ,
if i remember well, thats when my times went down a bit
but for a car that has slicks, i think you can be more aggressive

but i only raced two times yet so what the hell do i know

[bedjo78]

My Bug use MH 215/65R15 soft compound and I used to bog a little when I launch the Car. I stag at 5000-6000 rpm . I have tested 3000-4000 but not work. the engine bog off big time. when it is on 6000rpm then I will get a good grab on engine. but the only thing is I always too late compared to the guy aganist me.

I'm consider to install line lock to get better on reaction time.  or may be I need to practice more. 

[Fiatdude]

U turbo'd???

What size motor???

NEED INFO

[bedjo78]

Hello Fiat Dude..

The car was Light weight

yes that's right mine is 86X94 Turbo FI .   
SCAT 86 chevy
6 inch pauter Rods
94 pauter long barrel
Pauter heads 48X40mm 1.5 rocker
Comp 8:1

Tranny Spoll aluminum. RP 8:33   3.78 1st, 2.06 nd, 1.58 3rd, 1.12 4th

[Fiatdude]

Do you have an emergency brake??

OK --- This is a very old school way of launching a turbo on boost --- --- Light the pre-stage light -- start (for lack of a better word ) wacking your throttle with short bursts -- using your emergency brake to hold you back -- this spins up your turbo and starts giving you boost -- ease into the second light -continuing to wack the throttle - then time the lights coming down to be on the throttle and off the clutch at the last yellow -- you will be on full boost instantly and shouldn't be bogging  -- adjust your leave accordingly --

If you see the green light and you're still setting there --- you are leaving way too late

My Fiat always spun the tires (before I went to drag radials ) and I was leaving as soon as the second to last light started to light -- If you wheelie, that lowers the reaction time because as soon as the tires open the beam your time starts

[fish]

very good info right there by Fiatdude, with that combo what turbo you using...........should be 6200 - 6700rpm due to the 6" Rods needing the speed.

[Fiatdude]

Rereading the post -- the staging brake / emergency brake is basically the same thing -- What your are trying to get is your bug to leave consistantly -- A 2 step might be in order for you -- This will hold your engine at a given RPM of your choice and let you concentrate on the job of driving. (This RPM will change depend on the track and track conditions). But it sound like you also need some seat time. Go to a TNT (test and Tune session) and do nothing but 60' passes -- that is Burn out, Launch and go until shift into second and then coast/cruise the rest of tht track.

Go up to the line - go through a set routine - (Get in your car some evening before you get to the track and think about everything you have to do from the time you pull into the water box until you grab second gear -- maybe even write it all down -- and practice this 50-100 times in your garage moving your hands to this switch, grabbing this lever, Do it a few times without your helmet, then put your helmet on and keep doing it.  IF you find you are TOO BUSY change things so that your not, move a switch or lever to a more ergo position -- get comfortable -- and make this a routine EVERYTIME you come to the line) -- W A T C H    T  H E    L I G H T S -- stand out on the line in between rounds and concentrate on watching the light come down -- do they flicker before lighting -- you'll start noticing and seeing this stuff, really.

Where you want to start at is trying to red light. Leave on the second light and see where your reaction time is -- Do that a couple of times and look at your time slip -- Maybe you might want to be leaving after the second bulb is off and before the third comes on. Every car/driver combo is different and reacts differently.

Practice -- practice -- practice -- set in your car and do the fueler testing requirement -- that is where you have your helmet on and the helmet bag on over the helmet and you're required to reach and find all the controls 'in the dark'


Seat time is everything

[Billyisgr8]

I use my e-brake for my car, 1850 with me in it, I preload very hard on the e-brake, so hard in fact that the rear of the car squats probably 3" you can watch it on one of my video's on youtube.  The last 3 races of the year the car had a   .090 .101  .093 reaction time on a .400 tree....Leave on the first sight of yellow on the last bulb..  With a stock tranny, only a superdiff, stock brass pinion nut, and stock cv's,  only have broken 1 cv joint in 9 years.  over 300 launches 1.9 to 2.1 60'  in the 9 years, and 60 launches 1.7 - 1.9 60'  last year on slicks.  I am a firm believer of preloading hard.  Practice with some online practicce trees too for learing timing.  Ohya I use a 2-step also, and have it set at 6200 rpm.


Kevin

[JIMP]

O.K. question for you guys

can you actually preload the transmission if the car is set with a black magic disk or it it isn't applicable in that case?

(2276 T1 turbo, black magic + Kep1, two step, staging brake with cable connected on foot pedal so on all four wheels)

Friendly

Dimitrios

[bedjo78]

Hello All,

Thank for all of input. I know I still adjusting my selft to get used of the stagging brake. the Car still have E-brake mounted. So I will try the E-brake  to  preload.
Practice and practice.....that is the key...

Apreciated

[Fasterbrit]

 A little tip for you if you are using your handbrake (E-brake in US parlance) is to depress the brake button fully and duct tape over it so that it cannot engage the ratchet. That way you can preload the tans on the handbrake and just let it fly when you launch. Works for me every time - and no need for an expensive line-lock!

[BeetleBug]

300 launches 1.9 to 2.1 60'  in the 9 years, and 60 launches 1.7 - 1.9 60'  last year on slicks.  I am a firm believer of preloading hard.  Practice with some online practicce trees too for learing timing.  Ohya I use a 2-step also, and have it set at 6200 rpm.

Kevin

So Kevin, when are you going to start dragracing? With those 60ft times you have lost your race before you have even started. I believe the E-brake is only good for preloading the trans and that it is far better to use the line lock to preload the whole car, including your trans. You can immediately feel the difference from a launch using your E-brake compared to the line lock when the car hang on the tires with preloaded trans and suspension.

Best rgs
BB

[Fasterbrit]

My best 60 foot so far using the E-brake is 1.49, but I am still getting to grips with the car and suspension. Hopefully, the times will come down this year as I would love to break in to the nines
Regards, Keeno

[Billyisgr8]

300 launches 1.9 to 2.1 60'  in the 9 years, and 60 launches 1.7 - 1.9 60'  last year on slicks.  I am a firm believer of preloading hard.  Practice with some online practicce trees too for learing timing.  Ohya I use a 2-step also, and have it set at 6200 rpm.

Kevin

So Kevin, when are you going to start dragracing? With those 60ft times you have lost your race before you have even started. I believe the E-brake is only good for preloading the trans and that it is far better to use the line lock to preload the whole car, including your trans. You can immediately feel the difference from a launch using your E-brake compared to the line lock when the car hang on the tires with preloaded trans and suspension.

Best rgs
BB

The last 3 races of the year the car had a   .090 .101  .093 reaction time on a .400 tree.......I don't think my car is hanging up on the suspension with the reaction times it is getting, I prefer the e-brake over the line lock any day...I have both on the car.  I know plenty of guys with built trannies only getting 1.69 -1.80 60's with their beetles.   My 60's are slow because of my left leg delay and slipping the clutch some to make the stock tranny live.  How long have you seen a stock tranny live with slicks?  Most guys blow the stock tranny on street tires. 

And for the button , I drilled a hole into the button /handle and I put a shower curtain clip  through it , the clip has a nice smooth radius so I don't catch it on anything like my long sleeves or jacket.  My 2 step switch on my e-brake handle  is hooked up to a microwave switch from the door which has a long arm on it and is perfect for engaging the e-brake at any place along the arc of the e-brake, it works from low engage height to the highest hight.  So I can put on light pressure or lots.  Will post a pic if you want.

Kevin

[Martin]

Interesting to see how deferent people launch.

I just hold the car on the line lock, with the clutch dragging a little to take up the slack in the box. the motor is not making any power to speak of at that point so it wont push the little old 135s' through the beams.

once the lights drop the motor comes off its no power mode and goes into full power, it dont matter if my finger is still on the line lock as the 135's dont stand a chance! lol

I have found this way easyer for me i tried the ebrake method but didnt get on with it.

like Keeno im still working on suspention settings to get my 60' below its current 1.58!! lol


Martin

[Fiatdude]

One of the Promod guys recently did a 1.19 60' at Irwindale

but if you are racing ET brackets which most of us are, the 60' don't really matter as they are part of the total package of our time slip.  I raced a lot of guys in the Fiat with 60' times in the 2.0 and won --- just got to have the HP to drive around them LOL.