1/4 mile results inside
 

So I finally got my Z to the track last night and had a great time for my first time ever hitting up a dragstrip. I was very happy to find that it was an incredibly slow night so I didn't embarrass myself in front of a bunch of people.

Anyway here are my results typed, followed by a pic of slips.

1st run (in my life at a track), 2nd, 3rd (Paused after red-lighting), 4th.

R/T_____.343_____LB3A_____LB3A_____.437
60'_____2.158_____2.301_____3.529_____2.057
330_____5.763_____5.894_____7.160_____5.724
1/8_____8.715_____8.826_____10.089_____8.673
MPH_____83.49_____84.32_____84.26_____83.88
1000_____11.274_____11.363_____12.627_____11.218
1/4_____13.440_____13.510____14.773(WTF?)_13.369
E.T._____104.14_____105.05_____105.12_____102.73

Pic (I'm car 822)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...N/IMG_6936.jpg

Problems:

Runs 2 & 3: Noob move and couldn't hold my left foot on the brake while bringing up the revs (which car limited me to 1500 while braking), red lighted each time.

ALL runs: I COULD NOT EFFING DO A BURNOUT!!!! I had VDC off and it would just limit my rpm's. Anyone know what to do about this?? It's embarrassing not burrning a little rubber.

Vids coming via youtube tonight, will edit in when complete.

Run1:
[YOUTUBEHQ]AWYBoTCWSok[/YOUTUBEHQ]
YouTube - 1st run 13 4

Run3:
[YOUTUBEHQ]ywZwIEElBgQ[/YOUTUBEHQ]
YouTube - 3rd run, red light, paused, 14.7

Run4: Fastest run, yet my good camera ran out of space so cell phone footage is all I have. You can hear one of my lady friends say 13.3 Wooooo!.
[YOUTUBEHQ]u15KhBPg7gw[/YOUTUBEHQ]
YouTube - 4th run 13.3

Car and strategy details:

2009 370Z Base model w/ Sport Package & 7 speed auto w/paddle shifters. Best run: Held brake and had gas pedal to the floor (car would only allow 1500 or so rpms) let off brake at light, shifted as close to redline as I could. Again no burn outs because my car would not allow it even with VDC Off.

Seems like as you get used to the car, your numbers will be even better. Good job mate.

Yep looks like everything you did is the same things I did. Our times were pretty close to one another and 13.369 is a GREAT time for this car for your first night at the track. I am curious still how many miles you have or had on the car when you got to the track? It does make a difference. The better broken in your car is the better it could possibly run. I know as my car became more broken in and I was able to push it a little harder my times definately improved. Also Im glad you got into the 13.3's! It proves my thoughts that I was capable of getting 13.3's bone stock had I waited a lil longer on the intake. Im looking forward to this next weekend tho, now that the ECU is well adjusted to the intake Im looking to see times in the high 13.1's. Keep up the good work man, and let us know if you post up any faster times while still stock.

run #3
 

Good job. The Converter on the car is stock and only allows a stall of 1500 rpm's. Judging by the 60' times on Run #3 it appear you really spun the tires when you left the starting line on that run. That's why the times are so different.

just my $.02 from an old Drag Racer.

:tiphat:

P.S. You Red Lighted is the reason you beat the other guy by 2 cars lengths.

Thanks.

I had between 1150 and 1180 miles on the car when I made my first run.

Temps were in the high 40's (probably contributed to the fast times).

Humidity was in the high 70's.

When the video is finally up, you'll see that the run shows a completely different story to your thoughts. The times don't match the run. Youtube is taking forever.

This is also good to see these times and such because it gives a nice little comparison between my straigth base model and your base sport model! I don't really think in a straight 1/4 mile race the tires and rims and wing would make much of a difference but they might!

Please do the math
 

Please do the math between all of the runs. You'll see that they are about the same except for the 60' of run 3. when you deduct the difference of 3 and the others you will see they all are about the same then. When I see that it tells me you spun the tires. Please speak to a drag racer in your area and show them the ET slips and ask their opinion.

Thanks

:tiphat:

I think i get it now. I red lighted (time started), i did not take off till his green light (so we left at approximately same time), i pulled and completed the run first, but the second and a half i sat there is why my times are way off, even though my MPH are spot on.

Spinning Tires
 

Sorry I made that assumption, In the world of Drag Racing your times reflected spinning tires. However, I did not consider that this must be your first time to the strip (judging by the video's). (Please no insult is meant because everyone has to start somewhere. Even those of us that have been around the strip for years did the very same things you did our first times) You will learn and your times will get faster. The reason your Mile Per Hour was the same However, is it is measured during the last 60 feet of the race. Your ET however, is determined in the first 60 feet. Good luck and have a lot of fun at the Strip.

P.S. While you are there, Stay Safe.

:tiphat:

the good news with this is that even though I'm currently a terrible noob driver, I could still pull off a 13.3 with this amazing car in stock form, and with an auotomatic!!!

Congrats, I think being in the 13.3s on your first trip is great, and a strong showing for the car.

Kickass job bro!
I think you did a great job for first time!
[: Hope ya enjoyed!

Awesome, glad you had fun! Just FYI, you don't need to do any lengthy burnout with street tires. Just drive around the waterbox (if there is any) and do a quick spin of the tires to clear off any debris. Don't get them too heated.

Eventually you'll get a better feel for your launches and know that if you ever blow it so badly that you're going to have a crap run anyways, you'll just coast to the line and save the car.

I agree! While the first attempts at 1/4 mi are just starting to come in, for a new guy to just drive out to the track and post a completely stock 13.3 is impressive.
The tires that these things come with are a huge handicap on a drag strip and to do any better than a 2.0 60' is going to be just about impossible imo.
A race type tire that gets sticky when it gets hot (like a drag radial) would be a big help knocking a couple .1s off that 60'.
With completely stock trap speeds showing up in the 105+ range, I'm going to predict that with the usual bolt-ons (exhaust, pullys and maybe a decent cold air intake) we'll start seeing 110 mph finish line speeds and ETs solidly in the mid to high 12s.
Makes me want to do it but I'm getting the eye from the wife...lol.

Excuse for being the new guy, I have never really been into racing a whole lot just showing. With a car like this couldn't you potentially knock a decent bit off the time by just getting some slightly stickier tires (nitto 555's?) and putting some high octane fuel in it (110)? Or would the fuel hurt it? Like I said, I have been away from all of this for a while til the wife gave me the go ahead for the car, and I was always into showing before, never been much of a track guy, but with this little beast I can't wait to take it out and start runnin.

fuel wouldnt really do anything unless u tune the car. unless u put that XXX oxygenated fuel. that **** gains like 15hp. stickier tires always help at a drag strip. 60' times are critical.

Your exhaust might have a nasty leak.

Just tune the NAWWWZ timer, you'll run nines.

Fast n Furious FTMFW!

when Brian said to Dom, "now, you owe ME a 10 second car". i wished Dom would have broken into a 370z.

any chance of the Z being a real 10 sec car after all the mods people are building for it?

Great times! I have a 370z 7AT as well, did you use the Manual Paddle shifters or did you leave it automatic mode (D)?

[QUOTE
any chance of the Z being a real 10 sec car after all the mods people are building for it?

No. Not with any simple bolt on mods. Power has to be HUGE to push a 3000+ lb car into the 10s. Especially without a properly set up chassis.

There are basically two ways to do it. One requires (in addition to a big power increase) modifying the chassis and rear suspension to get the car off the line HARD.
Different wheels and tires for sure which means different brakes to fit those wheels. Unknown how the suspension would be able to deal with that kind of launch. Would it remain stable and put the power to the ground? I doubt it. Would it break? Probably. I'm going the bet it would break.

A serious 370Z drag car will probably have the entire rear end and suspension replaced and you'ld have to be a demented drag racer type to do that.
When dealing with that type... anything is possible.

The other (preferable) way would be to go easy on the rear end and give away a hard leave for a HUGE top end speed.
Now you're talking turbos with enough power to produce quarter mile speeds of 140mph or better to make up for a soft first 200 ft.

Can the trans take that? Maybe the auto with some mods can considering that you aren't really going to be hooking up too hard. I'm going to bet the manual/clutch wouldn't. At least not without babying the shifts which means you'll need even more mph to make up for that.

I think you will need 700hp to see the finish line speeds necessary to put one of these into the high 10s without a drag suspension and tire setup.
Under drive pullys and HFCs just aren't going to get it done.

Great times! What tire pressures were you running and did you take any weight out of the car before going to the track?

In response to TBSS2008:

I paddle shifted as close to redline as I could.

In response to Namir:

All tires were factory filled with nitrogen to 30psi, i did not change them at all.

Car had everything in it that a new stock model would have, minus the manual & other booklets. Here's the kicker, I'm a thin dude 5'11, 140lbs max.

Next time out you might try letting some air out of the rear tires and over inflating the fronts. And obviously anything you can remove from the car (spare/tools/sub/carpets/windshield washer fluid) and low fuel levels might help you shave a couple tenths.
You planning on heading back to the strip?

"demented drag racer type"
 

"demented drag racer type" and just what the heck is your meaning behind that statement? I guess you prefer the "Good ole boys" that run around in circles with restricter plates going no where for three hours or so. :twocents:
:barf:

good pointers, I'll try a few, in my first runs I wanted to be as close to stock as possible. I'll be headed back again some time in may when my buddies are free to run their cars (Pontiac g8 & 06 350z, yes I can smoke them both).

I'm convinced this car can click off a 1.9x 60'.

I need to get my *** out to the track and try it myself. I've done it before in different cars that might be a little more suited for the launch... but on much skinnier, less-grippy tires.

Considering that I've got a couple thousand passes down NHRA tracks from one end of the country to the other, ranging from 7 second motorcycles and 8 second Mustangs to stock tired 13 second street cars, I think I know what "demented drag racer types" are thank you....:tiphat:

I would be happy to break into the 12s with a Z with bolt ons.

Maybe...:eekdance: I've actually seen a 1.7sec 60' using 17" Nitto drag radials on a 11 second street driven Mustang but I felt that was about as good as I could do on those. That was at Pomona on a good track and those were ALOT better suited to dragstrip use than these hard/low profile 19" Bridgestones. Good luck and report back.

Yeah, those Nitto DRs were pretty good. I managed a 1.93 on the stock Goodyears (245s on a 17" rim) on my '03 Mustang GT. At the time it only had a 4.10 gear... everything else was stock... 5MT. Was able to click off a 1.95 and 1.99 that day as well.

I think a well-prepped track should allow for something in that range with this car... but the well prepped track part is probably key.

At my local 1/8th I could hit 2.0 at best with the Mustang... but Virginia Motorsports Park was almost a tenth quicker with the same conditions.

Oh it can definately put up a stock 1.9 60" Out of about my first 20-25 runs while I was still stock I saw 2-3 1.9 60" times. Since upgrading to just the Stillen Intake I've seen a few more and consistantly hitting 2.0 flats.

Oh and Im still running at 36 psi in my tires so if I dropped it down to just under 30 I could prolly do even better.