Let's talk Trap Speed

[slo4now]

This is because your covering ground faster therefore less room for acceleration, as to not going anywhere and having more room to accelerate.



This is not comming from me, but i heard this about 10 yrs ago.
Still cant explain it but it happens to me all the time, check your rpm's
at the end of the track w/ both slicks and street tires. Make sure that there
both the same tallness.

 

[happy and angry]

This is because your covering ground faster therefore less room for acceleration, as to not going anywhere and having more room to accelerate.

Again, no. You have the same amount of distance to accelerate no matter what. When you spin your tires excessively at launch you make less efficient use of that room.

Your vehicle can only accelerate so fast through any gear. A slower, excessively wheel spinning start isn't going to magically translate itself to faster acceleration later in your run to make up for the time and speed lost at your launch.

 

[speed3shon]

spinning tires gives you more distance, not time...

 

[happy and angry]

It doesn't give you more of anything. A 1/4 mile is a 1/4 mile. Keep in mind the first 60 feet is a small fraction of the length of the track, so a bogged start, a spinning start, and a mediocre launch are all going to record similar trap times, but wildly different ETs.

http://www.turbobricks.com/resources.php?content=quartermiledyno

Interesting website that discusses some of the dynamics of a run and the relationship between trap speed and ET. Pay careful attention to his example with the truck.

This is just physics, guys. Spinning doesn't give you more grip, more time, or more distance. It has you doing less work over the same amount of distance. Your best trap time and best ET is going to be when you hook up best.

 

[Derek88]

If I have donuts on the front of a 500whp MS3 and I spin furiously ALL the way down the track, will I trap higher? No.

I know this isnt an answer to the post, but it shows that there is a medium that we have to find between traction and spinning that nets us the highest trap speed.

I would love it if slicks on any car would net a higher trap- it would make complete sense... but there are too many examples that show otherwise.

 

[MS3Chik]

everything changes with everybody with trap speed. if you are an auto your gunna have a lower mph than a 6sp.. if you are na your gunna get a lower trap speed than a sc or turbo car.. usually if you are running to big of slicks for what your car is geared for your gunna get slower..with street tires you get a higher mph but thats bc they are smaller than the slick you put on (changing with what car it is).. lets say i ran a 7.1 at 95 mph in a na car.. there are sc cars out there running 7.1 at 105.. not all cars are the same..i guess thats the fun part about racing..everything is different

 

[TinmanMS6]

I'm not a drag racer, but purely from a physics standpoint, I'm with happy and angry.

Look at it this way: When you're spinning, you're costing yourself distance that you could be accelerating more quickly. If you're not accelerating as well as you could, you're costing yourself speed at the end of the track, because you can't get that acceleration back.

If you spin, your tires will hook up at the same point that they would have in a perfect launch--right at the edge of traction--but you've already lost distance to accelerate.

 

[laloosh]

everything changes with everybody with trap speed. if you are an auto your gunna have a lower mph than a 6sp.. if you are na your gunna get a lower trap speed than a sc or turbo car.. usually if you are running to big of slicks for what your car is geared for your gunna get slower..with street tires you get a higher mph but thats bc they are smaller than the slick you put on (changing with what car it is).. lets say i ran a 7.1 at 95 mph in a na car.. there are sc cars out there running 7.1 at 105.. not all cars are the same..i guess thats the fun part about racing..everything is different

thats great, but were are talking about the same car, same driver, same everything. Only difference being spinning vs hooking up.

 

[Derek88]

I wish I had data as a sample, but potentially (in my mind):

with slicks, 0-60 may be 5seconds while 60-80 my be 3 seconds
with street tires 0-60 may be 6 seconds while 60-80 may be 2 seconds

If this COULD be true, then the street tire car is pulling harder in the top end, but will not cover the same distance any sooner.

Why? I dont know. However, when I spin tires, my speedo kind of holds at a certain speed and then shoots up really fast. I really dont know, but I like to throw ideas out there and brainstorm... maybe it'll give someone an idea about it...

 

[Totmacher]

Hey Laloosh,

Think more about the RPM band per gear and how your changing it by spinning through the first 2 gears... Think big picture...

give this a try or just ponder on it... I don't know your exact shift points, but work with me on it...

Do a 1/4 mile pass shifting at your given shift points...
Do a 1/4 mile pass shifting 400 RPM early in every gear...
Do a 1/4 mile pass shifting 400 RPM later in every gear...
Do a 1/4 mile pass and only short shift into your final gear...

What RPM did you cross the line at in all those situations? And what was you MPH?

If your "hooked" and loading/drive train issues aside, your Gear and RPM for the most part is your speed (completely different if you toss in a Auto/Tq-Converter).

Also keep in mind although you gain the most "mph" in say 1st and second gear, but that MPH you gain is also the easiest MPH to recover in a tall/high gear. Kinda like missing a 3-4 shift, it usually KILLS your ET, but only hurts your MPH a hint.

Just trying to help you see a few other factors man.