So tonight I drove in my first ever drag racing event, 1/8th mile drags here in San Diego at Qualcomm stadium. While its still fresh in my memory, I wanted to make a few statements that hopefully other rookie drag racers and new first time GT500 owners can use to guide them.
1. If its your first time ever, it doesnt matter what you're driving its going to be a challenge. Nothing Ive ever done with driving cars had prepared me for my first drag race event. Its a pride swallowing affair at the age of 32. Burnouts went ok. Spin city, even with NT05Rs on launch through first. That was all driver error, not drag radial error. Countless ridiculously fast guys run them hard... but on your first run out, they wont save you from inexperience. Unless you're naturally gifted with dig racing, it will take effort and practice and patience. All while doing it in front of tons of people.... Keep at it and be humble. Concentrate on minor changes to your technique and keep getting back into the staging lanes. You are not going to be John Force at the end of the night! But you have to get experience under your belt.
2. Power is not your friend if you're a newb. With experience, oh yes.. bring it all on. But for the rookie? Too much can seriously rain on your parade. The factory power output is BY FAR more than enough for your first go or two. I personally built some power over stock with all my bolt ons, pulley, tune and 100 octane fuel. Knowing what I know after tonight, the stock car with better air filter, better than stock tires and premium pump gas are all you'll need. Im personally glad I have them... and Ill have to learn to drive my car with them. But had I known what I know now from first hand experience, she would have stayed stock with better tires and an air filter until I was competent to handle more power. Seriously rethinking going with a blower upgrade and getting 15" rims with slicks once my NT05Rs are done.
3. No matter how much you love your GT500, you will quickly learn that there are other WAY faster cars out there. There are for damn sure a few Jeep SRT-8s running around that I want no business messing with. Accept this, check your fanboy card at the gate and just go as fast as your technique will let you. In time you can defend the honor of Ford and the GT500.... not if youre a rookie.
4. By the end of the day tomorrow, I will have a WOT box on order. ***EDIT*** on the fence about the WOTbox atm. I was locked out of 2nd gear one too many times to be happy with not having one. Thats with an MGW gen2 and a rebuilt transmission. The other times I actually got her to go into gear during balls out 1-2 upshift, she was VERY unhappy about it. Extremely embarrassing to watch your opponent shitcan you because you have to spend time down the track getting it to go into second. (as if getting smashed on the launch because you spun the tires all through 1st isnt bad enough).
5. A converted parking lot isnt the best surface... by any means.... even with VP traction compound....
6. Be prepared for something to break. Likely during the run. Somehow one of my poly bushings on my lower control arm decided it hated life and began disintegrating during the event. Finally blew out while completing a 2-3 upshift. That was some come to Jesus moment let me tell you!
7. Be made of rubber and know that for all the ball busting you may get, its just part of racing. Until you have the skill to back it up... consider it all true and use it as a motivator to get better.
Thats all I have for now. Understand, these are my opinions and initial thoughts right after a long first night racing from a dig. One thing I know for sure.... I had a blast doing it and challenge ****ing accepted to get better. Will get my car fixed, WOT box installed and get after it again.
*edit* i forgot one
8. TURN OFF YOUR F'ING TRACTION CONTROL BEFORE A BURNOUT.
Only did that once after I had to shut the car off for bit.
Fastest 1/8 of the night I got was an 8.359 at 93.74 mph
1. If its your first time ever, it doesnt matter what you're driving its going to be a challenge. Nothing Ive ever done with driving cars had prepared me for my first drag race event. Its a pride swallowing affair at the age of 32. Burnouts went ok. Spin city, even with NT05Rs on launch through first. That was all driver error, not drag radial error. Countless ridiculously fast guys run them hard... but on your first run out, they wont save you from inexperience. Unless you're naturally gifted with dig racing, it will take effort and practice and patience. All while doing it in front of tons of people.... Keep at it and be humble. Concentrate on minor changes to your technique and keep getting back into the staging lanes. You are not going to be John Force at the end of the night! But you have to get experience under your belt.
2. Power is not your friend if you're a newb. With experience, oh yes.. bring it all on. But for the rookie? Too much can seriously rain on your parade. The factory power output is BY FAR more than enough for your first go or two. I personally built some power over stock with all my bolt ons, pulley, tune and 100 octane fuel. Knowing what I know after tonight, the stock car with better air filter, better than stock tires and premium pump gas are all you'll need. Im personally glad I have them... and Ill have to learn to drive my car with them. But had I known what I know now from first hand experience, she would have stayed stock with better tires and an air filter until I was competent to handle more power. Seriously rethinking going with a blower upgrade and getting 15" rims with slicks once my NT05Rs are done.
3. No matter how much you love your GT500, you will quickly learn that there are other WAY faster cars out there. There are for damn sure a few Jeep SRT-8s running around that I want no business messing with. Accept this, check your fanboy card at the gate and just go as fast as your technique will let you. In time you can defend the honor of Ford and the GT500.... not if youre a rookie.
4. By the end of the day tomorrow, I will have a WOT box on order. ***EDIT*** on the fence about the WOTbox atm. I was locked out of 2nd gear one too many times to be happy with not having one. Thats with an MGW gen2 and a rebuilt transmission. The other times I actually got her to go into gear during balls out 1-2 upshift, she was VERY unhappy about it. Extremely embarrassing to watch your opponent shitcan you because you have to spend time down the track getting it to go into second. (as if getting smashed on the launch because you spun the tires all through 1st isnt bad enough).
5. A converted parking lot isnt the best surface... by any means.... even with VP traction compound....
6. Be prepared for something to break. Likely during the run. Somehow one of my poly bushings on my lower control arm decided it hated life and began disintegrating during the event. Finally blew out while completing a 2-3 upshift. That was some come to Jesus moment let me tell you!
7. Be made of rubber and know that for all the ball busting you may get, its just part of racing. Until you have the skill to back it up... consider it all true and use it as a motivator to get better.
Thats all I have for now. Understand, these are my opinions and initial thoughts right after a long first night racing from a dig. One thing I know for sure.... I had a blast doing it and challenge ****ing accepted to get better. Will get my car fixed, WOT box installed and get after it again.
*edit* i forgot one
8. TURN OFF YOUR F'ING TRACTION CONTROL BEFORE A BURNOUT.
Only did that once after I had to shut the car off for bit.Fastest 1/8 of the night I got was an 8.359 at 93.74 mph
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