A 9 sec car... is it really one

[R31Nismoid]

This topic is designed to just generate some discussion opinions as im interested to see what people think.

Is a 9 second car a 9 second car?

EG.

A RWD VL or R33 (or anything else) car sits there at the start line spooling the turbo for 3-4 seconds after the green has gone before they launch.

What would you class it as? A true 9 second car or rather a 12 second car?

I would call it a 12 second car as the R/T is that of 2-3 seconds in which time a 12 second car ould well have given it a flogging.

Just my thoughts... what are yours guys thoughts?

[2rismo]

Unless you are talking about a competitive meeting where R/T actually means something, it is a nine second car. You have to consider what people associate with that phrase. Obviously it is a car that covers a standing quarter mile in less than 10 secs but more than 8.999.

What then would you say if you owned a Skyline that ran 'ONLY' at street meets and ran a 9.3 1/4? I think you'd be saying it was a 9 sec car. Times are used to compare cars and generally speaking, reaction time counts for SQUAT!

My 0.02c

Adrian

[ferni]

hmmmm i agree with r31

yes they can cover 1/4 of a mile in 9 seconds... but if your dragging head to head against someone.. its who gets to the end first, not who runs a quicker time

I also have a lot more respect for full street trim cars, ie not putting slicks on, taking out interior trim and all that

my mate has a vt ss that runs mid 11's.. but he has to put slicks on, take out his sub/sparewheel, remap his fuel system etc... if i lined up against him at the lights with his car on full street trim, i recon i would leave him for dead... but there is no way my car could do mid 11's as it is atm...

[benm]

I agree with what both of you have said....

One argument i'd like to add (hypothetically) is if you are at a set of lights on a public road (which sau does not condone of course) and the green light goes and you beat that car beside you to the next set of lights because he is sitting there for an extra 10secs "winding" up his rotory ( :wassup: ) but he actually covers that same distance in a less amount of time which is the quicker car? The car that got to the other end first or the car that covered that distance in the shortest amount of time?

Personally i'm on a drag strip to race and racing to me is when the green light glows not 5sec after coz im waiting for the turbo to spool etc. If I had to wait that extra 5sec to spool or for whatever reason than i'd stage an extra 5sec before the other driver. To me the reaction time is all part of drag racing, and everybody has an equal chance to improve their reaction time.

Off topic: I'd have to say my best race to date was last week at WSID against BOOSTD. I checked his previous timeslips for that nite before we ran to see what sorta times he was getting. I had him covered on the r/time and 60ft (about 0.8sec in total) but he had me squared up on the TS and ET. So I knew that if I could get away cleanly I still might actually get the race win even though he'd end up with a quicker ET/TS. As it happens I didn't see him at all until about the last 50m of the track where he flew past me like I was standing still, now that's what I call drag racing.

Are you as confused as me yet after all of that ?

[meggala]

I'm in complete agreement here nothing I cant stand more times mean nothing racing is what counts. hope it happens more and more and to me agood 12 or 13 second car is all you need to have good drag racing fun.

cheers

[R31Nismoid]

One argument i'd like to add (hypothetically) is if you are at a set of lights on a public road (which sau does not condone of course) and the green light goes and you beat that car beside you to the next set of lights because he is sitting there for an extra 10secs "winding" up his rotory ...

The car that got to the other end first or the car that covered that distance in the shortest amount of time?

You would always say the car that made it to the end of the road first... not who did it quickest as usually you aint timing yourself off the lights

This is going to be good i think. It's been making me wonder lately.

It's coming from some big turb'd cars like VL's on slicks that sit there for ages and everyone is in awe at thier time and how 'sick' it would be to own one... but it'd realstically be as slow as a snail in the real world where GTR's etc, go from the green and dont sit there spooling

2rismo... if i myself had a Sky (or any car) that had to sit there for 5 secs spooling i wouldnt class it as a 9 sec car, as realistically the lights have gone, the race is off... so i've been going for 5 secs.

That's just me personally. I try to get a good R/T when im racing (not that im driving a 9 sec beast)

[benm]

I try to get a good R/T when im racing (not that im driving a 9 sec beast)

I do to and I'm aware of others that want to get good reaction times which is why i've added a "Top 10 Reaction Time" to my drags list (http://skylines.pnc.com.au/drags.html).

[ferni]

i would class the VL that spools as it can run a 9 second pass, not a 9second street car ....

[EnricoPalazzo]

why cant it spool druing staging time?

[benm]

Coz they usually do a big smokey burnout which goes past the staging tree, then they have to reverse back (menawhile the other car is already staged and ready to go). Then they need to stage, then spool up and about 3mins later they are ready to go :wassup:

[EnricoPalazzo]

hehe fair enuff then

[2rismo]

Absolute frigging rubbish!!!

The only problem you have is with individuals' staging/launching techniques. There are PLENTY of cars that need to spool or rev hard against the transbrake and/or converter before letting go, but that doesn't mean they all do it and stay there WELL after the green.

And the title of this thread is, "A 9 sec car... is it really one" - NOT - "A 9 sec STREET car... is it really one", therefore the street racing analogy doesn't apply in the slightest. The question isn't about racing on the street, it's about drag racing.

Also, the practice described above is sooo common in rotary circles as to be the norm.

If the question and topic get revised to include the D1CKHEADS that race in the traffic light GP, then some of what you're suggesting makes sense. Some.

Lastly, how many of you have any drag racing experience? I know benm does, (limited like myself and consisting only of street meets), but I can't see anyone else's posted times?!?!?!? Maybe i am looking in the wrong place.

Adrian

[51jay]

Maybe at a test and tune they can afford to do that but not at a real drag meet , They would be running either head to head or bracket, in either case if they don't launch on the green they would be done .

[wreckedhead]

i think that when you buy a 9sec machine, then you should discuss it, casue most people have no idea of the capabilities of such a weapon, street or not street its E/T time is still under 10's so its a 9s car.

[docile33]

if ur car covers the 1/4 in 9 regardles ov how it does it is a 9sec car

[R31Nismoid]

Absolute frigging rubbish!!!

The only problem you have is with individuals' staging/launching techniques.  There are PLENTY of cars that need to spool or rev hard against the transbrake and/or converter before letting go, but that doesn't mean they all do it and stay there WELL after the green.

You should come down to Calder Park on a big VL night.

I go to calder enough to see it so often.

51Jay - totally agree

[Guest INASNT]

I know where u got the idea for this thread ASH

My 2 cents is that a car at the strip that has to sit spooling to get onto its high torque converter and then launch off the transbrake is a 9 second car at the strip is if all they are going by is 1/4 times. But real drag racing like the top fuelers go head to head so its who can get down to the other end the quickest once the lights go green, so sitting on the line spooling for 5 seconds and a 12 sec car would beat u to the other end.

What annoys me the most is the guys that have cars that need to run slicks and sit spooling to get onto their torque converter thinking just coz they can run a 9 sec pass on the strip they would beat any car on the street in normal conditions which is total BS coz their cars would be useless on the street and a stock hyundia excel would beat most of em in the street light drags

[RB20LagWagon]

HAHAHAH what a load of crap. Its a 9 second car, There is plenty of time while staging to get a car on to the transbrake before the lights go green. Perhaps the cars just need better drivers, they are still 9 second cars.

[JMP 82]

times 2...

[Munro]

In competitive drag racing reaction time is very important.Cut a bad light & you lose.When the heat is on, a car that needs time to spool up can do so in pre-stage, then edge in to stage ready to go. But - when it is just a test & tune, u are not racing the other guy.U are looking for the best time, launch feedback, car setup etc. Particularly in a new car, it is good to not think about the light & just go when u are ready too. When testing in my GTR, I often wait for the green, check everything, build up the boost & launch when it suits me. But I dont do it all the time because it is good to practice stage/reaction time as well.

U can sit on green for 5 minutes if u like.The timer does not start until u break the beam (in testing) so therefore a 9 is a 9. Comparing drag racing reaction times to street racing is really beside the point. In a car that will pull 250kays in under 10 seconds, it all happens very fast. U are not really concerned about some dude next to u pulling 12s - u just go when u are good & ready & worry about your own time.