why 1/4 mile?

[SS8_Gohan]

hey guys/gals

just wondering why ppl are mainly interested in quarter mile times?? why isn't there more discussion on track set-ups?? not having a go at anyone, just curious that's all...

ok, all this talk of good setups for 1/4 mile times, what about good setups for track work?? ... i'm guessing the theory behind both differs quite a bit.

so yeah, what are the main differences between track and 1/4 ie. suspension, tyres, mods, brakes, stuff like that. Just wondering, cos when i get my car i want to make it a track car, not a drag car.

cheers

[RadiuM]

id say because its a standardised medium to compare cars with one another. you cant compare X's car on circuit A against Y's car on circuit B.

also, its alot cheaper to go down the 1/4 compared to any other sort of racing.

im not a fan of the 1/4.. hence im getting myself more involved in Autokhana stuff then onto something bigger hopefully. plus the car i bought is already setup for that!

Shaun

[GTS-t VSPEC]

I agree with Radium, but the truth is 1/4 miles are easy, you don't need much of an idea how to drive and it's cheap. As soon as you start talking about track work then you introduce expense and damage to the vehicle.

I have more respect for a decent track car, but as 1/4 mile times are easier to compare then they have become more of a standard of performance.

See'ya:burnout:

[SKY031]

Originally posted by GTS-t VSPEC

the truth is 1/4 miles are easy, you don't need much of an idea how to drive

 

You don't need to know how to drive, but you do need to know how to launch the car properly.... :burnout:

Otherwise you're just wasting your time.

[skyzerr33]

Originally posted by R31 Skyline Chick

You don't need to know how to drive, but you do need to know how to launch the car properly....  :burnout:  

Otherwise you're just wasting your time.

well said

[fatz]

some people line straight lines and outhers like corners

lapping a track takes more skill if you ask me

pete

[Guest Nismo_Freak]

Road Racing > 1/4 mile any day ... Just sometimes tracks are hard to find or are alot more expensive to use.

[blind_elk]

So, how much would it cost to do a drags session at Calder or Eastern Creek? For circuits, the entry fee is around $80 -$100 for a days outing - plus of course your own expenses of fuel, etc. This is mainly due to the massive increases in Liability insurance being forced upon us by idiots who aren't prepared to accept the consequences of their own stupidity.

Having had a minor flirtation with the 1/4 mile, I can appreciate that there are different skills involved in the 2 disciplines. However, I think a good circuit car requires a lot more than a good 1/4 miler. After all, a 1/4 miler doesn't really need to turn corners, and it has minimal stopping requirements. All it really requires is outright HP. How skillful does that make it?

[Guest BLKGTST]

I dont think the purpose of a 1/4 mile run is to show driver skill, but to as mentioned display cars HP. It is the simplest way to guage a cars straightline performance and use it to compare it to other vehicles, its ease in which it can be done also make it more appealing, it is also alot less stressfull on the car, you can take your daily driver for a run down the quater but yu could hardly take it arround a track successfully.

[Duncan]

BLKGTST, that's a common misconception that you need some sort of super-modified car to take around a track.

My car is stock (except for bleed valve), and I've been taking to track days 1/month for 18 months now. Only ever cost me brake pads and tyres.

I think its great to stretch the car's legs, either circuit or 1/4 mile. Circuit is undoubtably more challenging though.

We are pretty lucky in NSW, with the motoconcepts days we are getting 15-20 skylines on the track each month.

Interesting side note is that I'vv only ever seen modified cars blow up on the track, the stock ones keep going all day.....

[Guest BLKGTST]

I was refering more to taking it arround a track at a race pace, without upgrading suspension or brakes it can be costly, but yes you definately can take a stock car around a track if you are sensible. I wasnt inferring engine failures, more over shooting corners and ending up on a wall or in a sand trap, brake fade and other such issues.

[wutangben]

my opinion as to why people put so much importance in 1/4 mile times is because the 1/4 mile is like another way of measuring a cars power other than just a straight hp rating. instead it takes into account the cars weight/drivetrain/etc. its an easy way of comparing a car with another without too many variables (the main variable eliminated- driving skill which will heavily influence road racing and autoXing times) its easy, its fun, its cheap, etc

[rev210]

Well the 1/4 as some people have said is a good indication of accelleration.Without much skill people can go beyond the 0 to the speedlimit fun that they experience on the road, an activity that is far safer than going around corners in suburbia at the highest speed. It also means they can pull out a copy of wheels magazine and compare their ride's 400m time with all the manufactured super-cars.

Certainly the track is a far more demanding car and driver experience and set up there is more difficult and more expensive.For comparison purposes the car setup is more difficult to share with others because the tracks vary as much as driver skill does.

If we are talking a 'street car' the abillity on the 1/4 and the track is always compromised to some degree, with 'serious' cars in both cases making uncomfortable street rides. The 1/4 mile is a more approachable and standardised motorsport activity that offers a g-force experience be it only in one direction.