cib24
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I attended the first public drag day at Santa Pod in the UK today, 23 Feb, and I've come home having learned so much and also creating several relevant questions to try and figure out how to improve next Sunday, 1 March.
Drag racing isn't a huge thing here in the UK and I only have 1,500 miles on my 2019 GT. However, despite this fact and despite having never launched the car on the public road before this day I was really looking forward to going to the strip and seeing what I could do in this car.
How hard could it be? Plus, it's a Mustang GT and should run mid 12s all day even with a novice!
For those that don't know the EU/UK spec GTs are basically PP1 cars but with the following differences:
444hp/390 lb ft. vs. 460hp/420 lb ft in the USA
3.55 trac-lok vs. 3.73 Torsen in the USA
I had four runs today given it rained in the morning and the track didn't dry out until about 1pm. The temp was about 11C (52 F), headwind of about 20-23 mph for the first 2 runs (12-15 mph for the last 2), and elevation at Santa Pod is only about 350 feet.
My 2019 GT is a 6-speed manual with Magneride, and I figured I'd put the car in drag mode, do a little 2 second dusting of the tyres, stage, launch around 2500-3000 RPM, avoid using launch control, and I'd be on my way to a high 12 second pass.
Well, my best pass today was my 3rd pass. A terrible 13.8 @ 108.5 mph with a 2.35 60 foot. Every other pass was basically 14.0 @ 108.0-109.6 mph with 2.6-2.7 60 foot times.
My first 2 passes were a complete write-off. I thought Drag Mode disabled traction control and the ESC. It was definitely clear on my second pass that it certainly did not. On both runs whether launching at 2500 or 4000 RPM the car immediately bogged down to 1200 RPM and didn't give me full power at all in 1st gear, and only gave it to me in 2nd gear.
After the 2nd pass I figured out that traction control needed to be manually disabled. On my 3rd pass I skipped the water box entirely and didn't even dust the tyres off. Just staged at 2500 RPM and slipped the clutch. The initial bite was okay but about 2 seconds later the car just started lightly wheel hopping and getting worse as the RPMs rose. I couldn't even give full throttle and had to shift early into 2nd at 5500 RPM to stabilise the car.
On the 4th run I thought I'd try a little dusting of the tyres, and launch around 1200 RPM and try to take off as if from a traffic light slightly aggressively. Unfortunately, right around 2500-3000 RPM in 1st after the granny launch (2.7 60 foot) the car hopped really bad and I lifted before 5000 RPM to shift into 2nd and once again get some traction.
I'm going back next Sunday but launching this car is far more difficult than I expected. I don't have any time to buy IRS bracing or stickier tyres than the PS4S that are on the car, so what tips can the community provide?
The car can trap around 109 mph and with a really good 60 foot and no 1st gear traction issues I'm sure there are a couple of mph still to be gained. But I have no idea how to launch semi-fast to cut something like a 2.0 60 foot and keep the car from wheel hopping for the entirety of 1st gear.
I didn't use launch control because it keeps traction control on and I'm concerned it might just bog the car down to 1200 RPM and restrict power in 1st like my first 2 runs today.
I'm listening to all answers. I'm not modifying anything until I figure out how to cut a 12.9 given the mph is obviously there.
Drag racing isn't a huge thing here in the UK and I only have 1,500 miles on my 2019 GT. However, despite this fact and despite having never launched the car on the public road before this day I was really looking forward to going to the strip and seeing what I could do in this car.
How hard could it be? Plus, it's a Mustang GT and should run mid 12s all day even with a novice!
For those that don't know the EU/UK spec GTs are basically PP1 cars but with the following differences:
444hp/390 lb ft. vs. 460hp/420 lb ft in the USA
3.55 trac-lok vs. 3.73 Torsen in the USA
I had four runs today given it rained in the morning and the track didn't dry out until about 1pm. The temp was about 11C (52 F), headwind of about 20-23 mph for the first 2 runs (12-15 mph for the last 2), and elevation at Santa Pod is only about 350 feet.
My 2019 GT is a 6-speed manual with Magneride, and I figured I'd put the car in drag mode, do a little 2 second dusting of the tyres, stage, launch around 2500-3000 RPM, avoid using launch control, and I'd be on my way to a high 12 second pass.
Well, my best pass today was my 3rd pass. A terrible 13.8 @ 108.5 mph with a 2.35 60 foot. Every other pass was basically 14.0 @ 108.0-109.6 mph with 2.6-2.7 60 foot times.
My first 2 passes were a complete write-off. I thought Drag Mode disabled traction control and the ESC. It was definitely clear on my second pass that it certainly did not. On both runs whether launching at 2500 or 4000 RPM the car immediately bogged down to 1200 RPM and didn't give me full power at all in 1st gear, and only gave it to me in 2nd gear.
After the 2nd pass I figured out that traction control needed to be manually disabled. On my 3rd pass I skipped the water box entirely and didn't even dust the tyres off. Just staged at 2500 RPM and slipped the clutch. The initial bite was okay but about 2 seconds later the car just started lightly wheel hopping and getting worse as the RPMs rose. I couldn't even give full throttle and had to shift early into 2nd at 5500 RPM to stabilise the car.
On the 4th run I thought I'd try a little dusting of the tyres, and launch around 1200 RPM and try to take off as if from a traffic light slightly aggressively. Unfortunately, right around 2500-3000 RPM in 1st after the granny launch (2.7 60 foot) the car hopped really bad and I lifted before 5000 RPM to shift into 2nd and once again get some traction.
I'm going back next Sunday but launching this car is far more difficult than I expected. I don't have any time to buy IRS bracing or stickier tyres than the PS4S that are on the car, so what tips can the community provide?
The car can trap around 109 mph and with a really good 60 foot and no 1st gear traction issues I'm sure there are a couple of mph still to be gained. But I have no idea how to launch semi-fast to cut something like a 2.0 60 foot and keep the car from wheel hopping for the entirety of 1st gear.
I didn't use launch control because it keeps traction control on and I'm concerned it might just bog the car down to 1200 RPM and restrict power in 1st like my first 2 runs today.
I'm listening to all answers. I'm not modifying anything until I figure out how to cut a 12.9 given the mph is obviously there.
Sponsored