Topic: RWYB at Lucas Raceway

[MCRider]

In preparation for some drag strip attempts, I went to Lucas Oil Raceway (Formerly Indianapolis Raceway Park) to scope out the program. Clermont, about 20 miles from home. Turns out every Wednesday night is Run What You Brung night. There was some pretty nice equipment there. But I was interested in the street bikes. There were a few slammed and stretched Busas, but there were several bone stockers.

I talked to one young man on a Suzuki 600, who'd turned a 13.1. HE said that was his first shot ever. The mags have his bike at 11.5, but he was happy with it, glad he made it actually. His second run was 13.2.  I'll bet his adrenaline was thru the roof, mine was.

So when we get Phaedrus broken in, I'd be happy with something similar. Mike thinks we've got the hardware to break into the 11s, but that may take some gearing and setup. Rick (who will be riding it) has hundreds of roadrace starts under belt. But I think they involve slipping the clutch a lot more. A good drag start has some wheelspin in it. Clutch fully engaged. I think. That's how I did it so many years ago.

The bikes turning faster times, you could tell, the rider was more planted. Body not moving so much, elbows under control. Didn't hear anybody speedshifting, though. Maybe sparing their tranny for that next tour.  There was a Ducati (I think) turning high 10s. Pretty smooth.

Pics and more comments at 11P.   

[Bailgang]

I was there a couple years ago during the Hot Rod magazine power tour for a showdown between  a brother of mines V8 Corvair and another brother's modified late model GT Mustang. There wasn't a lot of cars out that night but what impressed me the most is the attention to detail the track officials had in keeping track conditions good. After so many runs they'd stop the racing so the track people could prep the track from the start out to maybe 60'.

[MCRider]

I was there a couple years ago during the Hot Rod magazine power tour for a showdown between  a brother of mines V8 Corvair and another brother's modified late model GT Mustang. There wasn't a lot of cars out that night but what impressed me the most is the attention to detail the track officials had in keeping track conditions good. After so many runs they'd stop the racing so the track people could prep the track from the start out to maybe 60'.

YEs, they were doing track grooming with a farm tractor and some kind of weighted skid tool. Also the announcer was giving tips to track etiquette as many people there were first timers.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Ron, I have always been the street guy that brings up the rpms and dumps the clutch keeping it in the redline. When it starts to catch then its time to shift. These tracks have SOOOO much sticky applied you can't do that anymore (or so I've been told). Catch the sticky and rubber and you'll flip one over backwards. Slipping the clutch is an art, one that I am not used to. I call that clutch abuse. I say wear out the rear vs clutch and hang ass on!   

[seanbarney41]

I ran my stock, worn out motored 750 at Martin 131 Dragway a couple years ago at an all bike event.  It was a ton of fun because I got a ton of runs in.  I basically hot lapped the thing for a couple hours straight.  With 18/46 sprockets the thing was really hard to launch, and yeah, although my clutch did survive, it was never really quite the same again.  My bike would wheel spin going into second.  First run was a 14.1  I was in the low 13's by the end of the day.

[754]

I never dump the clutch at the drags, slip it for 30 or more feet.
My Barnetts will survive this hundreds of times.
 Could never understand how  some can dragrace on stock clutches on cb 750,s, unless they are dumping it.
 Why spin when you can be moving down he track..

[MCRider]

There is a sweet spot: combination of tire spin, clutch slip and forward motion, which is optimal. And different for each individual, tire set up, track condition etc.  Sppinning the tire may be the fastest way, that's why one would do it.

I mean, fuelers spin their tires like crazy, clutch locked up, or has some slip built in. Oh yeah and throttle control figures in too.

When I was taught, it was tach it up to 6k or so, dump the clutch, break the tire free, then throttle it down or up, keeping the tire spinning until the first shift. Then you should be hooked  up.  This was on a 900cc CB750 with a 4.25x18 bald tire.

Maybe this isn't possible or desireable with modern tires?

Far be it from me to say what's right. But that's how we did it. The guy I worked for was very successful, won a lot of races ad titles. Me, I was just glad I didn't kill myself.   

[hoodellyhoo]

I know the period magazine tests said the best way to launch a cb750 was rev to 6k and dump the clutch.

I'd love to try some passes with the K6 sometime but my trans/shifter is so worn that the 1-2 upshift has to be rather slow and deliberate to get it through neutral. Much different than "snicking" though all the gears on the 350f.

[seanbarney41]

I never dump the clutch at the drags, slip it for 30 or more feet.
My Barnetts will survive this hundreds of times.
 Could never understand how  some can dragrace on stock clutches on cb 750,s, unless they are dumping it.
 Why spin when you can be moving down he track..

did just as you say, slipping the clutch almost completely through first gear, seriously, pass after pass, no line to wait in, run it, pick up time slip, cruise down the return road and do it again, for about 2 hours straight, with the stock clutch...it survived, and it still working to this day after about 10,000 more street miles.  You can make it slip in 4th and 5th now, rest of the motor has been retired due to heavy leakage.

[Bailgang]

I know the period magazine tests said the best way to launch a cb750 was rev to 6k and dump the clutch.

I'd love to try some passes with the K6 sometime but my trans/shifter is so worn that the 1-2 upshift has to be rather slow and deliberate to get it through neutral. Much different than "snicking" though all the gears on the 350f.

I'd like to take my F2 to the drags just to see what it can do but a clunky trans is what's keeping me from doing it as well.

[754]

I been getting great holeshots on the XL350 at the vintage flattrack.
 One time it hooked hard ........started to lift wheel, but I pulled clutch back a bit, lowered Throttle (not chopped)..and kept up the hard charge, sideways a bit with wheel in the air..
 Often get out of the hole fastest, and I weigh 80 lbs or more than the other guys..
 So slipping clutch serves me well.
 Important. To Remember..if you wheelstand high or get excessive. Wheelspin,you can usually. Save it if you still have the clutch in control....if you don't..and you chop throttle.. You lose most of the time..

Winning isn't everything,but losing still sucks..

[MCRider]

I'll pass the tips on to Rick, 754, thanks. (Rick being the guy that will be riding Phaedrus for me.) I believe with his roadrace experience he will favor clutch slippiing at least at first.

One thing if your gong to wheelspin, you've got to commit heart and soul.

Other pics:
2 street bikes. Near lane I talked to later. This was his first run ever, turned a 13.1 on something with 75 hp, didn't get the model and I can't recognize any of the new stuff.


Something loud with a big butt:

Staging lanes, must be 10 of them, seemed so:

StreetFreak: Drove to and away from track.

Starting on rollers:

[Stev-o]

What was his speed at 13.1, Ron?     And is it 1300 feet now rather than a true quarter mile? (Like NHRA)

[MCRider]

What was his speed at 13.1, Ron?     And is it 1300 feet now rather than a true quarter mile? (Like NHRA)

I can't recall for sure. So I won't guess. Showing my age I can barely read the signs from the start line where I was. 

As to feet, wow, I didnt know there was a change.

I googled it and it seems that fuelers run 1000 feet (is that what you meant) while gas cars have the full 1320 Ft.

OCICBW, still learning.

[Stev-o]

What was his speed at 13.1, Ron?     And is it 1300 feet now rather than a true quarter mile? (Like NHRA)

I can't recall for sure. So I won't guess. Showing my age I can barely read the signs from the start line where I was. 

As to feet, wow, I didnt know there was a change.

I googled it and it seems that fuelers run 1000 feet (is that what you meant) while gas cars have the full 1320 Ft.

OCICBW, still learning.

Yes, 1000 feet, sorry.  Wished they wouldn't have changed it but they wanted to keep the speeds down on the big boy cars.

[Bailgang]

The 1000' foot mark rule came about after Scott Kalitta got killed in his funny car some years back, the rule isn't so much to slow the cars down but more so to give them that extra bit of distance to actually slow down after shut down. I don't know the specifics of the rule but I think it only applies to the top fuel boys. I don't know if that rule would've helped Kalitta because he seemed to have been knocked unconscious from and under hood explosion in his funny car because he never deployed the parachute or applied the brakes and simply sailed through the sand trap and crashed into a concrete wall at the end of the sand trap but since then I know at least T/F funny cars have onboard pressure sensors that automatically deploy the parachute should a blower go bang.

[MCRider]

The 1000' foot mark rule came about after Scott Kalitta got killed in his funny car some years back, the rule isn't so much to slow the cars down but more so to give them that extra bit of distance to actually slow down after shut down. I don't know the specifics of the rule but I think it only applies to the top fuel boys. I don't know if that rule would've helped Kalitta because he seemed to have been knocked unconscious from and under hood explosion in his funny car because he never deployed the parachute or applied the brakes and simply sailed through the sand trap and crashed into a concrete wall at the end of the sand trap but since then I know at least T/F funny cars have onboard pressure sensors that automatically deploy the parachute should a blower go bang.

Yeah, I did a Google search on it and ran across that background. Seems at first the 1000' rule applied to everyone Then after a few years, getting feedback from drivers and spectators, they restored the 1320' for gas and retained the 1000' for fuelers.  The fueler drivers really like it. They say equipment lasts longer, and they feel safer with the earlier shutoff.