Last Friday my wife & I took our cars to the track at Palmdale. Mine's a 98GS4 with SRT intake and PI T/C. Hers is a 2000 Mercedes S500 - no mods, not even the sport pkg (she wanted the 16" wheels - I still can't talk her into upgrading the wheels - I guess I shouldn't ***** about that too much, seeing how I have the stock Lexus 17" w/Nitto extreme drag radials on the rear) Anyway enough about the cars...on to the race.

So I see this guy with a brand new M3 coupe. I've always wanted to race one. So I ask the guy if he's game. He was up for it (very cool guy). So we line up...yellow, yellow yellow GREEN. I got an immediate jump (thanks T/C and Nittos). I look back when I'm about half way down the track - I'm still ahead by 3 cars (I can't believe it). I keep going not looking back. I'm almost to the end and I don't see him in my peripheral vision. I get to the end - I beat him! I couldn't believe it. I slowed down, the M3 guy gave me the thumbs up. Then I get my time slip and analyze the race. I had a better reaction time of .7 but his ET was actually .4 better.

Now here is where I don't get it... my time on this race was 15.362, my best of the day was 15.0. The M3 ran at 14.97 in our race and his best of the day was 14.6 (my best time ever at Palmdale was 14.7). Palmdale is approx. 3,000 ft above sea level. They say to multiply your ET by .9679 to arrive at what your time would be at sea level. For my car that means I run between 14.2 and 14.8. And the M3 would then pull a 14.1. These times just seem way off. Has anyone on this board run at Palmdale? If so, I'd be curious to know your times. On a side note, I did use my G-Tech meter on a couple runs that day. It was consistently showed an ET .2 better than my slip. Now using that as a guide - I my best time on the street with my G-Tech was 13.67. Now if I add .2 to that I'm pretty far off of the Palmdale time.

Either way it was fun. We ran once more, but I fouled off the line. I stayed ahead of him the whole race, but I couldn't count that as a win. I know a better driver would take me, but it was still a blast.

 

In this case times are driver dependent. A better driver would have gotten a better time out of the M3. Do you know the traps/60s?

 

yes your times are way off! if you have the PI T/C... My best time with just the SRT/HFI (Racing ecu) was a 13.9@100 and that was on a 1/4 tank gs, spare out and jack. Also take out your floor mats and trunk mat. Lauch your car hard ,don't be afraid too! I practice power braking to see where my traction broke than went to the track and knew where to lauch just before my tires broke traction.

 

Ok this might sound dumb, but I'm new to this whole racing language I just know how to floor it!!. how do u launch ur car, like what do u have to do to get a good launch... If someone can help me out on that it would be helpful. Thanks

 

lexiss_sc400:

Here is how I do my launch.

Leave it on 'D'.
Turn OFF VSC/TRAC.
Turn OFF AC.
Turn ON ETC Power.
Hold brake with left foot.
Apply gas with right foot until 1500-1800 rpm (do not allow the car to move).
Release brake (left foot) and apply full throttle (right foot) all the way.

Chu...

 

That pretty much explains it in full detail!!!!!!!! Good luck!

 

klynchgs4-

Excellent FACTUAL insight on our GS vis-a-vis the M3. That's how I want it - not interested in "seat of the pants".

 

Z06 - my trap speed was 89.96 his was 95.86. The first time listed on the time slip is titled "I1" and my was 2.335 his was 2.465 (not sure if this is the 60 & I don't really know what it means)

GS400_Pusher - I did have the spare out, I had about an 1/8th of a tank of gas and I launched each time at 2,000 RPMs (VSC & A/C off - ETC Power on). I think the biggest factor was the altitude and air temp (was approx. 83 when we were racing). Other people I who I've talked to there tell me to discount my time by at least a second. Who knows. Maybe some day I'll make it to a track at sea level. I think there's one about 100 miles from me in Carlsbad.

 

Your trap speed is way off too! I think you should try a different track. Your trap speed should be in the 96 to 100 mph. the M3 should be 100 to 103 with a good driver!!

 

Hey ChuH and GS400_PUSHER thanks a lot for the info I was kinda wonderin what u guys were talkin about, so that sounds easy enough. Ill be sure to try it next time. I just thought u do that if u wanna get a crazy burnout; I never knew that that would give u a good take-off too. Well thanks again for the info.

 

with a TC, I don't think you will need to power brake

 

the 2.335 and 2.465 are 60 foot times. Obivously the M3 driver was a HORRIBLE launcher...he should be pulling 2.0-2.1 60-fts in that car....you're 60 is a little high too...even for 3000 feet.

 

actually to get the M3s to run the low 13second times that they CAN do, they have to run 1.9-2.0...

fastest time i've ever seen in a magazine for a M3 is a 13.1 @107...
fastest time i've ever seen at the strip was a 13.5 @ 105... most of them are high 13s and some are low 14s... these are the new ones of course