Going to the Track for my 1st time . . .Any hints?

[magicmerll]

This is a great question, here's been my experience...

Try lowering your rear tire pressure a few pounds, to around 26 psi.
Slipping the clutch is necessary for vehicles with no low-end torque (such as your buddies Honda), but not for a 5-oh.
Drop the clutch somewhere between 1600-2200 rpm. This will allow the car to bog ever-so-slightly, and then just bite. Practice this around town until you get the feel for it. Believe me, it takes a long time to get used to that sweet spot where you launch with very little wheel spin.

Most local tracks will not let you drive around the water, but that will certainly help if you can. Also, as the gentleman above mentioned, just give them a little roast to clear the dirt and debris. Brake torquing them, although a lot of fun, just doesn't help with street tires.

Shift from 1 - 2 around 5200. Third will come a little earlier, just before 5000, and if you have to go to fourth, do so around 4800. It's easier to do this if you have a large tach that you can actually see. You may be used to shifting by 'feel', but if you have an idea of your target RPM, you can glance at it every few seconds to keep from under, or over-shifting. Also...if you have stock 2.73 rear gears, you should not need fourth gear. Try screeming through the traps in third, unless you can tell you're going past 5000 rpm, then you will have to bang fourth.

Also, try my favorite trick (this always makes people smile)- bring a cooler with about six bags of ice. Slap two of them across the top of the intake and throttle body. and one under it if it will fit. Leave them on as long as you can between runs, and you'll find that the intake is ice cold when you go to make each pass! Just be sure to pull them off before you get to the starting line! Honest to God, this works. I'd sware it's good for a solid tenth!

I have a '91 LX convertible that I took when it was stock as a rock, and ran 15.0 @ 92. After installing the 'short belt', bumping the timing, running 100 octane fuel, and using the ice, I went back and ran 14.52 @ 96.3 mph the next weekend. This **** works, believe me!

GOOD LUCK! Let us know how it goes...

>magicmerll