Street Racing vs Drag Racing

[Los]

Hey guys, I'm new here and just learning the ropes and stuff. One question though. See, I've been street racing for four-five years while only actively drag racing these past couple of months. The thing is, while I'm running only low 14s, I'm hanging with or beating high to mid 13 seconds cars on the street. Now are the physics between street and strip different or is it that sometimes I get spurts of racing brilliance or they're just sucking *** ?

Thanks.

[Coupe5oh]

Hey los, we talked on TRS before, i had to get a new name, i updated my e-mail, wich sent me a new password, then my e-mail wouldnt work

anyway id say on the street, anything can happen, I too have beaten cars that supposedly run quicker e.t.s than me, including a supercharged fox gt, as well as some vettes, in some cases if you spin....you lose, no matter if it is a mighty invincible ls1 j/k.

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formerly known "90dpscoupe"
5spd 90lx, 3.27grs, BM fan, alum divesahaft, ADS chip, 160 stat, mac coldair fender, mac h-pipe.
Best e.t-13.91
60'-1.9 (on 225/60/15 firehawks)
mph- 98.70

[Los]

Yes, I believe it was you that told me about this place. You still go to TRS?

[Coupe5oh]

yea sure do, i meet with some of those guys sometimes from trs, met that guy with the grey 97 t/a, for a run at the track, and i spanked him pretty good last friday

i see more debate over cobra hp ratings huh

[Hammer]

A couple things on this:
1. 50 percent of the folks you race on the street have NEVER been to the track or they're picking time slips out of the air
2. The difference between a low 14 second car and a high 13 second car isn't very big. (especially if someone nails a launch)
3. I don't call a car that ran a 13.98 ONCE at the track a 13 second car either... its all about consistency...

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Adam "Hammer" Packett:
Moderator, Gulf War Veteran
Holy Moses... Stop reading magazine times, put down the Fast and the Furious speed calculator, pull your head out... and read the da** TIME SLIP!"

[Coupe5oh]

agreed, i dont call my car a 13sec car, im more consistent on 14.0-1, but the tires are to blame, stickies are consistent, when i get some nittos, then i will call my car a 13 sec car.<~~~~spinning my wheels

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formerly known "90dpscoupe"
5spd 90lx, 3.27grs, BM fan, alum divesahaft, ADS chip, 160 stat, mac coldair fender, mac h-pipe.
Best e.t-13.91
60'-1.9 (on 225/60/15 firehawks)
mph- 98.70

[69fastback]

Most ppl do just come up with there own time slips. If i had a dollar for every guy that told me his honda ran tens. I would be a rich man. When all it can do is a 16. Besides u just dont get the same traction on the street. U can also jump the start and nobody knows on the street u don't have that little red light that pops up.

[1BAD89]

FYI- The "real" fast guys on the street usually don't brag about their times, or in some cases they don't even disclose it. Also.. whoever gets the launch on the street has a HUGE advantage.

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-1989 GT, not stock.
-2000 Camaro SS-A4,
-1989 Chevy S-10, EX. Cab-383, RPM air-gap intake, demon carb., tubbed, trick flow TW heads, trick flow pistons, 6" rod's, etc... autometer phantom gauges, "built" 700R4, roll cage, lexan back window, corbeau seats, R.H.S. 5 harnesses, Fuel cell, convo pro wheels, 15x14's with 29x18.5 M/T'S on back, 15x4's on front, nitrous, 4 inch cowl hood, Ford 9", auburn Pro-series Posi, Pro-billet distributor, Sanderson Jet-hot coated headers, Custom radiator, blah, blah.....I'm sure you care. ;o)



[This message has been edited by 1BAD89 (edited 11-08-2001).]

[Coupe5oh]

Originally posted by 1BAD89:
FYI- The "real" fast guys on the street usually don't brag about their times, or in some cases they don't even disclose it. Also.. whoever gets the launch on the street has a HUGE advantage.

True, on the street, the big dogs will leave it to your imagination, while they are putting a whooping on yours, or whoevers a$$

[smokedchevy]

Taking your car to the strip is a whole other ballgame. As soon as you break the beams, every little nook and cranny counts. Your 12 second car might pull as hard as a 14 second car if you have no traction. Every person in town goes by the seat of their pants feel, it doesn't work that way. Everyone also thinks a 12 or 11 sec car is easily attainable. It's quite the opposite I assure you.

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92 GT, 4:10 gears, centerforce clutch, 6# powerdyne blower, bbk h-pipe, flowmasters

[Try Me]

Agreed, it's just more fun on the street.
There's a certain "we're being bad" aspect i like

Also, if you're a good driver, you can sometimes beat cars with lower ET's

Master your launch, and YOU will decide who wins.

[Rev]

There's also a corollary here. At the track sometimes, I can nail a faster car with the reaction time. Once,I beat a guy on "street night" when you only get 1/2 a time slip so nobody will know what you ran if you don't want them to.

Anyway, the guy tracked me down and wanted to compare time slips. He ran a 13.80 to my 13.97, but he had RT of .9xx compared to my 6xx. He said "I left when the light turned green, and you left before I did, so you cheated". I tried to explain that you don't wait for the light to actually show green and that my RT 6xx wasn't a red light, but I doubt that he ever believed me.

Same thing can happen on the street. Sometimes I'm not sure if the other guy is gonna go, so I'm too timid off the line. If I get nailed because of this, it's my fault. I just hate to feel like jacka$$ laying rubber for 20' at the light when the other guy didn't even go.

Rev

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'66 Coupe, 306, 300 HP, C-4, 13.97 e.t., 100.3 mph
1/4 mi.

[This message has been edited by Rev (edited 11-08-2001).]

[StockRustang]

i beat an LS1 camaro with a cat back and k&N on the street with my basically stock 86gt with just a D/R, 4.10, headers and exhaust, even though the ls1 is definetly about 4 tenths quiker than my little 86 was.
i can tree a guy all day long from a flashlight or flagged start which makes a small difference. its also alot harder to hook (this is why i carry a gallon of track bite). theirs a ton of games u can play, unwritten rules etc. i cant get enough of it.

EDIT: HOLY CRAP this is an old thread. sorry for bringin it back. LOL

[Rev]

Originally Posted by StockRustang

HOLY CRAP this is an old thread. sorry for bringin it back. LOL

It's OK with me. I love to reminisce. Kind of fun to see what was written in years past.

Rev

[Det289]

One other big thing is that most street races are from rolling starts, while drags are at a dead stop. Every car runs different, some will run better rolling while others are meant to come of at a dead stop.

[NeedleBender]

at the track its a battle of torque, getting the power to the ground and coming off the line fastest. on the street there is more room so a car geared for high end performance would be in its element. depending on which form you are pursuing you might want to change your gearing. just a thought.

[tireburner163]

top end racing = the gayness

I've always though going from a roll in a orginzed street race was gay too *shrug*

We've got the 1/4 marked off here

[Rev]

I just wondered if anyone ever remembered that "drag racing" originated on the local "drag"? Where do these "know-it-alls" think it came from, LOL? Before NHRA, there was always "drag racing". Anyone that thinks you can divorce "drag racing" from " street racing" has loose screw in my opinion.

rev