I come from an autocross background and have never been down a drag strip before. I am hoping I can hit the staging lights properly, wait for the green, and set off without breaking any rules.
My challenge car has two options for tires, Hoosier A7s and generic all seasons that came with the car. Could I get a recommendation on which tires to use to get down the drag strip safely? I have heard that A7s don't handle well on the drag strip. If I just bring two tires, should I put them on the front or the back?
What car and what hp level?
I don't think I would bother changing the a7's for that particular car
You can air the a7s down a lot. The big issue is sidewall flex, a good drag tire has it and an a7 doesn't.
But if your a7 isn't spinning off the line, there's probably not much to gain with a different tire.
How much difference in weight? Lighter rotating mass does help, but maybe not much.
Also, I learned at my first challenge: manual trans go on middle yellow, auto trans go on last (bottom) yellow.
FYI for the Challenge drags, don't worry about nailing the light - it's all about lowest ET, not who finishes first. Take your time & go when you're ready, there's no news to risk cutting the light early & losing out on what may be your quickest pass.
Yep don't worry about the tree at the challenge. Or any straight ET event. Watch andrew nelson or myself or any of the other seasoned drag racers. The clock starts when your tires break the beam, not when green lights up. You can sit there for a minute if you want. Don't redlight yourself out of the run. After I get my run that counts in then i'll practice my tree launches, but until then I usually wait a second or two to collect myself. The adrenaline rush is real when the yellows are flashing down, but overcome it
2000 BMW Z3 with ~160hp
I ran a Miata with 130hp on A7s in the drags. Full throttle clutch drops and it hooked.
Thanks for the information everyone.
I meant to say hi to you today but either you were driving or not at your car when I looked. I'll try and find you tomorrow. You looked good during the fun runs in the morning.
A7s at around 13psi should launch OK