So I am working on my car with my buddy and his dad and we are cleaning it up and finishing up the tune up type stuff and we see this CHP(california highway patrol) pull up. We kind of freak out a bit and then my buddy from high school steps out. He told me that we wanted to be a chp but I didnt know that he was. Anyways...He askes me what kind of times I was running(he has a 10 sec 68 firebird) I tell him that I didnt know exactly but I run it at 96. He asks if it was at "the strip" He tells me that he will get my trap speed with his gun if I will point him in the directions of the new strip. I dont really want to let "the man" in on where we race, but we have about 5 places and only one of them the r!cers no about. So I tell him about that one and we go out. I did three runs. First two runs 98mph!! Third run 96. I was very stoaked. He told me to keep working on my car so that I could run with his 68, I told him it might be a while.

Brian

 

awesome! you have me beat i only run 92 - 93 mph

 

Actually that is not accurate for a 1/4 mph. The 1/4 mph system does not take the exact speed at the line, but it takes an average over the last 60' of the track. So judging by his gun you would probably trap 93-96.

 

i did not know that is how a trap speed worked, I guess that is cool.

Brian

 

This is why Gtechs read higher than the traps, theye read the mph at the 1/4 instead of an average!

 

I always wondered how they got the speed, i didnt know if they had a gun dwon there or if they just used some calculation. I guess I was half right. Is there any type of calculation I can do to try and figure out my 60ft time, or is the only way at the track. Damn I cant wait til famoso opens

Brian

 

Yup, the mustang man is right

 

The 60' times would be hard to judge. What feels like a 1.9 on the street would probably be much slower at the track. Remember the track is latered with traction compound, and is designed for cars to launch on.

Alot of people will talk about there great launches on the street that would be the best at the track, but they usually aren't. It just feels fast, because of the fact that you are in a much different environment.

Just wait for the track to open, and see what it runs! Too many variables on the street.

 

Yup, he's right. It's an average of two speeds a set distance apart at the line.

Be carefull about quoting quarter mile or trap speed times like that. It may not be 100% accurate because you didn't run your car in a set standard that exists at the track.

That reminds me of the time I got into a chat room arguement with a civic driver. He SWORE his stock civic ran 12's. So after 10 minutes of debate, i asked him which track he ran at (to see if he knew the name proving he went to one). He proceeds to tell me that he didn't go to a track. They measured out 1/4 mile with the tripmeter on his car and then he ran it and had a friend time it with a stop watch!! He was dead serious in saying his car ran 12.4 in the 1/4!!!!

 

I dont know if I am being that bad

Brian

 

Well, i wan't directing that specifically at you. It was more of a "just in general" type of statement for anyone who reads it

 

No you are not that bad, because you told us it was using a different method, and you are pretty close to what you would run. But if you do list this in your sig, just note that it is not in the 1/4 mile.

You never know, you may end up going faster at the track!