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Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? #2920758
05/10/21 01:28 PM
05/10/21 01:28 PM
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Minnesota
Hemi_Joel Offline OP
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I've seen a whole lot of videos on the internet with drag race cars getting crossed up to the point of being out of control. It seems they are trying to correct by turning into the skid, but then it whips around the other way, and gyrates back and forth more each time until they lose it. Sometimes the slicks fold under and grab then the car rolls. Sometimes the slicks grab and drive them into the wall. I've seen guys loop it and continue straight down the track, as well as a couple videos where they blip the throttle on and off as they are correcting and somehow that seems to help them save it.

So what are the best driving techniques to try and keep it shiny side up and away from the wall if a guy would find himself in that circumstance?


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Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: Hemi_Joel] #2920759
05/10/21 01:30 PM
05/10/21 01:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Hemi_Joel
I've seen a whole lot of videos on the internet with race cars getting crossed up to the point of being out of control. It seems they are trying to correct by turning into the skid, but then it whips around the other way, and gyrates back and forth more each time until they lose it. Sometimes the slicks fold under an grab then the car rolls. Sometimes the slicks grab and drive them into the wall. I've seen guys loop it and continue straight down the track, as well as a couple videos where they blip the throttle on and off as they are correcting and somehow that seems to help them save it.

So what are the best driving techniques to try and keep it shiny side up and away from the wall if a guy would find himself in that circumstance?


Never, ever get back in the throttle, and pull the chute...


69 GTX 68 Road Runner
Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: JERICOGTX] #2920762
05/10/21 01:51 PM
05/10/21 01:51 PM
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Hot Rod Ridge
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Very little steering input. And give it time to show you what it wants

Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: JERICOGTX] #2920764
05/10/21 01:58 PM
05/10/21 01:58 PM
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Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
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Short wheelbase cars are generally the worst. The ackerman angle toes the front tires out more and more In a correction as the wheelbase shortens. My dart has no ackerman built into it. Stays dead parallel lock to lock. Recovers very, very well. But it is a be it ch to push around a corner!


8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: gregsdart] #2920779
05/10/21 02:46 PM
05/10/21 02:46 PM
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Johnstown
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You gotta know when to lift and live for another day.

Its like driving on ice - always use the least amount of steering input as possible.

The more you overdrive the worse things get.


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Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: 69dart] #2920782
05/10/21 02:58 PM
05/10/21 02:58 PM
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Minnesota
Hemi_Joel Offline OP
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When I went to the Frank Hawley Drag racing school, he said "If you get out of the groove lift. If you lift, the pass is over." I think that is very safe advise. But still, I'm curious why some guys blip the throttle.


[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]
31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum
RS23J71
RS27J77
RP23J71
RO23J71
WM21J8A
I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do.
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: Hemi_Joel] #2920798
05/10/21 03:47 PM
05/10/21 03:47 PM
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I agree with the above, out of the gas and as little steering input as possible.

I ran into some crap in the traps a few weeks ago at TNT and was potentially saved by the rev limiter. It spun the tires from 127-135 instantly and all I felt was a little wiggle. This may have been different if it happened somewhere down track where the delta from my RPM to the limiter was greater than just a couple of hundred RPM. It has made me want to get traction control working, I have the sensors in place just haven't set the software side up.


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Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: 69dart] #2920811
05/10/21 04:05 PM
05/10/21 04:05 PM
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Bend,OR USA
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Originally Posted by 69dart
You gotta know when to lift and live for another day.

Its like driving on ice - always use the least amount of steering input as possible.

The more you overdrive the worse things get.
iagree up
Actual seat time is your friend, don't over correct tsk
Gentle on the corrections, especially after the first hundred feet twocents
I've been sideways more than once past the 330 clocks in someone else's guuk, tranny oil, rear end grease and or motor oil or coolant that the starter didn't see happen until I got sideways in it, NOT GOOD shock
Be safe, live longer up grin


Mr.Cab Racing and winning with Mopars since 1964. (Old F--t, Huh)
Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: Hemi_Joel] #2920816
05/10/21 04:19 PM
05/10/21 04:19 PM
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Romeo MI
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My car is very short.. I only lost control twice.. once when I blew a front tire and I ended up in the other lane
and the other time I broke a tie rod end... all I can say is if you loose control,no matter the reason your
pass is DONE.. never get back on it.. and your car better be set up right so you dont loose control
wave

Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: 69dart] #2920865
05/10/21 06:13 PM
05/10/21 06:13 PM
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North of Detroit
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Originally Posted by 69dart
You gotta know when to lift and live for another day.

Its like driving on ice - always use the least amount of steering input as possible.

The more you overdrive the worse things get.


Yep, if people quit imitating the dumb-assary they see on street outlaws of sawing the wheel back and forth and trying to save every bad pass when there opponent is 20 car lengths ahead less wrecks would happen. If thinks aren't going well abort.


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Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: HemiDart68] #2920867
05/10/21 06:19 PM
05/10/21 06:19 PM
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Minnesota
Hemi_Joel Offline OP
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Originally Posted by HemiDart68
Originally Posted by 69dart
You gotta know when to lift and live for another day.

Its like driving on ice - always use the least amount of steering input as possible.

The more you overdrive the worse things get.


Yep, if people quit imitating the dumb-assary they see on street outlaws of sawing the wheel back and forth and trying to save every bad pass when there opponent is 20 car lengths ahead less wrecks would happen. If thinks aren't going well abort.


That is dead on. The folly of staying in it when you are out of the groove, out of shape, and have zero hope of winning.


[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]
31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum
RS23J71
RS27J77
RP23J71
RO23J71
WM21J8A
I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do.
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: Hemi_Joel] #2920871
05/10/21 06:27 PM
05/10/21 06:27 PM
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Frostbitefalls MN (Rocky&Bullw...
gregsdart Offline
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I totally agree on lifting at the slightest hint of trouble. If you can feel something at all the run is junk. So i tell myself before every pass to keep this in mind!


8..603 156 mph best, 2905 lbs 549, indy 572-13, alky
Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: gregsdart] #2920876
05/10/21 06:40 PM
05/10/21 06:40 PM
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Hemi_Joel Offline OP
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Originally Posted by gregsdart
Short wheelbase cars are generally the worst. The ackerman angle toes the front tires out more and more In a correction as the wheelbase shortens. My dart has no ackerman built into it. Stays dead parallel lock to lock. Recovers very, very well. But it is a be it ch to push around a corner!


very interesting. I've never heard of doing that before. Did you design it or modify it for that purpose?


[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]
31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum
RS23J71
RS27J77
RP23J71
RO23J71
WM21J8A
I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do.
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: Hemi_Joel] #2920904
05/10/21 08:13 PM
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Back in 1973 -74 my first "race" car and i was told: If the car gets upset, lift , race over, don't get back in it !- this aint dirt track racing boy!
I reckon thats still good advice looking at the thread and, it never failed me.
These cars aren't set up for recovery when out of shape and pushing a slick under the rim is not a nice day.

Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: RustyM] #2920930
05/10/21 08:59 PM
05/10/21 08:59 PM
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My rule was give it a little correction, if it doesn't respond, lift, it's over and never, ever get back in it.


"Follow me the wise man said, but he walked behind"


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Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: Guitar Jones] #2920950
05/10/21 09:47 PM
05/10/21 09:47 PM
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I've had a few scary runs. Didn't understand why it was pulling left so hard. Decided to lift. Went to put my both my hands on the wheel. That's when I realized that my right hand had been resting on the line lock button. Decide to make a very slight correction in the midst of making a HARD left at the 1/8. Like a up on the right side tires only left. Figured it was better to scrape the left wall than go nose in if it over corrected. All this goes thru your head in milliseconds. It straightened right out and hit nothing. Last year just pass the traps when I hit the brakes (149mph) the car twitched sideways. I immediately released the brake and made a very gentle steering input. Found out after the car ahead of me blew the trans line off. He lost 7 qts of trans fluid. Gentle minimal and smooth are the keys. Not to mention lifting if its not in the groove. Trust me I've lifted and aborted plenty of runs.
Doug

Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: dvw] #2920981
05/10/21 10:27 PM
05/10/21 10:27 PM
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Interesting replies. My suspicion is the mentioned "overcorrection", might be really be initially a case of a "too slow correction" and over correcting is the second mistake..

Another aspect not yet mentioned, if you want to reduce traction on the rear axle, lifting should do the trick, as all rear weight transfer goes away. With a rear weight biased car, that should increase the pucker factor.

I do agree on the Kenny Rogers thinking.

Please note, I am not a drag racer.

In road racing, keeping your foot in it, which sometimes is the opposite of what you normal survival instincts are, is the right thing, and drive out of the skid.

Last edited by jcc; 05/10/21 11:19 PM.

Reality check, that half the population is smarter then 50% of the people and it's a constantly contested fact.
Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: jcc] #2920988
05/10/21 10:42 PM
05/10/21 10:42 PM
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Mopar Muscle magazine ran a feature on a guy with a Challenger a while back, he raced in one of the "stock appearing" classes.
Reading the story, i discovered he'd hit the wall not once, but twice at the strip.
Reading the story further, I discovered he had a spool in the rear. I believe a spool can be a factor in many of these wall-banging events.
And I agree, assume the run is over, let off the gas and slow down as smoothly as possible.

Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: geo.] #2920997
05/10/21 11:07 PM
05/10/21 11:07 PM
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Minnesota
Hemi_Joel Offline OP
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Originally Posted by geo.

Mopar Muscle magazine ran a feature on a guy with a Challenger a while back, he raced in one of the "stock appearing" classes.
Reading the story, i discovered he'd hit the wall not once, but twice at the strip.
Reading the story further, I discovered he had a spool in the rear. I believe a spool can be a factor in many of these wall-banging events.
And I agree, assume the run is over, let off the gas and slow down as smoothly as possible.


That was Tom Cannon. If I remember right the first time he scraped the wall his crankshaft threw a chunk of Mallory metal out through the pan. The other one I think he drove over some antifreeze on the track from a previous car that the track workers had not noticed.

I found that driving my 750 horse stock appearing F.A.S.T. car on g70 14's with a spool is like dirt tracking. You just steer the right direction, lift a little bit if needed to try and help the tires catch up. The tires are so stiff, and you have so little traction, they're not going to catch and drive you into the wall or fold under and roll you. I think it is a lot safer than slicks.


[img]http://i.imgur.com/boeexFms.jpg[/img]
31 Plymouth Coupe, 392 Hemi, T56 magnum
RS23J71
RS27J77
RP23J71
RO23J71
WM21J8A
I don't regret the things I've done. I only regret the things I didn't do.
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something. ~ Plato"
Re: Driving technique to save a crossed up racecar on slicks? [Re: Hemi_Joel] #2921015
05/11/21 12:38 AM
05/11/21 12:38 AM
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Yeah street tires can be driven by getting on and off the throttle and using a little countersteer. With big slicks it is probably best to just lift and let the car settle down. I did see a wild video where a drag car got up on the guard rail and the driver blipped the throttle and got the car back on the track. Not recommended but it worked.

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