Test-n-Tune/Bracket Racing 101
Eric,While all the rest of the gang has commented on their technique for racing as a beginner,no one has made the best comment yet for you,,Take a trip to a local track first to see whats involved with your first trip and purchase a rule book,,Read thru the section on safety items needed for your class(times)you will be running,,Next take you truck to tech man and have it looked over,most guys after getting all the racers teched will gladly help explain it to you,what to do and not to do,,Buy a acceptable helmet(SFI approved,remember its your head How much is it worth??) and jacket(ounce of protection now is always better),small things now may prevent larger ones later,,Its always good to let the staging area man know your a first timer,he'll help you along as far as where you need to be and when(most tracks will call numerous times for classes to lanes),,Test and tune days are a little pricey at times but worth the money,it will only be you and the tree most times,friday nite street nites are a good experience also as most are all beginners like you are now,,NEVER ever roll a street tire thru the water box,ALWAYS drive around it(if the track your at can not accomodate this,have them sweep the excess out of the pit to keep the water out of the tread pattern),,Street tires will alway retain water inside the tread even after heating them and thus allow the tire to spin when leaving,,Go around the water and back to the edge of the wet to heat the skins,spinning them to the line,pre-stage,clean her out a little,stage and leave on a bulb that will allow your combo to cut constinent lights,,Tire pressures,how much load on the convertor(or how high you can leave with a stick)and boost levels will be decided as you get a routine for what works for your truck and you,,As for your question on weight,there is only one acceptable answer here,yes weight can be added,but only up to the sanctioning bodies limit and it has to be inside a approved weight box and mounted the way they specify in the rule book,,All your major questions will be answered there,,Two quickies I always see newbies do and it will hurt your package,1st-Never after heating the tires do the "dreaded dry hop"all it does is take the hook you had and leave it behind in the area you do not need it,remember your heating the tires to make her hook the dry hop removes heat and their effectiveness to bond to the starting line,2nd-Never argue with the tech offical,he's got the best interest of you and the track in mind,Safety 1st. . Speed 2nd too many kids(adult also) try to skirt the rules and end up paying later in some way. . Most will allow you a week or two(if its a minor infraction) to correct the problem,HOWEVER,if its a major safety issue you'll be a watching and alive to race again,,Quick story and I'm done,I seen a driver recently with a 23T Bantam 8. 90 Super Comp car at a race near the end of the season,,Tech man bagged him with rubber valve stems in front tires(above a certain speed they need to be bolt in ones) and told him only way he'd race is by changing them,Well he left in a huff,,Late in year at a S/SS event I went to,different sanctioning body,he was there(bracket racing) and pitted next to us same wheels,still rubber stems up front,,We were in the lanes when he left for last time run(my buddy was sitting in the water box waiting for me to set him up)as I turned around I heard a boom and seen the bantam a rollin over too many time to account,,Driver was shakin but not hurt,wreck was videoed by a bystander and was evident what happened,,Car left hard,carried front wheels,set them down hard and BOOM,blew the left front one out and over she went,,Upon arrival back after our last round of time runs,my look at the car(with the tech man present,he was chatting with the driver)seen NO valve stem in the left front wheel,wheel was flattened on one side(opposite the stem area)and it was easy to see what happened,,My point here is this,get the book,read it and seeks some answers to questions you have,there are those of us who will help you have a safe race and keep your equipment compliant,,Know I'm a little windy here so end it this way,racing and bombing your truck are simular,kinda like a double edged knife,the more power you have and the faster you go the more you want,BUT,the other side of the knife is the more it costs you in safety equipment,more power,more speed many more updates to keep you safe,,Speed kills,even in a semi-controlled environment such as drag racing and safety is a measure you need to address first,,Just a few ramblings,hope this helps,any questions drop me a note... ..... Andy
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