MG Drag Racing Club - Santa Pod 13 Aug

[Debs]

A good day out (after the torrential rains stopped around 12:30).

Was the fastest (standard) MG there, and picked up the trophy for 'Overall Fastest Modern MG' - the only car faster was the nitrous BV8.

There were half a dozen MGBs, 2 BV8s (one with nitrous and running on competition tyres), a quick ZR, a ZS, a ZT260 and my wee TF.

Best run was 15.429 secs with a terminal speed of 90.01 mph and an off the line reaction time of 0.218 secs.

Highlight was blowing away a chavy tosser in an MR2 Turbo (tee hee).

After my wee baby gets the induction and exhaust systems sorted next week I'm seriously thinking of putting a nitrous system in

[steve]

Well done Debs - and esp for blowing away the MR2

Having never been to Santa Pod - When RWYB do they just time you or do you race against somebody in the lane next to you ?

[Debs]

Basically what happens is both cars 'stage' - you run forward slowly in your lane until you break 2 light beams with your front tyres - this gives 2 sets of orange lights on the christmas tree. If you are really sneaky you 'deep stage', that is, you roll very slightly further forward to put the first set of orange lights out (gives a slight 'edge' on reaction time).

When both cars are 'staged', four more orange lights flash, followed almost immediately by the green.

What I do is to set the revs as soon as I have the 'staged' signal, and drop the clutch on the flashing oranges.

As the car starts to roll, almost immediately it will break another light beam - this gives you your reaction time.

Then it's just a case of focussing on the run, hitting the shifts properly and gaining the best (smooth and fast) gear changes with as little clutch as possible. I was literally 'just' into fourth as I hit the finish.

Your times are posted for all to see on the gantry at the finish line, but if you go to 'race control' you get a timing slip with both your own and your competitor's times on it.

The timing slip gives your 'Reaction time' and then elapsed times at 60 ft, 330 ft, 1/8 mile, 1000 ft, and 1/4 mile, as well as trap speeds at 1/8 mile and 1/4 mile.

Basically what you are doing is running against the clock but you do get a sense of running against the guy in the other lane.

Unfortunately the track was rather cold yesterday so traction wasn't as good as it could have been, although it did get (slightly) progressively better as the afternoon progressed. I did 5 runs and by the last had improved by just over a second. With better traction (and playing around with rear tyre pressure) I reckon I could shave off about another 1/2 second.

[Jonathan Tully]

Well done Debs,

A good time you had there. Don't think you can improve much on that reaction time - pretty good!

What were you planning to do with the tyre pressures for next time - deflate them a bit - or pump them up?

Jon

[Debs]

I was running std TF rear pressures on Goodyear stock TF tyres, just so I could run a baseline.

In my view the Goodyears are absolute rubbish, being FAR to hard - I had to use lowish revs off the line to kill the wheelspin. Actually I find them utters rubbish on the road too - theys FAR too hard with too little grip, especially on a good handling mid-engined car.

Next time I'm going to try dropping the pressures to around 24 psi in order to 'get up' on the tyres faster at the launch. TBH I'm thinking of getting some real sticky Yokos.

[Debs]

Oh dear, call it darkside, call it 'Need fer speed 1000', call it 'The Fast and the Furious'.

Me wee baby is definately getting Nitroused - done deal with Wizards of NOS - hehehe.

BTW, pics at:

www.gallery.mgdrc.org.uk/santapod/santapod.html

[David A]

That sounds like a most fearsome machine you'll end up with Debs! Keep us all posted!

[seantf]

well done debs
please let us know when you are going again as i would not mind coming to watch!!!

[Debs]

The next planned MGDRC meet at the Pod is Sunday September 3rd, although some of us might do the Saturday as well and make a W/E of it.

Please do come along, we have our own MG area cordoned off next to the 'Fire Up' lane, so you will be most welcome. Just look for the nutters, we're easy to spot! ;D

With the mods that are going in next Monday I should be running around 180+ BHP so I'm hoping I can break into the mid 14 seconds bracket. I won't have the slicks on the rear by then so I'll probably beg some tyre softener (anything for better traction so I can use more RPMs at the Launch).

Whether I have the NOS kit on or not by the next meet depends on getting it all fitted in time. I'm hoping Perry (the MGDRC President and resident NOS expert) will help out with the fit. It's relatively simple to do, just a pain wiring up the solenoids and relays. About a day's work I guess although setting up the throttle position switch and proportioner might take some time.

I'll probably run initially either a dual 25 BHP shot, or maybe a single 50 BHP shot and work up from there, although I need to check whether the bottom end will take more. Either way it should be interesting!