1st time down the strip

Hahahaha - now you start chasing better ET's, and THAT is fun! Forget the reaction time, as JoeDust said, it doesn't affect your ET. You can work on that later. There's a lot of room for improvement in that 60' time. Which is actually good news. The 60' time has a huge impact on your ET.

Yes, better tires, and a stronger rear end are the right things to look at first. Don't forget to get 7290 u-joints if possible. Run a driveshaft loop and a steel bell housing and you should be in pretty good shape.

Have fun!