Quarter Mile Gear Selection

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If I were the OP I'd go with 4.10's. When my dart had the 340 (apples to oranges I know) I went from a 3.91 to a 4.30 it only picked up .007 and that was in 60'.

I like 1/8 mile racing but would like to run my car in the 1/4 again, in good air this time. It ran 10.008 At 134.74 in less than ideal conditions, I'd like to get a 9 second time slip with it. Not many naturally aspirated 9 second street/strip cars around here, even less with small blocks.
 
33IMP said:
I like the fact that it is so much safer for old guys like me, to do 100, instead of 135, and imo, the second half of the 1/4 is just boring and hard on the car. The starting line, the 60 ft, the gear changes, and the finish line is what's important, and you get all that in an eighth too, without having to beat the car up in high gear.
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You don't use 3rd gear much/@all in 1/8 mile ?
 
273 said:
Makes sense, Never thought about that, always assumed 1/4 mile was where it's at.
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It is. I hate 1/8 mile and even 1000 foot races.

A drag race is two cars (not 4) running a standing QUARTER MILE.

Anything other than that is just a clown show.
 
Newbomb Turk said:
It is. I hate 1/8 mile and even 1000 foot races.

A drag race is two cars (not 4) running a standing QUARTER MILE.

Anything other than that is just a clown show.
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Also not 1000 ft, duh you wrote that.
Reading comprehension day for me lol
 
To my benefit, 1/8 isn’t going anywhere no matter what people feel about it. I must say, 1/8 mile helps the pocketbook of everyone who runs 1/8 mile, including the race track. That’s what people who are hell bent against 1/8 mile need to look at. I built my car to race 1/4 mile and ran 1/4 mile for years before things went 1/8. All it did was save me engine maintenance, tires, fuel, etc. especially when you start putting on 100+ runs a season. Going through 1/8 mile at 7,000-7,200 rpm compared to 1/4 mile at 7,700-8000rpm really makes a difference. Especially for those with high lift cams and high valve spring pressure. Just something to consider.
 
71Demon528 said:
To my benefit, 1/8 isn’t going anywhere no matter what people feel about it. I must say, 1/8 mile helps the pocketbook of everyone who runs 1/8 mile, including the race track. That’s what people who are hell bent against 1/8 mile need to look at. I built my car to race 1/4 mile and ran 1/4 mile for years before things went 1/8. All it did was save me engine maintenance, tires, fuel, etc. especially when you start putting on 100+ runs a season. Going through 1/8 mile at 7,000-7,200 rpm compared to 1/4 mile at 7,700-8000rpm really makes a difference. Especially for those with high lift cams and high valve spring pressure. Just something to consider.
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Sounds reasonable to me
 
My local track will run 1/8 or 1/4
Some days running both.
I'm used to the quarter and set my car up that way but RJ makes a great point
 
MOPARMAGA said:
My local track will run 1/8 or 1/4
Some days running both.
I'm used to the quarter and set my car up that way but RJ makes a great point
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NSS around me runs 1/4 mile still. I’m not opposed to it by any means. But for bracket racing where the payout is the same, it is more cost effective to race 1/8.

Back to the OP. With the 4.10 gear, I’m excited to see how this car runs. Should be strong with the cam and heads he has. hopefully the converter is right and he will be happy.
 
Newbomb Turk said:
It is. I hate 1/8 mile and even 1000 foot races.

A drag race is two cars (not 4) running a standing QUARTER MILE.

Anything other than that is just a clown show.
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Yeah I kinda feel the same. I tried for years to get hooked on the 1/8 mile thing. I have a friend who's a big rustang guy and I went with him a lot but I just never could get into it. It's like premature ejaculation.
 
71Demon528 said:
To my benefit, 1/8 isn’t going anywhere no matter what people feel about it. I must say, 1/8 mile helps the pocketbook of everyone who runs 1/8 mile, including the race track. That’s what people who are hell bent against 1/8 mile need to look at. I built my car to race 1/4 mile and ran 1/4 mile for years before things went 1/8. All it did was save me engine maintenance, tires, fuel, etc. especially when you start putting on 100+ runs a season. Going through 1/8 mile at 7,000-7,200 rpm compared to 1/4 mile at 7,700-8000rpm really makes a difference. Especially for those with high lift cams and high valve spring pressure. Just something to consider.
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I grew up with my local track doing 1/8 mile ****.

The extra time to run 1/4 stuff is minimal IF you don’t run motorcycles or you have a 13.99 or quicker ET’s only or both.

As for RPM in the traps you should cross at the same RPM 1/8 mile or 1/4 mile.

I have never ever seen a car go quicker or faster geared for the 1/8th.

As for cost…I’d want to see it line itemed out.

I don’t think the costs are even 10% higher running the quarter.
 
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Newbomb Turk said:
I grew up with my local track doing 1/8 mile ****.

The extra time to run 1/4 stuff is singles IF you don’t run motorcycles or you have a 13.99 or quicker ET’s only or both.

As for RPM in the traps you should cross at the same RPM 1/8 mile or 1/4 mile.

I have never ever seen a car go quicker or faster geared for the 1/8th.

As for cost…I’d want to see it line itemed out.

I don’t think the costs are even 10% higher running the quarter.
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Ok lol whatever you say
 
Newbomb Turk said:
I grew up with my local track doing 1/8 mile ****.

The extra time to run 1/4 stuff is singles IF you don’t run motorcycles or you have a 13.99 or quicker ET’s only or both.

As for RPM in the traps you should cross at the same RPM 1/8 mile or 1/4 mile.

I have never ever seen a car go quicker or faster geared for the 1/8th.

As for cost…I’d want to see it line itemed out.

I don’t think the costs are even 10% higher running the quarter.
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You would be surprised by the added cost. Your 10% would be eaten up quickly in traction fluid. Insurance is the big issue. Then man power hours.
 
pittsburghracer said:
You would be surprised by the added cost. Your 10% would be eaten up quickly in traction fluid. Insurance is the big issue. Then man power hours.
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Insurance is the biggest issue. Tracks have closed because of the cost increase.
The days of racing all weekend for 50 bucks are long gone.
 
fishmens67 said:
Insurance is the biggest issue. Tracks have closed because of the cost increase.
The days of racing all weekend for 50 bucks are long gone.
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A lot of it is our own fault and we brought on 1/8 mile racing. In my Daytona I crossed the finish line at 160mph. According to sanctioning rules we were required to pull our parachutes. I didn’t as my car even with keystones short shutoff stopped fine. My buddies much faster dragster stopped fine too, until it didn’t. Bob came about as close to dying that day as any racer cares to do. Two weeks later I guess the racers voted. I must have missed it but I hear it happened. When Norwalk switched the Halloween Classic to 1/8 mile we cried like babies. I lost Thursday night at 16 cars two years in row at 4:30am. This race was a 128 car field. One of those years I was scraping the ice off my lexan windows. Now with it being 1/8 mile racing is over usually before 11:30. We all love it now.
 
Newbomb Turk said:
I grew up with my local track doing 1/8 mile ****.

The extra time to run 1/4 stuff is singles IF you don’t run motorcycles or you have a 13.99 or quicker ET’s only or both.

As for RPM in the traps you should cross at the same RPM 1/8 mile or 1/4 mile.

I have never ever seen a car go quicker or faster geared for the 1/8th.

As for cost…I’d want to see it line itemed out.

I don’t think the costs are even 10% higher running the quarter.
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It's the run time at high rpm not the extra seconds it takes to finish the race which adds cost, (engine wear) RJ is saying the engine is going to live longer running a shorter pass.
 
pittsburghracer said:
Now you sound like an azz. Tracks close every year because they aren’t making money.
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That’s a lie. They close for multiple reasons. If they can’t figure out how to make money they should close.

Peddle that horse **** somewhere else. One of the most prosperous tracks west of the Rockies runs quarter mile and they aren’t broke.
 
MOPARMAGA said:
It's the run time at high rpm not the extra seconds it takes to finish the race which adds cost, (engine wear) RJ is saying the engine is going to live longer running a shorter pass.
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Ok, **** it. If you can’t afford to drag race go ******* golf or knit or whatever.

If you can’t afford another 660 feet then you are doing the wrong ****.

To that end, why not save even more money and do 100 yard drags?? That would be so cheap you could spend a day a week picking up cans along the road to fund your racing habit.

Then the tracks won’t ever go broke because it will be standing room only for spectators and you’ll need a 500 car limit just to get everything done in a day.

Yeah, hundred yard drags is the answer. **** me running.

And not YOU as in YOU particularly Korie. It’s a general statement.
 
Newbomb Turk said:
Ok, **** it. If you can’t afford to drag race go ******* golf or knit or whatever.

If you can’t afford another 660 feet then you are doing the wrong ****.

To that end, why not save even more money and do 100 yard drags?? That would be so cheap you could spend a day a week picking up cans along the road to fund your racing habit.

Then the tracks won’t ever go broke because it will be standing room only for spectators and you’ll need a 500 car limit just to get everything done in a day.

Yeah, hundred yard drags is the answer. **** me running.

And not YOU as in YOU particularly Korie. It’s a general statement.
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There's some track in Canada that runs 300 ft lol.
 
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