[Z06] what are the best weather conditions for drag racing?
01-03-2010, 11:54 PM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
what are the best weather conditions for drag racing?
i always though cool weather, but i know humidity and barometric pressure play a role. so what are we looking for in the combination of the three for one to say we have good weather conditions for drag racing?
01-04-2010, 12:24 AM
#2
Burning Brakes
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I think what you are asking about is the balance between temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity (or dew point). These factors (and altitude) are combined into the calculation for Density Altitude.
You can play around at the site I use for all my DA calculations and see the effect of changing one variable at a time:
http://wahiduddin.net/calc/calc_da_rh.htm
Of course this assumes that the LS7 PCM is programmed in a way that generates max power for a given DA regardless of the individual components of DA. As far as the LS7 is concerned, all equal DA's are not created equal. There are some subtle differences, but it is beyond the scope of this discussion.
One thing you should worry about though is traction. In most conditions that are extremely favorable for DA and HP production, traction is going to suffer. Generally, you're going to have problems hooking with street tires in track temps under 50. The ideal setting would combine a very low DA with full direct sunlight that had been warming the track for a couple days.
But just for fun, I plugged in the weather numbers from last night from Fargo, ND into the DA calculator and came up with a DA of -7000. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how many tracks will be open when it's -27 degrees out. (But, damn, if only you could hook.....)
You can play around at the site I use for all my DA calculations and see the effect of changing one variable at a time:
http://wahiduddin.net/calc/calc_da_rh.htm
Of course this assumes that the LS7 PCM is programmed in a way that generates max power for a given DA regardless of the individual components of DA. As far as the LS7 is concerned, all equal DA's are not created equal. There are some subtle differences, but it is beyond the scope of this discussion.
One thing you should worry about though is traction. In most conditions that are extremely favorable for DA and HP production, traction is going to suffer. Generally, you're going to have problems hooking with street tires in track temps under 50. The ideal setting would combine a very low DA with full direct sunlight that had been warming the track for a couple days.
But just for fun, I plugged in the weather numbers from last night from Fargo, ND into the DA calculator and came up with a DA of -7000. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how many tracks will be open when it's -27 degrees out. (But, damn, if only you could hook.....)
Last edited by dgdoc; 01-04-2010 at 12:50 AM.
01-04-2010, 12:40 AM
#3
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Well in the flying world, High, Hot & Humid are the worst conditions you can get. So I would imagine that low elevation, low humidity & cool temperatures would be the answer. Just a guess. 
01-04-2010, 09:06 PM
#4
Le Mans Master
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High barameter = Always Good (30.5x is about the best you will see around here.)
Low humidity = Always Good - It's hard to burn water. (30% is about the lowest you will see around here.)
Low temperature is where it gets tricky.
A sunny day in the mid 30s is a better condition than a cloudy low 40s day since the track temperature will rise. You need to hook the car up. Cold air and a warmer track is favorable. This does not always coincide. A slightly warmer air day and great track prep will always win out.
Low humidity = Always Good - It's hard to burn water. (30% is about the lowest you will see around here.)
Low temperature is where it gets tricky.
A sunny day in the mid 30s is a better condition than a cloudy low 40s day since the track temperature will rise. You need to hook the car up. Cold air and a warmer track is favorable. This does not always coincide. A slightly warmer air day and great track prep will always win out.
01-04-2010, 10:16 PM
#5
Melting Slicks
High barameter = Always Good (30.5x is about the best you will see around here.)
Low humidity = Always Good - It's hard to burn water. (30% is about the lowest you will see around here.)
Low temperature is where it gets tricky. A sunny day in the mid 30s is a better condition than a cloudy low 40s day since the track temperature will rise. You need to hook the car up. Cold air and a warmer track is favorable. This does not always coincide. A slightly warmer air day and great track prep will always win out.
Low humidity = Always Good - It's hard to burn water. (30% is about the lowest you will see around here.)
Low temperature is where it gets tricky.
A sunny day in the mid 30s is a better condition than a cloudy low 40s day since the track temperature will rise. You need to hook the car up. Cold air and a warmer track is favorable. This does not always coincide. A slightly warmer air day and great track prep will always win out.
