pmihaltian

What's the best way to launch an LS7 ? Are you guys power shifting ? At what RPM do you shift? In short, what's the best way to assure an 11 second ET ?

Any advise is appreciated.

Thanks,

P.

DaOtherOne

This is a good place to start.

http://www.rangeracceleration.com/Launch_Tips.html

pmihaltian

Thanks, Da. That's great information. I'm sure it will take me some time to process and absorb all that. I appreciate it.

BOTTLE FEDvette

I just went to the track last Wednesday, 1st time in almost 3 years and the 1st time with my 08' c6z.

I drove around the water box to keep the water off the front tires and back up into the water box with the rears. I did a rolling burnout (spun the rear tires in the water and just rolled out of the box without hitting the brakes).

I held the car around 2,500 rpms and just slipped/slow release and gave it gas. I was cutting 2.0 60' all night on a stock rear size Nitto INVO's.

I didn't powershift at all. I would shift the car when I saw the arrow on the HUD come on. I did 11.9's all night with one 11.8. My mph was 123 all night with one 126 when I let the car cool down.

Hope this helps but most important thing is to HAVE FUN!

azZ06Mike

On my stock Z06 I would hold rpm around 3500 to 4000 and slip the clutch the first 6-8 feet out of the hole. Then I would shift about 6500 rpm. I was able to run consistent 11.30's on a stock Z06 and a drag radial.

My z06 with H/C/I package on a stock clutch I did the same and run 10.70's with a 1.5 60ft.

KLRBEE2

I was just at Darlington Dragway this wknd for the East Coast Shootout. I have a bolt on Z06, skinnies, and 315/35/17 Hossier DRs. I was rolling through the burnout box as stated by BottleFed. I was holding the rpms at 5k after staged and slip the clutch while smashing on the go pedal, shifting at 7k all the way through and crossing the 1320 in 4th. Track was descent; 1.62-1.75 60's on stock clutch with 50k miles on it. Consistant 11.0s and a 10.90 PB at 127. The reason I didn't do a full burnout is the sticking to the floor clutch pedal issue. I have the Tick master cylinder to replace it with. Looking forward to the LSX shootout in May in ATL.

avenger88

Subscribed to this thread, same boat here. Never been to the strip and hoping to go soon .... Expecting to run some terrible times in my h/c Z first time out lol

pmihaltian

I assume that you had the traction control turned off ?

pmihaltian

Did you power shift ? Did you have the traction control turned off ?

BOTTLE FEDvette

Yes TCS was off.

camirocz

azZ06Mike,you ran 11.3 all stock shifting at 6500rpm?Something is wrong here.You need to get into 4th to run those times and at 6500 rpm you never got into 4 th gear.Thats for sure.Just curious, what was your mph stock?

KLRBEE2

Yes, TC off. No power shifting; I lift a bit of the gas pedal and shift as fast as I can and smash back on the pedal.

azZ06Mike

I got into 4th gear and yes I shift at 6500 rpm so by the time the shift happens I might hit 7000 rpm. But yes 11.3 on a stock Z06 in AZ heat! Fnbadz06 was there when I did it. He has gone 10.80's in his z06 with no internal mods or tuning here in AZ

pmihaltian

Very

What size and brand of drag radials do you use ?

KLRBEE2

I used 315/35/17 Hoosiers

pmihaltian

Are there other brand drag radials that you have had good experience with?

Also. do you know if any vendor is making 335/30 20" drag radials or will I have to go to 17" 0r 18" tires as you have ?

propain

You will break an axle if you put 335/30/20 drag radials on a stock Z06 if you launch it too hard.

Get yourself some 17" C5 replica fronts with Hoosiers.

I was able to get a 10.8@128 all stock.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1582507983-post23.html

KLRBEE2

You don't want to drag on 20s; preferably 17 no more than 18. You get better gearing, better tire options and less rotating mass. I haven't had experience with any other dr, sorry!

FNBADAZ06

The best way ?
Reality check........whatever your track conditions are, including meterological, your mod levels (are you stock ?), and your driving skill set can handle......that will dictate the "best way" to launch the car.

If you have zero drag racing experience, be prepared to be humbled...."assured 11 second ET's" are the realm of people with a modest amounts of seat time drag racing, and a drag radial....and sometimes, even that's not enough if you've never piloted a C6 Z06 down the strip.

505 BHP will not be enough to get an 11 second slip if you smoke the clutch, and/or are not semi-proficient in getting the car shifted quickly and at the proper time. It takes seat time, and a feel for your specific car and it's idiosyncrasies’...more than anything else....to get those "assured 11's" .

So, with that being said.......

Best drag tire combo I've personally used, with stock power, is the Hoosier 275/40/17 or 315/30/17....mounted on C5 Z06 17x9.5 front wheels. That's about the lightest, shortest, tire/wheel combo you can put on the back of a Z. Run the highest amount of tire pressure you can, while still getting you traction......my sweet spot appears to be 18psi HOT. Pump up the fronts to 42 HOT to minimize rolling resistance.

1) traction control Off, all other nannies ON.

2)depending on how much water is in the water box will dictate if I drive thru or around the water box for my burnouts. You want to perform your burnout out around the edges of the water, not directly in it. I do 2nd gear burnouts, as it gets the tire spinning at a higher MPH which heats them faster without overheating the clutch. You don't need to do John Force burnouts....keep them as short as possible

3) launch RPM's on a prepped, sticky track, stock clutch on drag radial....anywhere from 3500-5000 RPM. Clutch get's slipped for the first 10 feet or so...don't "pop" the clutch. WOT can't happen until the clutch is fully engaged...see Ranger Acceleration method as other's have mentioned.

4) shift RPM......this is tricky, as we don't know what your hand/eye/foot coordination or reflexes are. If you're slow...start your shifts around 66-6700 or so. Pretty fast ??? Start around 68-6900. Wait until you see 7000 ??? You're too late, and will smack the soft rev limiter, which will cost you dearly in time.

5) don't bother "speed shifting" if you're stock.....the ECU's Torque Managment will pull the throttle.

Your first 6 attempts at this....I wouldn't expect anything better than low 12's in the 122-124 MPH range. The Z06 is not a drag car.....you've got to work within it's limitations.

Get seat time and some experience ?
Mid to upper 11's all day long.....low 11's when you get really good.....put it all together, high 10's are within reach.

It took me 3 sets of drag radials, 150+ passes, to find the "sweet" spot for my track altitude, car setup, and grip.

10.84@130 MPH is where I finally hung my "stock" hat.

propain

Preach on brother!!