Mik wrote:12.4 is slow with your power. Do you have traction issues? Get a set of R tyres perhaps. Otherwise its your launch technique and/or shifting that needs optimization. A 400bhp S4 will do 12.5 with the right driver
You should be doing high 11's imho at least.
Cheers
Mik
I agree. 12.5 for 400 bhp one with right driver.
Leon - The quicker you react, the more of a difference it will make to your final time still.
I don’t think the alu mirrors will make much of a difference.
Maybe consider changing your shift pattern. Its not always the best thing to go all the way up to 6800 rpm. (or what ever the cars red line has been raised to. Try some different shifts at different rpms, see what gives a better response. Log with vagcom. There is not an option to do ¼ mile I think.
Id leave the brakes cause you’ll need them on the way home.
Id say the following:
1) LWFW
2) Back seats removed for the day, front recaros changed to pole position or a lighter seat, maybe for temporary use.
3) Practice getting quicker reaction times.
4) practice shifting quick and clean and check out where you do your gear change. Maybe better in some cases to practice not hitting the rev limiter.
Before all of this though I would concentrate on technique.
When doing drags, as you probably know, its a situation that requires multi tasking and thinking about several things at once and making sure those things are correct and the best way to react at that time. Eventually you will get used to thinking about everything automatically and it will be second nature just like everyday driving. That comes with practice.
So you need to be ahead of what you’re doing in your head mentally before you do it. This will make for a better launch.
Before amber gets to change, you already need to be revving at the correct rpm. Whatever style that best works for you, whether you want to bounce it quickly but keep it around a tight rpm band of choice, or just hold it there. Whatever gives yourself the best launch. Try different styles and find the best launch for you.
By the time you’ve launched you already need to have thought about changing gear, keeping wheel straight, looking at the rev counter as it gets up to redline pretty quick. This way you’ll never hit the limiter.
Change where you want to change, what ever suits the car better boost wise etc. then do the same for third gear and then fourth.
You should only be glimpsing at the track ahead, and giving 90% of your concentration on what you’re doing and what you’re going to do and looking at the rev counter and preparing to change gear to what you know from practice is the best rpm to change. Also try different ways of changing the gear. When changing gear get your hand in position for the next shift and position it to the best way you can react for the next shift. All these things shave split seconds which count.
The other thing is, never think about the guy next to you. No point. Concentrate all your thought on what you’re doing and what you’re going to do. That’s it. You’re racing your best time. No one else. Sometimes its hard as the adrenalin makes some people nervous but with lots of practice you get over it in time. Its only natural.
I’m not sure how many guys here regularly do 1//4 miles but I guess its quite a few. Their experiences may be different from mine, but I’m just giving some advice on how I improved my times and what I was taught by someone else.
Leon, honestly mate, before you start to take things out of the car to reduce the weight. Keep trying with what you have. Practice on your RS4 clutch till its dead. I think you’ll get to high 11's with some practice on that clutch.
The spin you took me for clearly shows you’re a good driver and can handle the car. Its just techniques that you need to learn to get a better time. Something everyone has to learn. something that only come’s with practice, and not naturally. If it comes naturally to someone its because they’ve done something similar that may incorporate a combination of the skills that are needed in drag racing.
Keep the clutch same, keep the weight the same. Leave that constant. Practice and burn your clutch out. (not your gearbox). By that time you should have high 11's if not better. then you can go for another clutch. Better your times on that, then when you’ve had some more practice then drop the weight.
At least then you know what you’ve done yourself and what you’ve improved before you played about with weight saving, clutch etc. Then you know how much the clutch flywheel combo is shaving off now that you’ve done the best you can with improved technique, then what the weight saving will do on top of that. Everything in stages with patience.
Otherwise mate, all that will be constant is your technique, and the car will be doing all the improvement. And a car is only as good as its driver in the ¼ mile. You want to see you’ve improved and know what you’ve done to improve your time before you start making the car improve your time.
As someone said on here earlier, it is an exact science. By all means I’m not an expert but I’ve had some experience, and if anyone thinks I’m talking rubbish then fair enough. Please contribute to how else he can make a better time.
Id really like to see you get a better time Leon, and if you let me know ill be there supporting. You probably know some or most of what ive written anyway, just need to put it into practice.
Good luck with your next ¼ mile times and hope you get your 11’s soon.
Regards
Sorry for the Essay!
hahaha
If you dont "do it now" you never will.
