Drag Racing Tech - Does elevation effect FI cars as much as N/A cars?

I searched and found some pretty vague stuff so I figured I would post my own ?'s.

So like the title says, does the elevation effect FI cars as much as N/A cars? The track I run at usually sees 6000-7000+ DA's and I will be damned if I build a badass N/A car that would run sweet at sea level but like crap here. Some have said FI cars run .5 sec slower and NA cars run 1 sec slower. I don't want to go NA and still lose to Cobras and SRT4's. I would rather go NA but will do FI if need be. Please help as I will be getting plenty of $ for graduation in two weeks and want to start putting this all together.

:confused:

yes it does.

C'mom guys, some of you have gotta know something.

I'll give you my guess based on Bristol and NHRA correction factors. NHRA "factors" a blown car less than an NA car at high elevation. Cars that come to Bristol generally lose 5 tenths NA and 3.5 tenths blown. I think blower cars lose "slightly" less at higher elevation....especially turbo cars since the wastegate will maintain a set psi at either elevation. A supercharger will lose psi at higher elevation and will need a pulley change to get it back.

I searched and found some pretty vague stuff so I figured I would post my own ?'s.

So like the title says, does the elevation effect FI cars as much as N/A cars? The track I run at usually sees 6000-7000+ DA's and I will be damned if I build a badass N/A car that would run sweet at sea level but like crap here. Some have said FI cars run .5 sec slower and NA cars run 1 sec slower. I don't want to go NA and still lose to Cobras and SRT4's. I would rather go NA but will do FI if need be. Please help as I will be getting plenty of $ for graduation in two weeks and want to start putting this all together.

:confused:

An N/A car setup right could easily get you in the low 12's in Albuquerque.

The key part is SETUP RIGHT!

Most throw a bunch of big name parts together hoping to make big HP on the dyno only to find out it doesn't and it runs like shit at the track. The car needs to be setup to run (i.e. heads and cam) at this altitude. Its funny how all the locals like to quote the corrected HP and pass it of as if thats what they actually put down here :eyes: {rant off}

What exactly are you shooting for?

I would like to be running 11's or so here (ABQ). I know that is "pretty" fast and I would still like it to be streetable. I know I could easily do it with N2O but I don't want a car that runs 11's sometimes. I don't want to have to keep refilling the bottle, waiting for it to heat up, opening the bottle, etc. I would like a car that goes when I need it too. I am sick of getting worked on the street because I didn't have my bottle open. And I don't want to spend all my money on heads and a cam and regret that I didn't go FI.

Then your best bet is a supercharger.

You could hit 11's N/A but it also depends on what your willing to compromise/live with.....

FWIW I'm either going to design my own TT setup or go with an F1 SC.......still trying to see how much I can squeeze out of my car before I tear into the engine. 13.3 so far......shooting for 12.7's with bolt ons.

A SC is going to give you what you need to achieve your goals!