As many of you know, I have chased Torque Management issues for over 6 months. I finally bit the bullet and had the PCM tuned by Ed Wright.. of course I get the PCM back right as the tracks closed in the VA/MD area.

For the past week I have been "home" (Tampa Bay area of Florida).

I rolled into town last Wednesday only a couple of hours before Sunshine Dragway opened (1/8th mile). I had "packed" my trusty ET Streets & Skinnies <img src="graemlins/gr_devil.gif" border="0" alt="[devil]" /> .. so I quickly got them changed out, removed the rear speakers and hit the road for the track.

Once I got to the track I noticed there wasn't anyone there that I knew (not running), which meant I had to carry my trusty track bag in the car, also do to my "cross country" trip earlier that day.. the gas was still at about half tank, along with the passengers seat, and the track bag were additions to my normal raceweight.

I roll out on the track for my first pass.. having never ran a 1/8th mile track before I wasn't sure what to expect. I heat the tires real good (they haven't been on the in awhile) stage and decide to come out full boogy:

60' 1.57
330 4.790
1/8 7.537
MPH 89.32

Not bad for a first pass in about 4 months <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0"> I rolled back around ran about 7 runs total, most in the 7.52-7 range. With best pass looking like this:

60' 1.569
330 4.747
1/8 7.499
MPH 89.36

I was excited! No Torque Management and the car was running and 60ft'ing well. The next night was set for Bradenton Motorsports Park for some 1/4 mile action and I made sure to have the car at normal raceweight approx: 3390

Rolled into BMP about 30 minutes prior to the lanes opening (normally VERY early) the place was already PACKED! Unfortunitly, it was mostly rice or street tired cars. I quickly got the car ready... and rolled into the lanes. I did a good burn out, and staged.. launched and spun pretty good, the results:

60' 1.596
330 4.803
1/8 7.517
MPH 90.54
1000 9.865
1/4 11.847
MPH 112.88

I was happy thinking I could easily run faster with a little more traction.. It never came, I ran another 5 runs till the rice and the poor traction got the best of me. I managed to run a 11.90, 11.95, 11.99, 12.00, 12.07 all spinning badly. I have been going to BMP all my life. I had never seen a crowd that large there!

For the weekend I put the car back to street mode and drove over to Orlando for the FFW.

I had all but decided to leave the car that way untill next Tuesday for the drive home.

But as the day went on yesterday, I couldn't take not being at the track if it's open <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0"> so.. I pulled the car into my dads garage and had it back in strip mode in about 20 mins (gotta love air tools <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0"> ). I headed off to Sunshine ready!

As I roll into the pits.. it starts to rain.. praying to rain god, I started "teching" in. (Rain stopped).

First pass I wasn't expecting the track to hook.. rain and two street tired cars in front of me.. I come off the light just mashing the trottle..

60' 1.567
330 4.758
1/8 7.495
MPH 89.66

Cool! It hooked!!

Ran another 3 runs, all in the 7.46-8's then came:

60' 1.548
330 4.722
1/8 7.448
MPH 90.09

Ran one more pass.. 1.66, 7.59.. figured the track was done for the night so I packed up and went home.

After spending the last 6 months with the car runnnig like $hit, it feels good to get some good runs under my belt.

Moral of the story: If you are experiencing TM, get programming NOW!

 

Congrats! Its good to see you at it again. You will definitely get faster once you can get traction.

Traction and TM has been kickin my *** for over 6 months now. I'm thinking about deleting TM soon. <img src="gr_grin.gif" border="0">

 

Traction is the ticket.

Congrats and a hearty pat on the back.

Way to go!

p.s., loco, come on up to HRP... just once before the season is over. If you dont you'll be kicking your self in the *** all year long wishing you had!

 

Thanks!

BTW: The car was carrying both front wheels at the 1/8th mile track <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="graemlins/gr_devil.gif" border="0" alt="[devil]" /> Not bad for a stock internal car!

Of course everyone thought I was running nitrous last night.. and all figured it had heads & cam. <img src="gr_tounge.gif" border="0">

 

i was out at Edgewater in Cincinnati for the opening T n T day two weekends ago and it was PACKED with rice... I thought this phenomenon would die down but its mcuh worse this season then I expected.

They ended up running slick cars through twice before they let the street cars go through. Which there were about 3 times as many street cars. I thought it was hilarious.

Good times. <img src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />