60 Foots - What, How and Why
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
Joined: May 2004
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From: Miami, FL.
60 Foots - What, How and Why Hi People 
I read people's track times on line and i go to the track myself and slolwly with more seat time am begining to understand this a little bit more.
My question is does 60 ft simply reflect a driver's ability to launch his/her car and track prep and tires? Or does it have to do with mods a car has?
Like I have 3.73's, lid, filter and a 160 tstat and I cut 1.9 and 2.0's (i need more practice) (my 1/8 mile ranges from 8.5-8.8) Since I finally just learned how to do a burn out and removed my front sway bar my times got a little better. Before I would run consistent 13.3's all day (with 8.8 or 8.9 in my 1/8 mile) and now I i became .3 faster in the 1/8 warming up my tires and no front sway bar. I was launching my car at 2k cause I am still feeling my way. I plan to go back and practice launching at 2,500 and so on.
So, does 60 ft decrease as modifications are added to the car? or are two car's (one with h/c, headers, gears etc etc and a car thats got a few boltons) capable of the same 60 ft ? If so why?
I have people tell me I should be cutting 1.6's and 1.7's but then I see cars with all this stuff done to them and their 60 ft's are horrible. I am just trying to understand more. (I have only been to the track like 7 times.)
Thanks,
Crystal
I read people's track times on line and i go to the track myself and slolwly with more seat time am begining to understand this a little bit more.
My question is does 60 ft simply reflect a driver's ability to launch his/her car and track prep and tires? Or does it have to do with mods a car has?
Like I have 3.73's, lid, filter and a 160 tstat and I cut 1.9 and 2.0's (i need more practice) (my 1/8 mile ranges from 8.5-8.8) Since I finally just learned how to do a burn out and removed my front sway bar my times got a little better. Before I would run consistent 13.3's all day (with 8.8 or 8.9 in my 1/8 mile) and now I i became .3 faster in the 1/8 warming up my tires and no front sway bar. I was launching my car at 2k cause I am still feeling my way. I plan to go back and practice launching at 2,500 and so on.
So, does 60 ft decrease as modifications are added to the car? or are two car's (one with h/c, headers, gears etc etc and a car thats got a few boltons) capable of the same 60 ft ? If so why?
I have people tell me I should be cutting 1.6's and 1.7's but then I see cars with all this stuff done to them and their 60 ft's are horrible. I am just trying to understand more. (I have only been to the track like 7 times.)
Thanks,
Crystal
Last edited by SOM_of_a_Beach; Jul 30, 2004 at 08:57 AM.
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60' are about how well the car launches, traction being the biggest issue. The parts the cars has also affect how well it will react, therefore decreasing your 60'. Suspension also contributes to better launches as does the rpm which you launch at. My 2001 SS has cut 1.63 60' on the factory suspension. The only mods are: Hooker LTs & ORY, FTRA, TCI4400, TS&P Lid, !front sway bar (aka: removed), and an opened cutout on ET Streets. By decreasing your 60' you decrease your ET by about 1.5 ratio ... also on my car it traps higher. What kind of tires are you using? Hope this helped and good luck!
Oh, if two cars have the same 60', the car with the quicker ET or MPH did not have as great traction as the slower car. That is why you will see manuals with timeslips like: 12.2 @ 119 , where as an auto will have a timeslip like: 11.7 @ 116 The auto's 60' was way better, but also it could be the suspension on the quicker (ET) car was better suited to drag racing.
Oh, if two cars have the same 60', the car with the quicker ET or MPH did not have as great traction as the slower car. That is why you will see manuals with timeslips like: 12.2 @ 119 , where as an auto will have a timeslip like: 11.7 @ 116 The auto's 60' was way better, but also it could be the suspension on the quicker (ET) car was better suited to drag racing.
sixty foot is a function of a few things, regardless of mods.
i have a feeling i'm not gonna explain this real well cuz i'm having a hard time finding the right explanation but hopefully some others can build on it.
the main component of sixty foot is traction. How "hard" a car can come out. for examply, you can't launch a 350 hp car on street tires off the rev limiter and expect to get much done, but you could do it on a slick and come out nice and hard. the street tire launch may be a 2.3 sixty and the slick launch a 1.6, nothing else having been changed.
other things effecting sixty foot. Gearing and tire size combo, sidewall height of tire, and the biggest of all IMO, suspension/weight transfer.
Let's say two cars identical in mods/RWHP/Trans/Gearing, etc go up to the line. One car has stock suspension and one has good adjustable suspension and proper things done such as battery in the rear, no front sway bar, etc..set up to drag race essentially..both on the same type and size of tire. Let's assume the same driver makes passes in both cars.
The car with the suspension is gonna out sixty foot that non suspended car every time. The suspended car will have the ability to put the power to the ground and keep it there, as well as transfer the weight properly and keep it transferred through the sixty foot and down the track.
Hope that gets you started.
i have a feeling i'm not gonna explain this real well cuz i'm having a hard time finding the right explanation but hopefully some others can build on it.
the main component of sixty foot is traction. How "hard" a car can come out. for examply, you can't launch a 350 hp car on street tires off the rev limiter and expect to get much done, but you could do it on a slick and come out nice and hard. the street tire launch may be a 2.3 sixty and the slick launch a 1.6, nothing else having been changed.
other things effecting sixty foot. Gearing and tire size combo, sidewall height of tire, and the biggest of all IMO, suspension/weight transfer.
Let's say two cars identical in mods/RWHP/Trans/Gearing, etc go up to the line. One car has stock suspension and one has good adjustable suspension and proper things done such as battery in the rear, no front sway bar, etc..set up to drag race essentially..both on the same type and size of tire. Let's assume the same driver makes passes in both cars.
The car with the suspension is gonna out sixty foot that non suspended car every time. The suspended car will have the ability to put the power to the ground and keep it there, as well as transfer the weight properly and keep it transferred through the sixty foot and down the track.
Hope that gets you started.
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 257
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From: Miami, FL.
I am trying to figuire out what 60 ft time i should be aiming for. I understand that 10 bolts are like relationships. (u dont know what it can handle till it just blows up) Some people say tht 10 bolts are plenty strong and other break them with a efw good launches. So, its the luck of the draw I guess. So, with my m6 and 10 bolt and 16 inch nittos in mind, from peoples experience in the past.... whats a good number to aim for?
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From: Earth
Originally Posted by theblur98ss
1.8's are really good with a 6 speed on nitto's. Anything better then that and you have it mastered.
I can get low 1.8s by a short 5 second burn out,staging and reving the car up just before I give it a a quick clutch slip.It slightly hazes the tires but keeps the RPM up without shocking the 10 bolt to much.MPH really shines with this launch also.I tried 3.5K clutch dumps and it leaves hard but boggs 30' out.I want to drive home so higher RPM is really not an option.Good luck.
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Corona CA
With your mods in a full weight car, 1.8's are about the best you do. 1.9-2.0 should be common.
There is a large HP/Weight component to the 60's once you have traction. Or more correctly RWTQ/Weight. Gearing gives you more RWTQ, but so does HP. No matter how much traction you have, power is needed to 60. Example, our Camaro cut 1.8x's pretty consistant, then I added nitrous. It instantly went low 1.7's at the same launch RPM. The only thing that changed was the RWTQ.
With our pickup, it cut 2.5 60's (no wheelspin) we added power, and VOILA, 1.9's.
As you add power, and add traction, your 60's will drop. But you do need both.
To be honest, 1.9x ain't too shabby on a M6 Nitto car at most tracks. Congrats~!
There is a large HP/Weight component to the 60's once you have traction. Or more correctly RWTQ/Weight. Gearing gives you more RWTQ, but so does HP. No matter how much traction you have, power is needed to 60. Example, our Camaro cut 1.8x's pretty consistant, then I added nitrous. It instantly went low 1.7's at the same launch RPM. The only thing that changed was the RWTQ.
With our pickup, it cut 2.5 60's (no wheelspin) we added power, and VOILA, 1.9's.
As you add power, and add traction, your 60's will drop. But you do need both.
To be honest, 1.9x ain't too shabby on a M6 Nitto car at most tracks. Congrats~!
8 Second Club
Joined: May 2004
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From: Savannah, TN
It takes power to have a good 60 big wheelstands with alot of traction does not mean good short times my car setup for DR will cut mid 1.5s change tires to sliks same height and guess what back bumper on the ground and wheels higher than the wall low 1.5 to best 1.48 set the car up for slicks take some of the hook out and wheels 6 to 12inchs car will do high 1.3 all day ever day. Hope this helps Phillip Bridges
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From: Holly Springs NC
Originally Posted by SilverGhost
aim all you want.
i would read the info jennibella and i posted to actually *understand* how you are going to get the car to hit what you are aiming for.
just my two cents.
i would read the info jennibella and i posted to actually *understand* how you are going to get the car to hit what you are aiming for.
just my two cents.
She's racing where I do all the time and the track lately in the heat hasn't been as good as it was 4 months ago or over the winter. I've changed nothing on my car, it's lowered 1.25" and the rest of it is stock suspension. Best I've cut in my M6 on drag radials at this same track is 1.79. My normal consistent 60' is a 1.82-1.84 but recently with nothing changed best I've been able to cut is a 1.86 some nights even a 1.92
I think heat is the major factor on this particular track this time of year. Humidity has been like soup at night as well with an increased dew point which affects the track more than we think. Crystal, you should see a difference at Moroso when it cools off a bit and we have some drier air.
Again, Bradenton is the best track I've been on and I will say my worst 60' there is a 1.84 but my norm there is anywhere from 1.74-1.78 consistent on 17" drag radials on stock suspension launching at 3500.
My best 60' to date has been a 1.74 at Bradenton with a 10 bolt and 4.10 gears with bolt on's before I added a small cam and a 12 bolt. My 60's are pretty much the same as they were before the cam only thing to change is my launch RPM 3200 vs 3500.
Last edited by racer88; Jul 30, 2004 at 08:55 PM.
