Why do people pull straight through the water box?
Why do people pull straight through the water box? OK I always see people that drive straight through the water box to do there burnout. Dosent the water from the front tires get on the track? I get aggravated when im behind people that do that because it makes me worry about the safety of me and other drivers. Is it just me or do you guys see this too? I race at Great Lakes Dragaway in Uninion Grove Wisc. There is plenty of room for racers to drive around and back into the box like I do.
I see alot of race cars do this as well so maybe the saftey thing and traction is all in my head?
I see alot of race cars do this as well so maybe the saftey thing and traction is all in my head?
When I first started racing I pulled straight through the box because I didnt thik about it, but after tallking to a few people about it it makes sense, unfortunatly around here most tracks you have to go throught the water.
Some tracks don't give you a choice...you have to drive through. If there was any water left behind by the front tires, it would cause the car that drove through it to spin since it's rear tires would pick it up. This of course doesn't apply if your car is wrong-wheel drive.
the amount of water that gets picked up with 3" wide tires isnt much if anything. of that water, its dried up doing a straight burnout with slicks/drag radials.
on a full sized front tire, doing that same thing is just pure *******.
on a full sized front tire, doing that same thing is just pure *******.
GLD requires you to back into the box if you are on street tires. If you are on slicks and skinnies you can pull straight thru. That's why you see the drag cars doing it. Like Gator said, no worries with that...
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,285
Likes: 1
From: Elgin, Il
Ya at GLD there are so many guys backing into the water on street tires and it pisses me off because that could **** up one of my runs. For anyone who doesn't know - street tires hold water in even after the burnout so when you go to launch you blow the tires off right away.
(I have to get this out)
DO NOT EVEN GO NEAR THE WATER WITH STREET TIRES IF YOU CAN HELP IT!!!!!
(I have to get this out)
DO NOT EVEN GO NEAR THE WATER WITH STREET TIRES IF YOU CAN HELP IT!!!!!
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Verdad Gallardo Yah I NEVER went in there with street tires. I see so many people doing it. People just dont get it. The water stays in the rain channels and gets on the track just like you said. I figured skinnys didnt do anything and thats why they allow it but wasnt sure thanks for clarifying that. What really gets me is the imports or FWD guys that go straight through the damn box and drag the water from there rear tires. And GLD has some newbs working that dont pay attention to details like that. Dont get me wrong some of the kids are pretty good about it. But I havent notice them enforcing these rules.
If they are running skinnys and slicks then it really doesn't do anything... Street tires should go around though... Unfortunately there are a lot of asshats out there that don't know any better..
I wouldn't pull all the way in the water box if I was on street rears either.. the tread throws a lot of water up into the fender well and that drips down and runs off on the track as well.. I might pull to the edge and do a small burnout though..
I wouldn't pull all the way in the water box if I was on street rears either.. the tread throws a lot of water up into the fender well and that drips down and runs off on the track as well.. I might pull to the edge and do a small burnout though..
7 Second Club
iTrader: (5)
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 8,834
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From: Gainesville, Florida # of drag strips runs: ?!?!?
Not a big deal as if you do the burnout and keep the tires spinning, any trace of water will be burned off by the stickies as you roll out of the box IMHO. My local track doesn't allow to roll past and back into the water, but I've never had a problem hooking up in either car.
Rolling through the water and not doing a burnout is stupid unless the track doens't offer the option.
Derek
Launching!
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: LSU - 2007 National Champs
Noobs Most of the time when it happens, it's guys that don't visit the track very often, therefore, don't know drag racing etiquette..if you will. We all had a first time at the track and we didn't know any better either. I have found a way to combat this though.
When we're in the staging lanes waiting for our class to be called, everyone gets out of the car to either raise the hood, check the tires or just bullshit with friends. I can generally tell who the new guys are because they don't open the hood or check the tires, etc, etc. I'll walk up to the car in front of me, if I don't know him, and ask him about his ride. Nearly everyone loves to talk about their ride, so that's an easy kick off. Gradually I'll get to asking them about reaction times, ET and how the cars hooking. Then I just work it into the conversation....."Ya know, it's always a good idea to pull around the water box, then back in. This will give you maximum traction because you won't be tracking water from the front tires". I always get the same reaction: "No ****? Damn I never thought about that". From then on....you can bank on it....they'll go around the water box and then back it in.
Try it next time you're at the track. You'll be happy with the results...
When we're in the staging lanes waiting for our class to be called, everyone gets out of the car to either raise the hood, check the tires or just bullshit with friends. I can generally tell who the new guys are because they don't open the hood or check the tires, etc, etc. I'll walk up to the car in front of me, if I don't know him, and ask him about his ride. Nearly everyone loves to talk about their ride, so that's an easy kick off. Gradually I'll get to asking them about reaction times, ET and how the cars hooking. Then I just work it into the conversation....."Ya know, it's always a good idea to pull around the water box, then back in. This will give you maximum traction because you won't be tracking water from the front tires". I always get the same reaction: "No ****? Damn I never thought about that". From then on....you can bank on it....they'll go around the water box and then back it in.
Try it next time you're at the track. You'll be happy with the results...
I understand this whole issue, which is why I have advocated keeping all the street tire cars and wrong wheel drive **** in one lane on test and tune days. Let's face it, if you go to the track on street tires, you shouldn't be expecting anything fantastic, and can probably also wait in the longer line with all the other ***** that are there playing.
Keep the junk in one lane so at least the guys that do have real cars, or at least care about what they are doing, or are attempting to learn something can have a fighting chance to accomplish whatever it is that they are trying to do.
Keep the junk in one lane so at least the guys that do have real cars, or at least care about what they are doing, or are attempting to learn something can have a fighting chance to accomplish whatever it is that they are trying to do.
what gets me are the guys (or girls) that actualy DO the burnout IN the water box!!!! or spin the tires way to much in it. may not hurt the track or other peopls passes but you can actualy watch the slung water dripping from the wheel wells onto the back tires hahaha. needless to say NO traction.
If I were at a track that allowed people with street tires to roll thruogh the box, I would load my car up and go home. There is a reason that many tracks don't allow it. it's not just a performance issue but, it compromises saftey. Imho... If the op is bummed about GLD, go to Byron. Everyone backs into the box there...
GLD is only 45 minutes from my house so I've never been to Byron. I'd like to try it out this year for sure though. I think the guys working track side should tell them not to drive through it when they see them do it though.
11 Second Club
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 226
Likes: 1
From: Sydney
The amount of water in the box can play a part as well. At WSID in Sydney they often don't spray much so there is very little to be carried by the front street tyres onto the launch pad. If they flood the area at your track I guess it could be a big issue.
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