How do you get an auto off the line quickly?

Hi all, Last night was my first time on the drag strip with my supra, and my first time with an auto! Before I prided myself on getting my manual BMW off the line like a rocket, even if it wasn't the quickest up the strip. But last night I kept getting raped cos my starts were so sluggish.

Is there a trick to getting an auto off the line? I tried holding it on the brake and getting some revs up but she didn't seem to happy with that. So I then just planted it from nothing and had to wait for the turbos to kick in. By which time the Evo's and Impreza's had gone!

The next race is on the 24th of July, and I'm hoping to have a boost controller fitted by then to give me more of a chance, but getting a good start is so important!

have you tried using the manu mode and then work up the gears?

for a more spirited start from standstill I tend to switch to Manu mode, into L, left foot brake while building up some revs (not for too long) then off the brake and away you go shifting through to 2 then D as necessary

too much revs and you will just wheelspin and not enough and you have to wait for boost to come on.

Good thread. Be interesting to see all the different techniques people use...

i scream as loud as i can out the window which distracts the person i want to race, then stamp as hard as i can so the kick down lauches the car off the line.... leaving the ford ka for dust

i scream as loud as i can out the window which distracts the person i want to race, then stamp as hard as i can so the kick down lauches the car off the line.... leaving the ford ka for dust

lol

power brakeing (holding it on the brake building as much revs as you can) is the best way ive found. but it takes a while to find out how high you can rev it before the rear wheels brake traction on the start line. At the pod its generaly better because of the sticky track. but at thunder road on an airfield i had a hard time so i just didnt bother so much. Still managed to come out with a high 12 1/4 time though.

Your not going to be able to beat an evo or a scooby over the 60ft or 1/8th mile. but by the 1/4 you shuld be realing them in. If the 4wd boys are risking full launches off the line they are going to achive a couple of things. Braking something or beating you by a long way anyway.

from what ive seen 4wd cars that launch properly are always running very good power and the supporting driveline mods for it. or they brake something sooner or later

Into D with foot on brake.

Release handbrake while checking all mirrors.

If safe to proceed accelerate briskly to speed limit.

Nail it?? Brake boosting as above. Foot on brake, box in D, rev to about 2k then brakes off and nail it.

Into D with foot on brake.

 

Release handbrake while checking all mirrors.

 

If safe to proceed accelerate briskly to speed limit.

so the kick down lauches the car off the line.... leaving the ford ka for dust

sometimes

Do brake boosting hurt or damage the auto transmission in the long run?

Into D with foot on brake.

 

Release handbrake while checking all mirrors.

 

If safe to proceed accelerate briskly to speed limit.

Do brake boosting hurt or damage the auto transmission in the long run?

It can boil the transmission fluid if you do it for to long

Ok so if you just keep the trans fluid temp low, you can brake boost as much as you want? Do anybody run a higher stall converter with their stock auto transmission?

Cheers for all the info guys, power braking sounds the way forward!

Or convert it to manual

"Or convert it to manual"

Hi-stall & coolers

Trans Brake !

Trans Brake !

You would need a glide or TH400/350 then!!! but that would launch well:eyebrows:

Double Post

You would need a glide or TH400/350 then!!! but that would launch well:eyebrows:

or a A340E with a modified valve block

Sounds like a job for Doctor Frost

Do brake boosting hurt or damage the auto transmission in the long run?

That's my worry too, my mate who has an auto said it's a bad idea to do it after seeing me do it in my car

you dont need to do it for very long. just a few seconds. You get the hang of it after a few runs. And when its at events where they time you from the moment you trigger the timers at the start rather than when the light goes green its not an issue. Just do it when your ready and forget about the green light and being first off the line

unless your lucky enough to have a trans cooler fitted or have a uk spec which i think came with one.

^ Yep, UK Spec came with both a Tranny cooler and a Diff Cooler

That's my worry too, my mate who has an auto said it's a bad idea to do it after seeing me do it in my car

Nah, you can hold it on the brake for a good few seconds without cooking things, if you need more than 5 seconds to get the revs right you probably shouldn't be driving