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Taemian
06-13-2008, 11:57 PM
Well, I just got back from Mission Raceway with my newly-Trilogized 04 Silver Birch (now affectionately re-named "Carbano"....it's a Monty Python thing.)

3 weeks ago before the install, I went to the same track to get some baseline times. Of 3 runs I did, 14.8 was the fastest, 14.9 the slowest. Weather conditions were almost identical on that day as they were today.

Tonight, I followed the EXACT same setup rules as last time, those were:
1) Fill the gas tank FULL at the station just outside of the racing complex.
2) Confirm that all 4 tires are at 35 psi.
3) Don't alter anything else. No mounting slicks, no psi adjustments, no front swaybar disconnect, no spare tire removal etc. Race it here in the same state as I drive it in every day to work.

My wife was kind enough to video the runs (low res, sorry), and on my very first run, I was astounded to get my timeslip showing my et of 13.292 seconds @ 103.81mph!
The video is a bit blurry, but as you can see I got a 13.292, and the brand new lowered, blinged, modded and loud exhaust Mustang got a 13.125. He was choked to have me right along side him the whole run! :-)
Trilogy FTW! (well, sort of!)

The next two runs were an exercise in wheelspin. Trying to go faster only made me slower, as my original BFGs don't have tons of tread left on them. I slowed down my results to:
1) 14.041 @ 102.98 mph (60'--- 2.464) hideous wheelspin
2) 13.790 @ 103.35 mph (60'--- 2.375) minorly less hideous wheelspin

My bad. I have much to learn about the gentle launch technique, and I get flustered staging at the lights when the other guys do it so fast. I barely get staged in place and they trigger the danged tree right away!
Anyways, I have bragging rights and a video of my daily driven MM in purest daily driven condition, pulling a 13.2 quarter. SWEEEEEET!
Thanksgo out to Jerry and Lidio, and a huge thanks again to RC_Signals!

Video link---
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=20271067044

snowbird
06-14-2008, 02:43 AM
Good times Congrats. ! A pressurized Marauder will always surprise the opponent with WTF looks !!

sailsmen
06-14-2008, 05:37 AM
Try lowering your rear tire pressure.

What were the weather conditions?

justbob
06-14-2008, 08:46 AM
Congrats!!!!!! I'll be seeing those same numbers in about a week myself!!!

de minimus
06-14-2008, 09:04 AM
well done Ian! i've got to get out to Mission some Friday night.

MarauderTJA
06-14-2008, 09:46 AM
Great numbers for your set-up, congrats:up: Like Sailsman said, lower your tire pressure and you should hit 13.0 or even bump the 12's once you get your launch down. Nothing like boost:D.

Taemian
06-14-2008, 11:35 AM
Try lowering your rear tire pressure.

What were the weather conditions?

Temperature: 15C (or 60F)
Humidity:67%
Light headwind (there is almost always one; track is near a major river)

Is there a program that adds these factors in to calculate times? We are very very close to actual sea level, for altitude data. (Yes, I know how to swim!);)

Thanks for the suggestions about lowering tire pressure, but I'm very stringent about my race data. I have no doubt that with all the usual tricks and adding slicks, I could be knocking on high 12s in short order. That does not interest me in the least, as I'm not getting into drag racing as a sport, per se.

For me to go to the track and disconnect the front swaybar, drop tire psi (or even add slicks), remove everything from the trunk, only have 1/4 full fuel tank, etc etc....well, it seems like "cheating" to me. If someone asked me what my car will do in the quarter, I'd like to be using the same general format as most of the magazines do. I realize some of them actually give a small rolling start when measuring their times, but I want my data to be a reliable standard of performance that I can claim as an average time.

For me, I only care about what I can claim as consistant, repeatable results will be for me on any given day, at any given time, on any given road. I saw guys with much less hp doing comparable times, and slicks were easily shaving 3/4 to nearly a full second off their times. These are NOT street legal drag radial, obviously. Also, it was cool enough that any TrackBite was not up to decent temperature, and played no significant role in anybody's times.

I'm not dissing anybody's track prep, just saying what I'm trying to achieve for myself.

freakstatus
06-14-2008, 12:06 PM
"...as I'm not getting into drag racing as a sport, per se."

...Hmmm, lets see, you've been to the track twice in the last 3 weeks...you bought a trilogy, you're trying to improve your launch times, you told me you need wider tires and bigger brakes, you make your wife tape your races...

Don't look now, but you're knee deep in it, son...;)

Taemian
06-14-2008, 12:56 PM
...Hmmm, lets see, you've been to the track twice in the last 3 weeks...you bought a trilogy, you're trying to improve your launch times, you told me you need wider tires and bigger brakes, you make your wife tape your races...

Don't look now, but you're knee deep in it, son...;)

Don't bring logic and reason into this thread NOW, Derek!:eek: And I never said I needed wider tires, that was YOU putting that bug in my ear. As for the brakes, I only have until the baby arrives that my "playing around $$" account stays open, so I'll be doing lots of O.T. until October. Then no more mods!!!:shake:

sailsmen
06-14-2008, 01:14 PM
T you must be a fisherman!;)

bigbillybbs
06-14-2008, 03:57 PM
What type of gas mileage do you get with the trilogy.???

Taemian
06-14-2008, 09:36 PM
What type of gas mileage do you get with the trilogy.???


No clue, it's only been in for a week, and I've been focusing on other things.;)

Taemian
06-14-2008, 09:42 PM
Congrats!!!!!! I'll be seeing those same numbers in about a week myself!!!

Good luck with the install! We all look forward to hearing your post-boost tales! If you can, get some before and after numbers, it will really open your eyes.

sailsmen
06-15-2008, 04:24 AM
Weather and altitude can +/- 1 second.

When someone ask what your car can do you may want to give them the corrected time.

W/ todays tech NHRA should require the tracks timeslips to issue as corrected.

I ran a 12.8 on KDW2 tires, 1/2 tank and spare in the trunk. Temp in the 80's and 100% humidity, it was raining.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=18149&highlight=rain+track

Taemian
06-15-2008, 10:35 AM
Weather and altitude can +/- 1 second.

When someone ask what your car can do you may want to give them the corrected time.

W/ todays tech NHRA should require the tracks timeslips to issue as corrected.

I ran a 12.8 on KDW2 tires, 1/2 tank and spare in the trunk. Temp in the 80's and 100% humidity, it was raining.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=18149&highlight=rain+track

Wow, you were doing 13.7 without the Trilogy?! I couldn't get under 14.8 with my JLT + Xcal flash.

How do you find the "corrected time" formula?

chader
06-16-2008, 02:18 PM
http://www.modulardepot.com/density.php and trust me Calgary to Mission is good for 0.9-1.0 seconds.I would love to see everyone use elavation corrected times as well,when comparing.

Master
06-16-2008, 06:27 PM
Good times! Can't wait to get mine back!