1st time out in 2024. New PB

[moparjim]

First off mother nature has not been kind with rain. The track finally started prepping 1 lane, but it rained.
Sunday I gave in and decided to go to the track. Hoping weather would cooperate. While on my warm up drive and loading the car on the trailer, it was snowing. LOL
I get to the track and drive down the 1/8 mile track to get heat in the trans. Same reason I drive the car before loading. So it warms up quicker when I get to the track.
So I line up for my first pass, do a burnout. Get a check engine light and service active suspension notice, so car is locked in street trans. Crap.
Oh well let's try anyway. Lights go green and I go... nothing, no throttle.
Sigh. This has happened before.
Get a bunch of codes, clear them and all seams ok.
On second attempt I spin off the line and peddle it then get back into it and again throttle shuts off.
I get back and check all the connections under the hood including the grounds.
Looks good so start the car and try again. Result is no throttle before the 60' after spinning on launch.
More codes including for the valve body, suspension, throttle body, loss of communication with pcm, and tpms.
I decide to unplug my JMS that I have that helps with my injector DC.
Throttle works fine as a result.
Line up again and spun and ran a high 11.
It's cold, cloudy and windy so the track is cold and the prep isn't doing well.
So next pass I leave soft, see 1.51 as my 60' so not terrible. Result a 10.14.
Not bad, probably a bit better than I expected.
So I switch to another tune with 200 rpm more on the 3-4 and 4-5 shift with the same timing. As the car is tuned for pump 94.
Next pass I spin and run an 18. LOL
Cool down for 10 min or so. (It's cold so doesn't take long)
Next pass I leave soft again and see 1.50 60'. I'm surprised as I left soft, oh well. Get back and see I ran a 10.12.
I'm impressed considering the track conditions and the weather. Baro is low and the DA is negative 397 or so.
A couple of attempts and a tack prep later. Still spinning at launch.
So I drop the pressures in the rear to 19.5 and leave at 1600-1700 rpm or so. Which is what I do when traction is an issue. The board shows 1.47 60' then 6.48 in the 1/8. Hmm this is going to be a decent pass as my other 1/8 times were 6.5x-6.6x.
I get back and check the app.
10.055@138.88. Holy c--p a new pb and the previous best of 10.064 was in neg 1200to negative 1300 da with baro around 30.1.
Normally with better track and da the0' times are 1.45 -1.46. So there is room for improvement.
Sorry for the long post. LOL

 

[DGatzby]

I really enjoyed the story, Jim. Congrats. I knew where it was going after I saw it was snowing. Way to not give up and make it happen.

 

[vortecd]

Congrats!!!
131 won't even open if under 50 degrees now. Was dry last weekend and they cancelled both days. Mid 40s Saturday and about 50 Sunday. I ran there in 2012 it was 37 degrees

 

[moparjim]

Congrats!!!
131 won't even open if under 50 degrees now. Was dry last weekend and they cancelled both days. Mid 40s Saturday and about 50 Sunday. I ran there in 2012 it was 37 degrees

Thanks Jim
The problem with the spring is the ground temp is cold. Plus it was cold all week. Sun would have helped. There was so few cars they didn't put much effort into prep.
Not that that was working well.
It's better in the late fall and the air is better also.

 

[moparjim]

@vortecd. Too bad BMason sold his car. He would have a new goal now. LOL

 

[Unholy707]

Amazing for a stock car 😉

 

[moparjim]

Amazing for a stock car 😉

Well, stock boost anyways. LOL
This car doesn't stop surprising me. When I think we'll that's all it's got it says wanna bet. LOL
The car has a mopar rear seat delete, arc angel battery, the front sway bar from a Charger R/T, CCI driveshaft. Typical Forgestar D5's with m&h fronts and 3054517 et street r plus a pump gas tune. No secrets, that is exactly what the set up is.

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

This car doesn't stop surprising me. When I think we'll that's all it's got it says wanna bet. LOL
The car has a mopar rear seat delete, arc angel battery, the front sway bar from a Charger R/T, CCI driveshaft. Typical Forgestar D5's with m&h fronts and 3054517 et street r plus a pump gas tune. No secrets, that is exactly what the set up is.

That's awesome that you got to the track and worked it out for a New PB!!!!!!

I was wondering if you had 17's or 18's so now I know!

Congrats and Keep on Enjoying All The Fassssst Fun!

~Linda

 

[moparjim]

That's awesome that you got to the track and worked it out for a New PB!!!!!!

I was wondering if you had 17's or 18's so now I know!

Congrats and Keep on Enjoying All The Fassssst Fun!

~Linda

I just picked up some VMS wheels with almost new Hoosier 28x10.5x17 DBR for cheap to try next outing. I will see how they do.

 

[Jack_Toepfer]

What can you attribute the new PB to? Changes in the offseason?

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

What can you attribute the new PB to? Changes in the offseason?

Come on It was Freaking Freezing

 

[moparjim]

What can you attribute the new PB to? Changes in the offseason?

What can you attribute the new PB to? Changes in the offseason?

I was surprised with the improvement myself.
The only change from my 10.064 run in the fall in better air and prep is we raised the shift points another 200rpm on the 3-4 and 4-5 shifts.
I also was getting timing pulled from my knock sensors being so sensitive. I was getting timing pulled at different rpm and gears from 1 run to another. So I believe they have been made less sensitive by about 15 to 20%. To avoid random loss of a degree of timing or less at various times. From false knock.
This is still more sensitive than many have there's set at.
It isn't fuel quality as half the gas is from last fall. As well as now my injectors are way too high in duty cycle since bypassing the JMS.
They went to 99% on that run. Oops.
We had a decent tail wind but the track is positioned so that is pretty common.
The 2 years I ran 10.064 the baro was 30.2 and 30.05 and da was neg 1200 and neg 1320.
So I would have to say the lack of a small amount of timing randomly not being pulled and the 200 rpm had the most effect.
Unfortunately I won't see the really good air until late October or November to see how much of an improvement I would see then.
I was expecting to run about a 10.18 to 10.25. So I was very surprised.
The car ran a 10.14 on the old tune on a less than stellar pass. The same tune without the changes. Same fuel, same lack of JMS.

 

[moparjim]

Come on It was Freaking Freezing

Funny how in the fall the temps were about the same and I was in a sweatshirt. Sunday I was wearing a jacket. LOL

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

Funny how in the fall the temps were about the same and I was in a sweatshirt. Sunday I was wearing a jacket. LOL

It's been like that here too! I think it's the Canadian Cold air blowing down to us here in Pa.

You wrote it was snowing!

 

[moparjim]

What can you attribute the new PB to? Changes in the offseason?

Jack I just got a FB memory from today's date in 2023. Check the baro and DA at the bottom. LOL
I think that was the same tune without the extra 200 rpm.

 

[moparjim]

It's been like that here too! I think it's the Canadian Cold air blowing down to us here in Pa.

You wrote it was snowing!

Sure blame us. LOL

 

[EricG]

Car is moving out!!! Gotta crack into the 9's this spring before the DA goes away!

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

Sure blame us. LOL

Well after I put up with a summer of Canadian smoke that blew down like the Forrest fire was in my back yard, ya know it makes sense where the cold air is coming from!

 

[Jack_Toepfer]

@Linda's Hell Cat - I agree the cold temps benefit making horsepower, but as Jim’s story makes clear, it wreaks havoc on the track. The DA and water grains control the power more than mildly colder temps during his last PB.

The reduced knock sensitivity and extra 200rpm is probably where the gains were made. Nice.

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

@Linda's Hell Cat - I agree the cold temps benefit making horsepower, but as Jim’s story makes clear, it wreaks havoc on the track. The DA and water grains control the power more than mildly colder temps during his last PB.

The reduced knock sensitivity and extra 200rpm is probably where the gains were made. Nice.

Exactly, and for me I know if the track isn't 50 degrees it wreaks havoc for the Diff to be breaking, ask me how I know ( I killed 3, had the 1st half shaft go 2 Driveshafts) That's why I have called the P4D Diff Brace from the Start, the "Best Peace of Mind" Part installed on my Hellcat!