Questions for the stick guys

[J&S Racing]

Originally Posted by james schaechter

It is hard to chunk out the cash for a racepak or similar unit. At the very least find and old playback tach or get creative. I have even mounted an i phone in a spot to record the tach and gauges in a car with no playback.The feedback is very helpful. Also, I think there is more clutch damage done in the burnout box then on the track. Make sure you have a spotter to get you in the water properly. Have a hand signal process worked out. Sometimes a newbie stick racer will absolutely roast the clutch in the water box and the tires aren't turning.
Also, don't shift in the waterbox. Some do, but I have bought a lot of basketcase transmissions from racers that went 2-3 boom.
Get a real good understanding of the throwout bearing to finger clearance.
The fingers, levers, really move a lot. Especially when counterweight is involved. It was mentioned, but it is worth mentioning again. If the fingers touch the levers, the clutch will slip. The response of putting more clutch in to counteract the slip really makes it worse. Then the clutch hits too hard at first, then slips as the rpm goes up and the levers hit the throwout bearing. It is really like you were riding the clutch pedal, but you are not.

Don't assume your racing buddies that race automatics can help you. If they raced a stick in the 70's, god bless them, but it is a much better deal now. Find a current or recent stick racer mentor to help you check stuff out. I met one guy that had a brand new A Stick car. All good stuff, big money engine. Could not get down the track! He had asked his probracket racing buddies what tires to get. Their choice? Radials! Stuff like that can make your early experiences challenging.

Racing a stick is waaaaaay more fun than an automatic and the parts are decent. Spend money right on drivetrain up front though. Welcome to stick class racing!

Last year I started using a gopro in the old mans S/C dragster to watch tack,gauges and more important him, lol... It was amazing all the small things I was able to pick up and really turned things around for us. I absolutely plan on using it in the stocker!!
I also paid a lot of attention to how I was setting his tires in the water and how it affects the burn out.
After all the research I did watching stockers I think our plan is to stop about a tire roll to the edge of the water and when given the signal bring it to the waters edge and let her rip. I have seen some guys spin the tires then drive outta the box to do the burn out but to me it seems like that's a good way to sling water up into the wheel wells only to drip on the tires while staging. I have also seen a lot of guys not get the tires wet enough and struggle to get them spinning.

[james schaechter]

The big thing with the burnout. You need to get the tires wet and move to the edge. It is also important to have the rpm high enough and to snap the clutch quickly to shock the tires loose. Some try keeping the rpm low and easing the clutch out. They think it will be easier on things, but it will probably just slip the clutch instead. Also, you need to be quick to clutch it out of the water to keep the engine from pulling down below the rpm where the clutch will slip.

There are times to keep the rpm up and burn hard forward if there is some water ahead of the box and you want to get passed it with assurance the your tires are dry. Keeping the rpm up during this point keeps the clutch from slipping too much also.

It will take practice, just be careful and have fun!