NoCones

What (RPM-wise) do you think will work (or has worked, for the couple of you who may actually have experience with it) best for ProSolo launches?

Having read some car mags that say they got their best 0-60 times up in the 6-8k range, I really wonder

Fortunately, I should be in Atlanta in plenty of time for practice starts, but I'd like to hear opinions on where to start the testing.

I'll be on 275/35 S04's and it's asphalt...

Bryan

Imp

On my street tires, I get spin on asphalt at 4K rpm.

ULLLOSE

iTrader: (1)

At the Fontana Prosolo, also on asphalt, we left at 4500-5000 with just enough wheel spin to keep it in the power. We were on 245-35 V710s.

balefire

iTrader: (2)

I'll be autocrossing my RX-8 for the first time in two weeks. I've also read on this forum lots of choices regarding optimal launch. In the past with my miata and s2k on race tires, i dropped the clutch at high rpm. Did you drop the clutch or feather it at 4500-5k? Thanks!

ULLLOSE

iTrader: (1)

Drop it... If you feather it you will just burn it up.

Imp

You have a prosolo coming up?

ProSolo is an event that starts with a drag racing tree into a decent straight, then the course starts.. mirror courses of each other.

A regualr auto-x isn't that. You shouldn't have to make a decision on how to launch the car. You just take off rather normally is the courses start was designed properly.

Slip the clutch.... clutches are cheaper to replace than trannies when you drop it. (A fast slip... not really just letting go of the clutch)

--KC

balefire

iTrader: (2)

i have always launched my car as fast as possible, prosolo or autox, for the following reasons:

1) time -- the faster you hit the timer, the better your time

2) especially on early runs, my race tires are super cold and spinning the tires allows it to warm up a bit. otherwise they're greasy and my 1st run is wasted

3) the higher in the rpm, the better the powerband i'm in

i could be wrong...

also, my codriver and I must have done more than 200 x 8000rpm clutch drop on my s2k over 2 yrs and i never had a problem... the thinking with my s2k was that as long as the tires "broke free", i was fine... but if the tires stuck, then my tranny could be in deep doodoo... fortunately, we were quite good at the clutch drops, hehe...

is the thinking the same on the rx-8? clutch drop to avoid burning the clutch and at a high enough rpm to break the race tire free to avoid damage to the tranny?

Imp

Ahh ok, so you had an S2K? Same launch.

Thought we were dealing with a n00b here.

--kC

clyde

Mr. Team?

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

hard launches are fine, hard shifts into 2nd are a different story

balefire

iTrader: (2)

actually i consider myself a newbie since the last time i autox'd competitively was when the s2k was in BS (so its been a few years, hehe)... besides, i have to relearn a completely different car now...

anyway, in addition to finding out everyone's autox opinion on launching, (clutch drop to avoid burning the clutch? high rpm to break free the race tire to avoid tranny damage? like the s2k?)

the following is interesting...

in the s2k, i almost "speed shifted" (jab the clutch, lift for a fraction) into 2nd all day w/o any problems... but, i've noticed on the street with my rx-8 that shifting "pseudo" fast causes a bang (tranny?) followed by tire chirp... is this normal? should i not attempt to quick shift into 2nd?

NoCones

If there's a turn between the start line and the timing lights, the launch isn't really going to matter much.