I'm not sure what everyone's sentiments are on the subject of road racing, but I see one's ability to beat competitors on the highway as equally impressive as being able to run a good 1/4 mile. I have never personally taken my car to a track, as much as I've wanted to. My only source of satisfaction from speed has come from road racing on 495 (the big beltway that loops through VA,DC, and MD). I've got a pretty good record, having lost only once to a friend of mine in his eagle talon tsi (I drove a 96' convertible stang at the time). I was wondering what people felt about this, and maybe, ways to perfect one's highway racing skills. My personal rules all revolve around knowing how your car acts in different instances: will it fit here? will I be able to accelerate enough to pass him befor this opening closes? and so on. I'm just looking for other people thoughts and ideas. I am a perpetual seeker of knowledge.
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2000 automatic gt-
borla cat-back, bassani x-pipe w/ cats, steeda MIL's, k&n fipkit, cobra calipers up front, wolf springs, KYB adjustable shocks, C&L intake plenum, MAC 70mm throttlebody, kenny brown subframes w/ cross brace, plasma booster, SLP 180 degree thermo, frpp 3.73's, superchip custom tune
Just a warning, but people are going to cast stones over this thread. Speeding through traffic is what gets people killed. Your suppose to keep that a secret
Well that is a good ?.Me personally I love to street race and I will say that it does take some skill.I mean at the track u have nothing to worry about just wait for the green and go.But us street racers we have it all Cops,other drivers,other racers,and may I say cops again.I mean u have to be on the look out all the time.And u have to know when the other racer guns it.Its alot of tricky things and I love it.Yet it is dangerous and can hurt or kill someone if u are careless.I dont like weaving in and out of traffic and try only to race if it is clear.But there is nothing wrong with a little racing on the street of interstate.Just be carefull and dont forget the number one rule on the road.Dont lose by Hondas.Please
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Well now my 01 Cobra is being painted Sonic Blue.Her mods now are 410 gears,Duel Exuast flows with off-Road-pipe,and Iam in the process of ordering a supercharger with intercooler and what ever I have left engine too.
I realize this is somewhat of a touchy subject, but I highly doubt that everyone here reserves their mustang's ability to go over 75 miles per hour solely for the track. I'm not saying it's the safest passtime, but I do want to know what others think. There are enough threads and posts here applauding each others ability to whip various rice rockets (which, I might add, are stories I read with pride as a fellow rice-cooker/ mustang owner). I just feel an open dialogue would be healthy in regards to this subject. And like I said, I want to learn.
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2000 automatic gt-
borla cat-back, bassani x-pipe w/ cats, steeda MIL's, k&n fipkit, cobra calipers up front, wolf springs, KYB adjustable shocks, C&L intake plenum, MAC 70mm throttlebody, kenny brown subframes w/ cross brace, plasma booster, SLP 180 degree thermo, frpp 3.73's, superchip custom tune
The obvious disclaimer being not to race like that on the highway...espcecially the Beltway!!! I have traveled that vortex of traffic insanity more times than I care to remember and I cant see that as being even remotely safe to road race on. However, as far as the skill portion of the topic, I think it takes a lot more driver skill to win at road racing. We have a short road race course in Tulsa Ok...about 90 miles from where I live. It is a lot more fun to road race in my opinion.
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'97 GT with 80mm C&L MAF, C<rue-Flow CAI, MAC 70mm TB, Superchip, 180 thermo, B&M Ripper, King Cobra Clutch, FRPP aluminum quad/adj cable, MAC O/R H pipe, MIL's, Flows, Granatelli Solid control arms, FRPP 4.10's, FRPP aluminum driveshaft, Fidanza aluminum flywheel, FRPP 9mm wires, TMD aluminum U/D pulleys, Steeda full length SFC's (welded in), and 17" polished aluminum Cobra wheels with Nitto 555 Extremes, Kenwood/Alpine sound. Waiting for install: PI intake.
but I highly doubt that everyone here reserves their mustang's ability to go over 75 miles per hour solely for the track.
I do, you know why? Because I couldn't bear the thought of killing someone else over a race. Look up some statistics on street racing and the number of fatalities as a result, and then come back and hollar about how that never happens to good drivers.
Your right, this is a touchy subject. And I'm gonna touch the hell out of it.
You can be a pretty good street racer and yet, you will be always at risk of having someone injured or killed.
There are always things you cant control, debris, wet patch of road, oil spill, deer, dog..the list goes on. When you are in a street race you are NOT IN CONTROL.
There are many outside events you cant predict.
The only way to tell how good you really are at driving is at a road race track, take just the basic courses and you will instantly know how many wrong things you are doing.
I can just start by doing you a little exam:
1. Explain in your own words the best seating possition for ANY driver.
2. On a RWD car, if it oversteers what actions can you take to correct it.
3. On a FWD car, if it understeers what actions can you take to correct it.
4. Powerslide: improves track times? (yes/no)
5. Whats the MOST important part of your car at a road race (Brakes, Suspension, tires, horsepower)
6. Which car stops better, one with ABS or without.
7. What is APEX
8. You are doing 50mph on the highway, you car is able to stop at 130 feet at that speed. 100 Feet ahead theres a boy in the middle of the street. You have cars both at your left and right going at the same speed. There are 5 people in each car. The street is a 3 lane one way only. What can you do.
1. Hit the brakes and try to push one of the other drivers out of the road.
2. Just slam on the brakes and go straight.
3. Try to pass one of the other drivers.
There are many more..would be interesting to go through all the theory some other time.
I have recently gotten the road race bug..unfortunately I cant afford the power adders and the suspension upgrades that I want...not all at once anyway. We will have to see what the future holds.
Keep in mind that no matter how good a driver you are, there are always a lot of bad drivers out there who wont be paying attention. Not that Im trying to beat up on you...but its hard to talk about doing something thats so dangerous in an open forum. However...I think it would be a good topic if were simply related to racing on road course...we could probably get a lot of good info. I personally know VERY little about it and am starting to research it. I still love drag racing, but I just have this thing for cars that are the total package.
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'97 GT with 80mm C&L MAF, C<rue-Flow CAI, MAC 70mm TB, Superchip, 180 thermo, B&M Ripper, King Cobra Clutch, FRPP aluminum quad/adj cable, MAC O/R H pipe, MIL's, Flows, Granatelli Solid control arms, FRPP 4.10's, FRPP aluminum driveshaft, Fidanza aluminum flywheel, FRPP 9mm wires, TMD aluminum U/D pulleys, Steeda full length SFC's (welded in), and 17" polished aluminum Cobra wheels with Nitto 555 Extremes, Kenwood/Alpine sound. Waiting for install: PI intake.
Good idea Matt, maybe we can have not only a discussion but try to post some basic skills we all need to develop.
A couple of weeks back i attended some advanced driving lessons, and i tell you, i was shocked at how many things i needed to correct.
One of the tests involved avoiding an obstacle doing 40 then 50 mph.
You had to turn left and right in just a bit over a second without touching the brakes and at a constant speed, is basically a "collission maneuver". You set 2 cones 30 feet apart and do a left-right without touching the cones.
It took 2 tries at 40mph and 4 to get it right at 50mph. Just 10 miles per hour more makes a hell of a difference.
the answer is mostly no, but I have found one turn on the Streets Of Willow Springs that is a 95* offcamber right hander that needs to be slid to get a decant lap time
Originally posted by Twister the answer is mostly no, but I have found one turn on the Streets Of Willow Springs that is a 95* offcamber right hander that needs to be slid to get a decant lap time
wtf
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'97 GT with 80mm C&L MAF, C<rue-Flow CAI, MAC 70mm TB, Superchip, 180 thermo, B&M Ripper, King Cobra Clutch, FRPP aluminum quad/adj cable, MAC O/R H pipe, MIL's, Flows, Granatelli Solid control arms, FRPP 4.10's, FRPP aluminum driveshaft, Fidanza aluminum flywheel, FRPP 9mm wires, TMD aluminum U/D pulleys, Steeda full length SFC's (welded in), and 17" polished aluminum Cobra wheels with Nitto 555 Extremes, Kenwood/Alpine sound. Waiting for install: PI intake.
track skills vs. road skills 
