Easy Horsepower?

[MooStang05gt]

Originally Posted by BlueFirePony

I am running the stock 3.55s and on the 1.7mi road coarse at cresson I was able to stay in 3rd the entire time w/o redlining (got close on the long straight though) or losing too much coming out of turns.

I don't think 4.10s are for me cause I'd be shifting all over the place and that's just lost time, but on the strip its definately worth considering. I've heard of several who have daily drivers with 4.10s.

How much experience have you had running road courses..?? The fact that you are running the course in 3rd gear will not get you around the track quickly... You must downshift and upshift on an open course if you want to turn fast times... there's no other way.

The formula for making fast laps is to keep your car running in the power band, that's why in tight corners downshifting is required to keep the RPM high enough to keep 'on the cam'. Selecting the gear that allows you to release the clutch and be in the gas with the RPM near the center of the power band is what you want. If your suspension will allow you to apply full power and not get excessive wheel spin or wheel hop, you are moving forward with the engine pulling at it's max. Some corners require 2nd, some 3rd and some like Chicanes or S's may not require downshifting at all.

Let's say, you just made a 2nd gear, hard right hander, exiting onto a 2000 ft straight... your coming out of a corner full on the gas, pulling hard in the power band, shift to 3rd, then 4th, pulling toward the top of the gear, coming into a decreasing radius left hand sweeper, tap the brake to set the suspension, blip the throttle, drop down to 3rd, maintain RPM into the sweeper to the next corner.... and so forth..

3.73 gear will be an improvement, but 4.10's will help you on the street and the track. That would be my choice...

Bobby M.

[JohnnyZ]

Easy Horsepower.

Nitrous Kit.

150 horsepower at the flip of a switch!

[Manny78]

yup nitrous is the cheapest/easiest way to get extra HP. I'd get a zex kit. it's relatively cheap and you can adjust your shot. I'd say stick with 75 for now. You can also increase it later as you get used to it.

[BlueFirePony]

MooStang05gt, I did not say I don't shift, I was just using that one example as a data point..the 1.7mi configuration at that track is far less technical than the 3.1mi with a high percentage of large radius turns....in that one example I was not putting down race lap times but it was fast enough to lap an entire field of advanced DE drivers in 3 laps.
FYI, I have my SCCA and NASA licenses - I think I had to shift at least once to get them.
-B