I'm going out to the local track tomarrow. This will be the first time I have ever done anything like this. I'm really fired up about going! My truck is 100% stock I want to get some times like this,and then after I add a few goodies. I would like some pointers I know to run with the OD off but should I go in drive the whole way? This guy said to start in 1st and shift up as I go but I wasn't to sure about that. When I get down on it in drive from a dead stop I think the truck does a great job shifting on it's own. I think starting in 1st and shifting up would be hard on my trucks tranny and I don't feel comfotable doing it that way. I need advice from start to finish. I don't want everyone to think i'm a dumba--! And I don't want to mess up and give the LIGHTNING a bad name I couldn't live with myself. One more thing, what is best advice on the lights I don't want to go to soon or to late. Thanks guys!!

 

Let the truck shift on its own (leave in drive). Doesnt matter if overdrive is on or off (you wont be going fast enough for it to shift to OD).

If your on F1's(stock tires) drive around the water box, do a small burnout(brake torque) to clean the tires off.
Pull up until you see the top lights(pre stage) come on
Inch up until you see the second set of lights come on(stage)
Depending on how well the track is, you'll have to determine wether or not to leave from idle up to about 1000rpm.
Hold brake at stage and take rpms up to about 1000.
When you see the last yellow light come on, Let your foot off the brake and mash the gas.(IF you spin off the line, try lowering your rpm's at stage, down to idle--IF you still spin, you'll have to ease off the line by not giving full throttle until you start to roll) DOnt wait for the green, its too late by then.

Hope this helps, it works for me---but then again, my track is pretty sticky

DONT HOLD BACK(you'll never get your best times if you do) and GOOD LUCK. Let us know how your first time went.

Jason

 

Leave it in D,OD off or on,don,t shift.Stage all the way back.Step on brake and throttle a little to get slack out of drivetrain.Leave on next to last yellow and just roll down on throttle,dont stomp.

 

Thanks guys! The track i'm going to is not a quarter mile I think it's a eighth mile does that sound right or am I crazy! What is the sizes of the different tracks? Eighth mile sounds right, The guy who talked me into going said the truck should run in the 8's but since this is my first time maybe 9's. Would 8's be good on a eighth mile tack?What would be good for a stock LIGHTNING on a track that size? I haven't been to this track since I was 10,That's why I don't know much about it.I hope I got the track sizes right that would be the 1st time I was ever wrong!HAHA!

 

If you are totally stock High 8's are normal in the 1/8th mile. Let us know how it turns out!!

 

Just went to track on friday with street tires and man was it a bear for traction.BUT I ran a .504 light by pre staging slam brake,rev to 1500,creep in. as the second from last yellow was going out I step off brake and put my foot half way down,then slam it.how fast you slam it depends on your grip.this was my 4th run so I tweeked the pedal every run.ran another white lightning and left him sitting at the light but at half track he was on my *** and beat me by almost 2. I think if he would have been awake he would have won by 5 or 6 since he was running a bottle and slicks.you might even get your name anounced like I did with a great tree,and I got it on video what a rush

 

Have y'all seen the Bill Ford commercial where
he talks about how much he loves the customers that
tweak their Fords all week and take them to the track
on the weekend? It ROX ...

Makes you wonder why we have such a hard time with
warranty work when the PRESIDENT of the company
condones and promotes racing .....

And didn't the Pocono 500 ROCK? WOOT Ford's in 8
of the first ten positions I think .....




EDIT: Damn spell checker !!!!

 

http://www.ls1.com/dragracingbasics.htm

 

I am about to make the 1st 1/4 mile run with my (new to me) 99. The back F1's are about 5000 miles from being garbage, the dealer only would give me 2 new tires in the deal and the fronts needed it more. My question is will I get a better time with new F1's or with the old F1's?

 

They changed the rubber to a stickier type after '01. My originals would break traction all the time on 1-2. Now they rarely bark since I put on the new rubber.