Going fast in a straight line?

I'm not into all the driving in a straight line aspect but all the same appreciate that the people who have done it and are continuing to do it well that it has given us huge insite into the capability, limitations and development of our cars and anything that does that for me can only be a good thing.

Tim said:

I've never seen the point in this, can anyone explain why some of you want to extract every last HP out of our little hatchbacks "just" to go fast in a straight line for 10 seconds?

Why not put that money into building an actual drag car?

I just don't get it, to me it isn't driving..

Anyone care to comment?

Click to expand...

its not about driving:? its about engineering, development, research, learning,
tuning and personal achievement,
if you are not a petrol head you wont understand:der:

everyone has their thing. i dont understand why people cant give up smoking so easily. i tried it and hated it. its also about beating the person next to you. remember most males are competitive with lots of testosterone flying about we cant help it! like if your on the road, at the traffic lights and a ferrari pulls up next to you. are you going to poodle off? or launch it?!

kirko said:

its not about driving:? its about engineering, development, research, learning,
tuning and personal achievement,
if you are not a petrol head you wont understand:der:

Click to expand...

engineering, development, research, learning, "to go forward"... !
Tbh straight line racing just don't do it for me just as Drifting Don't
But to watch a Gtir go round corners is what i like to watch... Each to there own..

saddler said:

engineering, development, research, learning, "to go forward"... !
Tbh straight line racing just don't do it for me just as Drifting Don't
But to watch a Gtir go round corners is what i like to watch... Each to there own..

Click to expand...

Same here 8) I've been to santa pod a couple times but this is what i prefer doing with my car (and trackdays ;-))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ-80jeDoe4

and again i say the same as the majority!
i hate drifting and i hate 1/4 mile to me there both boring (but thats my own personal view)
but
in there own way they do take skill to achieve fast times even driving in a straight line


btw nice driving marky8) apart from that gear you missed lol

Good points. I would get verrry bored re-doing a 10second straight all the time.. but I'd like to achieve it. Same time, I'd love to learn how to drift properly like your experience in the BM... and trackdays definitely from what I've seen.. I love it all.. any type of driving - I'm up for it as long as I'm in the driver seat!

i love a trip to pod ( although i havent been for a while). to me it was about chasing your own times,
it may not take as much skill as being on a track but it does take a degree of skill...
also theres no better feeling than a perfect launch

I love trying to get fast off the line its about acceleration for me going fast in a straight line is boring, beating the opponant in the other lane, acceleration and trying to get a perfect launch is what i love getting power down without loosing traction as soon as you feel the wheels spin its game over start again, love it!!!

Although i love 4 wheel drifting it flat out round my private track and feling the g forces from heavy braking clipping apex's just everything about driving is awesome .

What i love is the feeling from watching this vid, this is what sums it up for me,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOP3_1TsXs4

dont get me wrong i love driving fast and cornering, aiming for the perfect lines and getting on the power as soon as possible out of the bend
learning the track and getting faster and faster 8)8) but i also love the whole hot rod scene i sometimes wish i was in california with the beach boys :lol:racing between the lights and tuning the old thunderbird:roll:

I agree it is boring to watch but there`s alot of driving, thought and development that goes into it.

Same with drifting, there`s nothing more i hate than watching some one trying to drift on the same corner, time after time after time.

I've done both track and a lot of drag racing.

Personally, the rush you get on that quartet mile is awsome.

There's still alot of skill in driving quarters, having alot of power is only half of it, a quick pair of feet, good reactions and a well set up car are all things you need to get a good quarter.

I have been to santa pod, and got a 13.1 in my old 2wd sierra cossie. A friend of mine who set his car up specifically for pod (same car, LESS power) managed a 12.4 second pass!! I was amazed.

However, I much prefer track driving, I get much more of a buzz from it, even in a car that is slow, whereas at pod the car needs to be fast to get the same rush, as accelerating in a straight line IS boring if the car is dog slow.

Plus, alot more skill is involved in building and driving a track car quickly (not that Im saying its easy to go fast up the strip!) I know a guy with a C20LET corsa, and it is simply rapid! GT3071R turbo, steel bottom end, it's around 400bhp, and in a straight line in-gear race he would demolish me. I told him to name the track and I'll meet him there. He said he know's i'll kill him at the track, so wont do it. Thus in his head his car is "faster" than mine.... hmmmm

I think it is a much better mark of a good all round car when it handles, goes and stops well in equal measure, and someone who can get the full potential from a car on a track is a true driver.

Steve