Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Getting Started – Safety Features


Alright fellow dragsters, now that I’ve shared something about the background of bracket racing, let’s now dip into into something different. It’s time to dabble into something more important. Sometimes, motorists tend to overlook the safety requirements of drag racing, especially the ones in the underground. But everyone with the right mind would know that even before you hit the strip with that beast of a vehicle you have, you need to be equipped with the all the safety features and gadgets. So even if your speed demon would lose control and barrel into the wall or other automobiles, you might probably escape the inevitable. These things just might draw the line between “the racer escaped with minor bruises” or “he will need three months in the hospital to recuperate.”

Get all the right gears

When it comes to your vehicle’s safety features, it should be put in your utmost priority. Notice that in sanctioned races, the driver is well covered with all the safety equipments and gadgets needed. Well one thing you should definitely have it the helmet. Not just any helmet, though. Preferably, you need to have an SN 95+ helmet. That kind of helmet is required for the driver of any vehicle running 14 seconds or quicker in a quarter mile. Professional category and some alcohol burning vehicles require an SA rated helmet. It is important to note that the helmet rating must be designated on a tag INSIDE the helmet, or sewn to one of the helmet straps. The designation stenciled on the exterior of the helmet is insufficient for NHRA technical inspection. Also, some tracks require a helmet on ALL drivers, so check in advance. Moreover, it pays to have a set of racing leathers, (leather jacket and pants are still approved in some sanctions) full-face Snell some boots, gloves and glove as well.

Don’t let your belts choke you

Seat belts perform a central role in occupant protection. Properly designed seatbelts should restrain the occupant by preventing ejection. They also provide a controlled slow down of the energy and minimizing the occupant's violent movement within the vehicle during the crash. So when it comes to your seatbelts, you better make sure that it’s fully functional. Some seatbelt defects include: inertial unlatching, excessive seat belt slack, seat back failures and such. The bottom-line is, if your seat belts are starting to wear out and if it’s not tight enough to lock you in your car seat, have it replaced immediately.

No Leaks, No Problem

You should also make sure that your vehicle does not seep any fluids such as oil or antifreeze. You probably know that it’s not a good thing for any automobile, whether it’s built for the racetrack or not. These irritating leaks can cause engine overheating, and you don’t want to have that when you’re going 200 above. In these cases, putting a sturdy sealant is advised. Better yet, just replace the damaged part. If it’s a hose, it can be easily replaced. If the leaks came from the radiator, take it out and have it fixed. That way, you can isolate the problem. And oh, before I forget, you better insure that your coolant overflow system is in good condition too. You don’t want this system acting up while you’re zooming in incredible speeds.

Hubcaps are for the show, not for the strip

If you’re wheels have hubcaps, it would be wise to have it removed. Yes, hubcaps are great accessories if you want to give your ride a boost in its aesthetic appeal. But if your vehicle is meant for the strip, hubcaps are definitely a no-no. When your ride is moving in high speeds, hubcaps can possibly dislodge and it would compromise the movement from your tires and such. After that, you probably know what can happen next.

Strap your battery for crying out loud

Some people tend to overlook if their batteries are well-strapped or not. The fact is when your vehicle is going in high speeds, your battery can wobble and potentially extricate if not mounted properly. So in these cases, you better make sure that you have a sturdy battery hold down component. Battery hold downs ensure that your battery stays in place and doesn’t end up rocking back and forth when you’re in the heat of the race. They also help keep your battery from incurring dents and scratches.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Featured Car: Nissan GTR

NISSAN GTR


photos and car specification from Autopartswarehouse.com


Another import car will be my featured for today. Nissan GTR comes with engine spec 3.8L Twin Turbo (not 3.7L), VQ38VHRTT 473hp 58.0 kgm Torque, compare to Evo, this will be much lighter and have carbon parts all around and will be a 2 seater only. No rear bucket seats. These have been done to removed few kilos. Models of GTR which is available to the market will have Paddle Shift, No 6 speed manual! Nissan Japan is developing six speed manual transmission but only for the race version and will not be available in the market.

Factory tuned Nissan GTR can reach 11.7 seconds in the quarter mile. just imagined how fast it can be with a little modification from drag racer or from the street racers. the stock car can reach up to 473 horse power at 6400 rpms. This is really one hell of a powerful machine. GTR used Rear carbon fiber diffuser and Carbon fiber propshaft just to cut down its weight. stock rims at 20 inch and wrapped with a Bridgestone Potenza RE070s, 255/40 in front and 285/35 rears. surely got its racing look no need for any stripes this car will really caught you're eyes on the road.

The Nissan GTR can really accelerate fast and to make its breaking system more effectively it uses Brembo brakes. it is the top choice for most car enthusiast and also with the top car salons. it ensures one surpassable braking performance. To sum it up a car that can reach 473 horsepower with a light weight parts it is really one hell of a race car.







Wednesday, August 20, 2008

all time favorites

all time favorite by most dragster



Honda Civic EG topped the survey for most newbie and professional drag racer.
Because if you're looking for your first project car you probably want it to be cheap yet reliable and good looking. And there is rumor that the American cars aren't as long lasting as the Japanese cars.

most common modification for civics is first increasing the horsepower by changing its stock engine or some modifying the engine and putting a little spray in it or simply call it a turbo engine. most Honda racers use B18 or B16 engine. factory tuned civics comes in 1200-1500 cc engines just imagined how much increased in horsepower will it have in swapping an 1200 engine into a b18 or type R engine which is around 1800cc and can reach up to 200 hp without any engine modifications.


photos from Autopartswarehouse.com








Next most common modifications are decreasing the weight of the car and the aero-dynamics
by putting wing at the back it improves the car's
grip on the road. Normally the weight of a car is the only thing that forces the tires down onto the pavement. without this the only thing we can do to increase the grip is by increasing the weight which is not helpful at all. the wing generates a down force for the car.
with that the racer can now focus on decreasing the weight of the car without sacrificing the grip on the road.




image of a wing for Honda Civic Eg

No wonder most street racer choose Honda Civic EG as their project car because improving it or making it faster is easier than other cars because of accessibility for parts and of course the price of its parts are way incomparable to other car makes.