Join me for some fun at Maryland International Raceway (MIR) tomorrow.

Bring your car, truck, minivan or motorcycle for as many races down the drag strip as you'd like. No prior racing experience is required.

When: Sunday, October, 30 (10 AM-6 PM)
Where: Maryland Int'l Raceway • 27861 Budds Creek Road • Mechanicsville, MD 20659
Entry Fees: Ages 11 & under FREE • Ages 12-15 $10 • Adult $15 • Racing $30

Call the DRAGLINE for up to the minute 24 hour race information at 301-884-RACE.

 

How about a snowplow?

 

That's a special attachment/option that I disconnect once I arrive at the track.

 

It's got nothing on my dogsled...Let's race for pinks...

 

It snowed a lot here yesterday (Saturday) afternoon. Not much stuck to the ground but cars were covered with the white stuff. It has never been this cold, this early, in Maryland since moving here (from Wheaton, Illinois) in 2004!

This morning (Sunday), during my 75 minute drive to MIR, it was extremely cool. After driving over many salted overpasses, I arrived hopeful that this would be the day!

I had a feeling that the cold air might just get my STR to dip into the 12's?

After going through Tech, I ended up being in line for the second race of the day. I chatted with the drivers in the staging lanes for a bit and then we waited ...and waited ...and waited ...and waited. We noticed the track personnel was not even starting to prep the starting line. Apparently, with all the snow yesterday, the far track end of the track was just too wet to all the racers to slow down safely. It took over 90 minutes to dry the far end of the track. All of us just sat, disappointed as the air temperature rose from 38F to just shy of 50F.

It was now after 11:30 AM and all of us where extremely hopeful they would have the track ready very soon. And just a couple minutes later, all was ready!!! The first set of cars took off and the track seemed to be hooking really well.

pre-staged quickly since I barely spin the tires before each race - -
then the car beside me finished it's burnout...but stalled - -
bummer...he could not get restarted - -

I backed up - -
pre-staged again - -
then staged - -
left really hard on the last yellow - -
read the 60' clock at the end of the track (60' = 1.9xx) - -
felt the car pulling stronger and harder as I went down the track - -
looked at the speedo a bit after crossing the traps, YEEESS ~110 mph - -

I knew it was going to be good - -
pulled around to get my ticket - -
Yes!!!! I got into the 12's

Attached are my time slips and my last run had my best reaction time of the year (0.001 sec).

Temperature 48F - Race 1) 12.916 @ 107.45
Temperature 48F - Race 2) 13.033 @ 107.47
Temperature 49F - Race 3) 13.072 @ 107.22
Temperature 50F - Race 4) 12.954 @ 107.69 - - - - 13.676 @ 103.66 (2004 Caddie CTS V, 6sp-manual)

 

WOOHOO! Congrats!! Glad you showed that these can hit 12s! Now update your sig!!

 

Congrats!!!! This is awesome news!

 

12.9? LOL! Awesome 1320racer...and on exhaust alone! That time is indicative of a 400+ hp motor. Well, here I go again...Wait till you see the track times with a Mafioso air intake tube and a 3 lb. pulley. I'm betting on a 12.7 second (or lower) 1/4. My 03 STR just boogies in low outdoor temps. LOL!, I'm just luvin it. STRacer, you "proved" STR's can do 12's on exhaust alone.

 

I didn't get a chance to hit the track here last weekend due to weather, but I am going to try again this weekend. Maybe 2 Jags in the 12s?

 

Thanks everybody!

I truly never thought dipping into the 12's was possible and I stand corrected.

I don't believe my car is any faster than other STRs, I just have gotten the most out of it by:
- removing weight (OEM tools, spare tire, floor mats, trunk mat, lighter cats, resonator is gone, lighter axel back exhaust and < 1/8 tank of gas
- setting up tire pressures correctly
- staging and launching technique and
- most important, A LOT OF COLD DRY AIR.

Well, it may finally be time for a smaller supercharger pulley because of the following...

I need to pull things apart anyway since I just started smelling coolant. I found a slow coolant leak around the gasket at the top of the water pump. The gasket that was supplied with the aftermarket pump (I installed last Feb) just did not work out. When changing the pump I just knew it did not look like it'd do the job. The OEM gasket is just soooo much better. I just purchased an OEM gasket and will install it soon. In addition, it is getting too cold to run my STR without a thermostat. On the highway, if the air temp is below 40 degrees, the coolant temp will drop below the center position which is actually a very wide range. When I had fan issues awhile back I had a scanner installed and logged the center position's range, which was something like 180F to ~230F. I'll look back at my notes or someone else feel free to correct me. When I saw the coolant temp drop while driving down the highway I just turned off the heat for a bit and the coolant temp rose up to 165F to 170F. I know it is not good to run the motor too cool for many reasons.

 

I wish you the best at the track. You can do it! 12's all the way buddy!

What times have you run in 1/4 mile so far? If you have time slips please post them or send me a PM.

 

The two do not go hand in hand...

What makes more sense is the COLD AIR nitrous provides; use it only in part time race situations and you'll probably do less overall damage compared to a full time, LOTS OF HOT AIR smaller pulley...

 

Unless you move to Alaska with a smaller pulley.

 

Hey I live about a half hour from Mir. Good job 1320!

 

I believe you may have misunderstood my post. The "beating a dead horse" pic made unclear the spacing and the post become a little confusing. I'll try to revise/ move the pic (Edit done: moved things a bit). I did not state that a small pulley would provide cold dry air.?.?.? As you and I both know, the temp will rise with a smaller pulley. I was saying that the cold dry air is why I got great performance from my car on that particular day.

I "may" install the a smaller pulley because I have to take the car apart anyway to fix my coolant leak and need to re-install the stat. Like my other mod, if I do install a small pulley, I'll have before and after dynos to make clear what happens with the hp, trq, fuel/air ratios. I have a place that only charges $75 for pulls.

 

Those are great numbers and I just got a little more respect for my STR knowing that in almost stock form its in the 12s. I miss the effect cold weather had on my car in freezing Ohio as oppossed to hot and humid here in Florida. Especially in my past turbo cars while I lived in Ohio.

 

I just enjoy spreading nitrous propaganda...

 

Lol!

 

Have you been to MIR in the past to race? Do you plan on going any more this year? If so, I may go Nov 20th provided all is working well with my car after the pulley installation.

MIR schedule: