Racing a late model car in brackets

Ross Family Racing · 01-26-2014, 02:15 PM

Just curious how many of you have raced the late model Camaros, Mustangs or Challengers in the sportsman categories. I'm talking about a car that is mostly as delivered from the factory. How consistent are they and what do you do to them to make them repeat. Do most of you run factory tires or sticky street radials.
I've got a '11 Challenger with a 5.7. I ran it at our local track that doesn't do much track prep and it was very inconsistent.
Just curious.
Jeff Ross

RobbieRacer · 01-30-2014, 09:30 PM

We ran our 2011 Camaro SS a few times. It was all over the place. Way to hard to dial

jmcarter · 01-31-2014, 06:06 AM

I've never seen a consistent one, always heard the car's ECM always trying to keep current with conditions was the culprit but somebody like Ed Wright would be able to perhaps pinpoint the (reasons) and remedy.

Mike Carr · 01-31-2014, 01:51 PM

My old daily driver was a 1995 Camaro Z-28 LT-1 automatic. Best run was 13.881 @ 99+ mph (never quite hit 100). Every so often the car would throw out a 'weird' run (slow or fast). Brent Darroch told me to shut the car off in the waterbox to re-set the computer or something. I did that, ran three races, got a win, runner-up (other guy had an .021 package) and a semifinal (had the guy a tenth on the tree but spun the tires and didn't get there by .008). Seemed to work fine, for consistency. Not sure if it would help the 'new' cars but might be worth trying.

Ken MacNicol · 01-31-2014, 03:29 PM

I always kept mine warm by leaving it running while in staging lanes. Keep it at thermostat temperature.

cicero819 · 02-06-2014, 05:11 PM

Since I've enjoyed racing many new stock product from the factory, what I find : #1 is to leave the car running throughout the event never shutting the car off, just open the hood when not running. #2 get good quality drag tires(BF Goodrich radials Drag DOT) and you're off to the races. My Oldsmobile front runner could repeat run after run but once you shut it of and let it cool the car would be more than a tenth off either way. #3 replenish fuel and check air psi in the tires.

FLEMING · 02-12-2014, 03:43 PM

There is a guy that races here local that had one of the companies that does custom ecm tunes make him a bracket tune that when the car goes to wide open throttle it locks all the parameters to the same thing each time, timing, convertor slippage, all the variables.. his car is pretty dang good, it will pick up about like a race car on gas.. and only change a few hun over a night.. His car is a 98 camaro I think

Eric · 02-21-2014, 03:19 PM

I run an 08 Charger in Street ET points. The car was very inconsistent until I took steps to stabilized AIT (air intake temp). The PCM (or ECM as other manufacturers call it) pulls timing as the AIT registers higher temps.

Under-hood heat soak into the intake tube was the principle culprit. Once i solved this issue by means of a headlight cold air intake tube through my high beam (there are other options), the consistency of my runs radically improved.

My car is not stock, however. And drag radials are a must. I found a set of Cobra R replicas that are 17x9. they fit over the SRT and R/T brakes. They work well and are very inexpensive.

Near OH, in Western PA is a tuner i work with called OSTDyno. He's great with the Hemi's... message me if you'd like more detail.

Race that baby... I took a Wally home last year in mine.

brian schuetta · 03-03-2014, 12:19 PM

Ran a 13' SS Camaro a few times last year bracket racing. Leave the staging lanes at operating temp and click off the traction control and go to " competitive mode " with the button in front of the auto shifter. Turn off the A/C for many reasons. Leaving the traction control on makes the car run all over. It also seemed that the more quarter mile runs it had the more consistent it got. The best newer cars I have bracket raced were a 2010 Impala 3.4L and my favorite a 2009 Impala 5.3. The 5.3 Imp was dead consistent and won races with it. Also was surprised at the top end on that thing.

Eric · 03-03-2014, 02:23 PM

There's an impala club that races at the area tracks from Maryland to upstate NY and points in between. Those cars take a beating and some of them are pretty damn consistent street cars...

01-31-2014, 01:51 PM	#4
Mike Carr VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Enon Valley PA Posts: 1,650 Likes: 234 Liked 80 Times in 34 Posts	Re: Racing a late model car in brackets My old daily driver was a 1995 Camaro Z-28 LT-1 automatic. Best run was 13.881 @ 99+ mph (never quite hit 100). Every so often the car would throw out a 'weird' run (slow or fast). Brent Darroch told me to shut the car off in the waterbox to re-set the computer or something. I did that, ran three races, got a win, runner-up (other guy had an .021 package) and a semifinal (had the guy a tenth on the tree but spun the tires and didn't get there by .008). Seemed to work fine, for consistency. Not sure if it would help the 'new' cars but might be worth trying. __________________ Mike Carr, Tri-State S/SS Association President Looking for 2015 S/SS Race Sponsors Contact me if interested buffdaddy_1302@hotmail.com (724) 510-5912

01-31-2014, 03:29 PM	#5
Ken MacNicol Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Hendersonville, Tn. Posts: 80 Likes: 764 Liked 23 Times in 10 Posts	Re: Racing a late model car in brackets I always kept mine warm by leaving it running while in staging lanes. Keep it at thermostat temperature.

02-06-2014, 05:11 PM	#6
cicero819 VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Aylmer Quebec, Canada Posts: 1,086 Likes: 31 Liked 67 Times in 29 Posts	Re: Racing a late model car in brackets Since I've enjoyed racing many new stock product from the factory, what I find : #1 is to leave the car running throughout the event never shutting the car off, just open the hood when not running. #2 get good quality drag tires(BF Goodrich radials Drag DOT) and you're off to the races. My Oldsmobile front runner could repeat run after run but once you shut it of and let it cool the car would be more than a tenth off either way. #3 replenish fuel and check air psi in the tires.

02-12-2014, 03:43 PM	#7
FLEMING Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 238 Likes: 19 Liked 21 Times in 11 Posts	Re: Racing a late model car in brackets There is a guy that races here local that had one of the companies that does custom ecm tunes make him a bracket tune that when the car goes to wide open throttle it locks all the parameters to the same thing each time, timing, convertor slippage, all the variables.. his car is pretty dang good, it will pick up about like a race car on gas.. and only change a few hun over a night.. His car is a 98 camaro I think

02-21-2014, 03:19 PM	#8
Eric Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 3 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Racing a late model car in brackets I run an 08 Charger in Street ET points. The car was very inconsistent until I took steps to stabilized AIT (air intake temp). The PCM (or ECM as other manufacturers call it) pulls timing as the AIT registers higher temps. Under-hood heat soak into the intake tube was the principle culprit. Once i solved this issue by means of a headlight cold air intake tube through my high beam (there are other options), the consistency of my runs radically improved. My car is not stock, however. And drag radials are a must. I found a set of Cobra R replicas that are 17x9. they fit over the SRT and R/T brakes. They work well and are very inexpensive. Near OH, in Western PA is a tuner i work with called OSTDyno. He's great with the Hemi's... message me if you'd like more detail. Race that baby... I took a Wally home last year in mine.

01-26-2014, 02:15 PM	#1
Ross Family Racing Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: St.Clairsville, Ohio Posts: 464 Likes: 0 Liked 52 Times in 15 Posts	Racing a late model car in brackets Just curious how many of you have raced the late model Camaros, Mustangs or Challengers in the sportsman categories. I'm talking about a car that is mostly as delivered from the factory. How consistent are they and what do you do to them to make them repeat. Do most of you run factory tires or sticky street radials. I've got a '11 Challenger with a 5.7. I ran it at our local track that doesn't do much track prep and it was very inconsistent. Just curious. Jeff Ross

01-30-2014, 09:30 PM	#2
RobbieRacer Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Phoenix, Az Posts: 320 Likes: 17 Liked 116 Times in 40 Posts	Re: Racing a late model car in brackets We ran our 2011 Camaro SS a few times. It was all over the place. Way to hard to dial

01-31-2014, 06:06 AM	#3
jmcarter VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Richmond Hill GA (and Port Ludlow WA) Posts: 4,122 Likes: 1,978 Liked 2,707 Times in 853 Posts	Re: Racing a late model car in brackets I've never seen a consistent one, always heard the car's ECM always trying to keep current with conditions was the culprit but somebody like Ed Wright would be able to perhaps pinpoint the (reasons) and remedy. __________________ Jim Carter 2340 Super Stock 2340 SST/2340 Stock

03-03-2014, 12:19 PM	#9
brian schuetta Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: san antonio tx Posts: 255 Likes: 5 Liked 28 Times in 15 Posts	Re: Racing a late model car in brackets Ran a 13' SS Camaro a few times last year bracket racing. Leave the staging lanes at operating temp and click off the traction control and go to " competitive mode " with the button in front of the auto shifter. Turn off the A/C for many reasons. Leaving the traction control on makes the car run all over. It also seemed that the more quarter mile runs it had the more consistent it got. The best newer cars I have bracket raced were a 2010 Impala 3.4L and my favorite a 2009 Impala 5.3. The 5.3 Imp was dead consistent and won races with it. Also was surprised at the top end on that thing.

03-03-2014, 02:23 PM	#10
Eric Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 3 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Racing a late model car in brackets There's an impala club that races at the area tracks from Maryland to upstate NY and points in between. Those cars take a beating and some of them are pretty damn consistent street cars...