Tips and Advice Needed: Drag Racing for Beginners

[IVofRussia]

Lately I've been exploring some of the different subcultures of GT5's online community. One that I've come to enjoy is drag racing. So long as the locals are relaxed and friendly, it can be fun just showing off some cars and seeing how they match up on the quarter mile.

However, there's one problem: I'm terrible at it.

I have essentially no experience with, or cultural exposure to, drag racing, be it virtual or real-world. In addition, I'm a pretty awful car tuner, so I'm pretty much lost here. I would be quite grateful if anyone could shed some insight on how to improve my drag racing prowess. I realize this is incredibly vague, so I'll try to be a bit more specific by asking some leading questions.

1. What general characteristics should I look for in a good drag racer? Just for the sake of argument, let's say the HP limit is 500-600 or so. Should I go for a beefy muscle car, a Japanese tuner, or something else? Should it be light? heavy? low to the ground?

2. What upgrades should I install? Are low RPM turbo kits preferable to high RPM kits in this context? What sort of tires are best?

3. In general, how should I tune a drag racer? In particular, what should I do with the transmission?

4. Is there some sort of strategy regarding when it's best to shift? I found a different thread which divulged into a rather dense argument about engine torque vs. wheel torque and other such nonsense, is any of this stuff relevant? Is an automatic transmission suicide here?

I'm sure I'll think of more questions. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

PS: I wasn't sure whether this should go in the Q&A, Tuning, or a different forum, so if this needs to be moved, that's fine by me.

 

[articzap]

Lately I've been exploring some of the different subcultures of GT5's online community. One that I've come to enjoy is drag racing. So long as the locals are relaxed and friendly, it can be fun just showing off some cars and seeing how they match up on the quarter mile.

However, there's one problem: I'm terrible at it.

I have essentially no experience with, or cultural exposure to, drag racing, be it virtual or real-world. In addition, I'm a pretty awful car tuner, so I'm pretty much lost here. I would be quite grateful if anyone could shed some insight on how to improve my drag racing prowess. I realize this is incredibly vague, so I'll try to be a bit more specific by asking some leading questions.

1. What general characteristics should I look for in a good drag racer? Just for the sake of argument, let's say the HP limit is 500-600 or so. Should I go for a beefy muscle car, a Japanese tuner, or something else? Should it be light? heavy? low to the ground?

Broad power band and light.

2. What upgrades should I install? Are low RPM turbo kits preferable to high RPM kits in this context? What sort of tires are best?

Drag racing is all about top end power. I usually buy all upgrades that can be removed, and pick and choose which ones give me the broadest power band. Tires are racing soft. Most traction to help you get off the line.

3. In general, how should I tune a drag racer? In particular, what should I do with the transmission?

Make your launching gear long without bogging. Keep the rest in the power band at all cost.

4. Is there some sort of strategy regarding when it's best to shift? I found a different thread which divulged into a rather dense argument about engine torque vs. wheel torque and other such nonsense, is any of this stuff relevant? Is an automatic transmission suicide here?

Auto is no good. Shift when the power band ends.

I'm sure I'll think of more questions. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

PS: I wasn't sure whether this should go in the Q&A, Tuning, or a different forum, so if this needs to be moved, that's fine by me.

Answers bold.

 

[IVofRussia]

Thanks for the reply. However, you used the phrase "power band" like a dozen times, and I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to. Sorry if I'm being too big of a noob here.

 

[Mr. CoolFiat]

Thanks for the reply. However, you used the phrase "power band" like a dozen times, and I'm not exactly sure what you're referring to. Sorry if I'm being too big of a noob here.

The power band is where most of the torque is located in your engine's/motor's RPM range.

 

[JTSnooks]

The power band is where most of the torque is located in your engine's/motor's RPM range.

Um, no. The POWERband refers to where your car makes the most horsePOWER. The idea in general (at least in real life) is to shift shortly after your peak power (check the power chart in the tuning menu to get an idea of rpm). This in most cases will put you right back in the meat of the powerband for the next gear.

That said some cars have unique characteristics, and real-life techniques don't really apply in GT5 due to tire/suspension/low-speed physics differences. For example, in real life, flooring a high-power RWD car off the line and blowing the tires off is pretty much the slowest way to accelerate, but in GT5 it's usually the fastest.

GT5 is a very good "racing" simulator, but a terrible drag racing simulator.

 

[articzap]

For example, in real life, flooring a high-power RWD car off the line and blowing the tires off is pretty much the slowest way to accelerate, but in GT5 it's usually the fastest.

Remember you're on road racing slicks. Spinning on those will tend to help acceleration better.....

 

[IVofRussia]

First gear is terribly slow for me. I've never gotten the hole-shot in any race. What's the general strategy here? Do you start from 0 RPM and floor it when the light turns green? Or do you keep the brake held, rev the engine, then let go of the break when it's time to go?

Also, should you short-shift out of 1st? It just seems like I waste a lot of time watching my tachometer bounce menacingly in the red-zone until I shift into 2nd.

 

[articzap]

First gear is terribly slow for me. I've never gotten the hole-shot in any race. What's the general strategy here? Do you start from 0 RPM and floor it when the light turns green? Or do you keep the brake held, rev the engine, then let go of the break when it's time to go?

Also, should you short-shift out of 1st? It just seems like I waste a lot of time watching my tachometer bounce menacingly in the red-zone until I shift into 2nd.

Read above on how I said to make gears, that should give you a hint. I always off the limiter.

 

[brambos]

Forget all your driving skills, lock your steering wheel and put a brick on the pedal. Then add 800 hp and you're good to go.

 

[ZR1fan]

If you intend to launch an F40 you NEED to launch at high RPM so the turbos woken up.. you launch at anything below 4000 rpm you wont have boost and the car will subsequently fall way back

 

[r0llinlacs]

Remember you're on road racing slicks. Spinning on those will tend to help acceleration better.....

I smoke everybody that does a "proper" launch when I just floor it (depending on the vehicle and gear setup) Especially with AWD cars, spinning them just makes it accelerate faster.

 

[articzap]

I smoke everybody that does a "proper" launch when I just floor it (depending on the vehicle and gear setup) Especially with AWD cars, spinning them just makes it accelerate faster.

Yup. Road racing slicks should not be treated like drag slicks.