Gear Confusion?

[econo racer]

My Nova ran 7.2 1/8th with 456 gears,3800 stall. Changed to 3.42 gear and a 3500 stall. It runs 7.35 now. I want to spray a 125 shot of NOS on it. A=Am I dreaming or could it run 6.70? On motor I can go through the lights at 6800 in 2nd gear. Turbo 350. With the 456 gears on motor never sprayed its kinda violent. Yanks the tire 7-8 inches but also wants to spin 1/2 track. So many tracks are not prepping and I thought the 3.42 might be a better idea for bracket racing and just shift high at 6200. 3300lbs roughly 28-10 tire. I think I will give the Nos a chance at least once.

[Alaskaracer]

You're not going to pick up a full second on a 125 shot.... I would have geared the car for the rpm that you wanted through the traps and dumped the th350 for a power glide....you're going to continue to struggle with that setup until you make some wholesale changes. Also put the biggest rear tires on it you can fit....but what do I know....Dont' forget the converter will stall higher with nitrous on it as well....and how did you determine it was a 3800 stall? Only way to tell is to have some sort of data recorder and check flash stall at the release of the brake...Just because it may say it's a "3800 rpm stall" doesn't mean it is...that is dependent on so many factors it's crazy....most shelf converters aren't even close to what they are rated at, and those numbers are from a specific combo under specific conditions....

[mag2555]

Since your bracket racing why even entertain anything that might not give you better consistency for the sake of going faster ?
Nothing is more annoying to your competition in the next lane then loosing to a slower car!

[BillK]

I was going to say the same thing as mag2555 but we probably wont convince you. Do you want to go fast or win races ?

[econo racer]

If you are going down pit road in high gear and just flat foot it , it flashes around 3800. Also it falls back from 6000 to about 4k / until the tracks start using more glue it will probably just get raced with the 3.42's. everyone is just running no prep. Some one needs to invent some cheaper glue.

[rebelrouser]

My Nova ran 7.2 1/8th with 456 gears,3800 stall. Changed to 3.42 gear and a 3500 stall. It runs 7.35 now. I want to spray a 125 shot of NOS on it. A=Am I dreaming or could it run 6.70? On motor I can go through the lights at 6800 in 2nd gear. Turbo 350. With the 456 gears on motor never sprayed its kinda violent. Yanks the tire 7-8 inches but also wants to spin 1/2 track. So many tracks are not prepping and I thought the 3.42 might be a better idea for bracket racing and just shift high at 6200. 3300lbs roughly 28-10 tire. I think I will give the Nos a chance at least once.

If you are making enough torque to spin the tires down track, what kind of rear suspension system do you have? The issue I would think is to plant those tires and go faster. Even having been a drag racer a long time, I just don't know all the tricks the no prep guys are using to hook their cars, but I am sure they have developed them. I have run a 4-link for many years, with a good adjustable shock, you usually can adjust for about any track conditions given enough passes. And as a long time drag racer I see the noprep style, is being embraced by racetracks because it is cheaper for them to run the track, but it is also dangerous for racers who don't set up their cars to that type of surface. Then if you go to a variety of tracks one prepped good and the next not so much, it makes it harder to race.

[1980RS]

I went from running 11.50's to a 10.39 with a 175 shot back in 2015. The week later I ran 10.04@136 with a 200 shot on the car with my 358 pump gas engine. Dropping gear in your car will really help with nitrous on it. The theory has always been 1/3rd less gear and 1/3rd less converter on the spray.

[Walter R. Malik]

40 years ago, almost every track was "no prep" except maybe the starting line at major events.

Sounds like the chassis needs some work.