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I am going to Santapod this weekend for the GTi Spring Fest (Anyone else going?) and I am planning to have a go on the the drag strip. But I really have no idea how to race 'properly'. So does anyone know how to get a good start off the line? Like do I just rev it lots then drop the clutch and hope for the best...?

And also, is it even worth trying to warm my tires up by wheel spinning (and pulling the hand brake up at the same time) before going down the strip? Surely that will just harm my car slowly?

Cheers for any advice I just dont want to hurt my lovely car...

The best advice i can give to you mate is do it on a pre warmed engine. If cold you are more likely to harm the car but im sure you knew that all ready.

If it was me i wouldn't go round burning rubber. Just make sure your tires are warmish before doing the strip. Cold tires do not grip as well as warm, but you would just ruin a perfectly decent set of rubber for what? A couple of milli seconds?

Just get a nice decent clean start without slipping/riding the clutch

Let us know what time you post mate. Interested to see what they will do down the strip

I wouldn't hold the revs full bore like 6 is enough I reckon mate and slowly roll forward...

If its anything like last year, you wont get on the strip!

Don think about it, just do it, you will enjoy it

Just think of it as racing someone of the traffic lights

I did it the other year and really enjoyed it, i was getting results of about 16.3 - 16.6 seconds depending on my reaction times.

Would be interesting to see what it gets now as i have removed a lot of dead weight and now have lighter wheels and De-Cat

I saw corsa's with 2.0 turbo lumps doing 10.5's!!!

Twin engine nova doing 7.6!!!

Cheers for that guys Its helped and i will tell you the times i get

Wow neil I really want borbets now I need to sell my other car so I can have the money to get them!
I was just wondering though, Your car seems to have very little gap between the arches and the wheels but it doesnt seem to be that low in general? I dont know if this is just me or what...

I think there 16's mate.

Yeah thats the minimum size wheel they come in, but to compensate you just get a smaller profile tyre size. It just looked a little odd to me that was all...

They were 16"s and i had to higher the car a full inch from what it used to sit at on the 15's.

The tyres on them were 195/35/16 stretched on but still caused a bit of rubbing every now and then.

I am gutted now though, the coilovers have seized an still sits at the same height but back on 15's again now

If you race at Santa Pod, don't hold your revs too high and dump the clutch, since they "glue" the tarmac for pro drag racing, which can equal broken driveshafts for the uninitiated! I've seen it a few times!

Better to have fun and get used to it over a few runs, or events

Dont tell me this now lol Its already too late! Ive already f****d my clutch and had to be towed home It took 4 and a half hours... and now I have to replace the clutch ahhhhhh! I didnt even get to go in the handling course...

Depressing times!

It is a wierd surface at the Pod

Better than dropping your gearbox off like someone did when I was there last - ruptured the bell housing and spilt oil everywhere!

The GTI can't really handle being thrashed in all fairness, if you drive them hard then expect alot of problems

Bad times man, its always the embaressment of your car pooping itself on the start line which i think is sometimes the worst