Hello all,
I have recently purchased a 09 GTS with a m/t. I have been reading the forums for performance tips and such since I received it about a month ago.
Tonight I went to the local drag strip where I live in Ohio and ran into a few problems with launching.

First Run: staged fine but started to role, I didn't want to red light early and get no run time so I hit the brakes again and before you know it I had no time to pre rev my engine and bogged down damn near stalled..
R/t= 0.536
60' =2.978
1/4=17.346
Mph=83.51

Second run: I asked a friend who has a manual if he had the same problem with rolling while staged he said "no just make sure your in the tire groves of the track". Well went and tried to line up with grooves as much as possible. both of us are staged.. let off Brake and red light before the tree even lights so no run for me

Third run: Decided I would hold the e-brake while staged. staged, held e-brake, let off when second yellow light flashed, rev to 2500rpm and.... broke the tires loose and literally smoked em all the way through first gear
R/t= 0.562
60'= 2.806
1/4= 17.521
Mph= 83.91

Now I had always gone to the local track alot when i was yonger. Through high school my brother and I went every Wednesday...but... he always raced not me(Due the the fact i didn't have my drivers license 9 years ago) so im a noob when it comes to this.
I know if I can get i launched correctly i could run mid to low 16's considering the trap speed is around 84Mph with terrible launches.

Please give me some tips...

oh yeah and I'm running completely stock

 

Honestly, if it were me at the drag, I would try launching from 2nd gear at around 5k rpm. I think our first gear is way too weak, and the transition to 2nd is kinda off. As long as you can get the foot work down, you shouldn't be bogging the car down at all. Plus it saves u a gear change down the road. Past that, the only way to keep a m/t from rolling when you don't have your foot on the brake is using the e-brake. As long as its pretty level, you shouldn't need to pull too hard.

 

Getting used to launching is always hard the first few times, even if you drive an auto . It all depends on the track, if theres a slope, youll roll. If the track has crappy traction, you cant launch hard and loose traction. Try to not dump the clutch as hard next time.
Whereabouts are you in Ohio? I go out to Quaker City Raceway in salem a lot, but their track is pretty crappy in comparison to others such as Norwalk.

 

My bad, double post.

 

National Trails Raceway in Hebron

 

No, no no never do that

 

Didn't plan on it, I'd Like to keep my clutch healthy for more than a few months, lol.

Anybody else who has a M/T and races available to give me tips? Also, anyone else in Ohio?

 

Y not? Besides a little bit more wear onto the clutch, there isn't anything else thats gonna happen mechanically speaking.

 

it also sucks. the car will bog down REALLY quick and you'll be going slower than if you uesd 1st gear. it's kind of like a grandma pulling out from a red light...

 

invest in new pedals that have the brake and gas closer together so you hold them together and then just slip to the gas. it sucks when the track is at any slight incline.

 

First of all it will be a lot of wear on the clutch, think about it the clutch will slip untill the revs fall from 5k rpm to 1k-2k and at the same time the car has to accelerate to over 20 mph so that it can be within the range of the second gear. And during all this time the clutch will be slipping.
Most of us don't want to pay 1.5k for a clutch replacement.

 

It's easier if you just hold the handbrake. However I did put new pedals and heel and toe downshifting is much easier now.

 

I ran 16.1 sec with a intake and muffler. My hint would be try not to peel out all of first gear, the point is to get your car to "hook up" when you have the most power available! IE) you want your car to be hooked up around 3200-3700 rpm so you hit the torque that gets you up and going. Also try lowering your tire pressure to around 25-30 PSI, yes you will get the TPMS light but you will have better grip. just keep those shifts crisp. and you should be getting into the mid 16's