Tech: How to do a Burnout

Doing a burn-out is probably the second most important portion of a drag racer's ritual. The first being his/her reaction to the light.

Manual transmission:

1.    Engage your Line-Loc (I'm assuming you have one) FWD cars, just use the hand brake...

2.    Once your "locked" in place, select 1st (... if your engine is powerful enough, 2nd), then rev your engine to about 5000rpm (4cyl. Engines) and let out the clutch quickly.

3.    As soon as the tires start spinning, try to maintain your rpm (4-5K rpm). Do not rev up and down. The tires will heat -up more quickly when the wheel speed is kept UP.

4.    Wait 5 seconds (or more, depending on track condition or what works best for your set-up)

5.    When you're ready, release the Line-Loc, and let the car roll forward, while slowly letting off the throttle.

6.    Do a "Dry Hop" or practice launch. This part is optional. Some racers swear by it, while others claim that a dry hop just heats up the clutch and jeopardizes the actual launch.

Automatic trannies:

Same as the manual tranny, except for the clutch part.

Getting your tires to their optimum temperature is critical to a good launch off the start line. If you do not regularly do a burn-out and have traction problems, this may just do the trick. Few experiences rival the feeling of wrinkling slicks beneath you while the tires dig in for traction! Try it.