Santa pod RWYB guide.
Discussion
Hopefully in 5 days time a lot of us will be comparing timing slips and talking about tyre pressures, launch rpms and making excuses about missed gearchanges etc.
So to get prepared here is a guide ahead of the big day...
Run What Ya Brung (RWYB): Beginners Guide
What is RWYB?
RWYB stands for “Run What Ya Brung” and refers to public test days when Santa Pod is open to anyone with a driving licence to run their car or motorcycle down the track.
RWYB is as simple or scientific as you want it to be, and you can use these days either to just have fun with your friends or as serious test days, whether your vehicle is for road or track.
Your mission is to accelerate from a standing start and cover the 1/4 mile in the shortest possible time. A full performance printout after each run will show your reaction time, speed, and elapsed time as well as a host of incremental measurements.
What Do I Need To Have A Go?
•A vehicle (vehicles must be safe and run at the race director's discretion).
•A driving licence suitable for the type of vehicle you are driving.
•A crash helmet for open top vehicles and those going over 110mph at the finish line. Arm straps required in open-top vehicles if wishing to run with the roof down.
What Do I Need To Do?
1.Visit the Signing On Office located at the base of the control tower near the startline on foot. You will need your driving licence and signing on fee (cash or card). You'll be asked to fill in a form.
2.Check your vehicle is well maintained and safe. Tyres, oil, steering, coolant and brakes are important. Also check your tyres and arches are not muddy.
3.Move your Vehicle to the back of the queue in the "fire up road". Bikers can usually push past to the separate queue for bikes.
4.When you are called forward by the marshal, close you windows and sunroof fully, and buckle your seatbelt. Bikers should pull down visors or goggles. Please DO NOT activate liquid spray-bars.
5.If you wish, attempt a burnout in the water under the tower. This will clean and warm your tyres. 4WD cars will not burnout unless equipped to do so.
6.Roll forward to the Start Line when the marshal indicates. The start line is not actually marked on the track (because it would get scrubbed out very quickly), but the best way to spot it is to look for a gap in the red boarder next to the track.
7.The first pair of lights on the "starting tree" marked Pre Staged will light when you are nearly in position.
8.Roll a few inches further forward and the next pair of lights marked Staged will light also.
9.When you and your opponent are both staged and the track is clear, the three orange bulbs will light and then the Green. Now is the time to go!
10.Accelerate as hard as you can without spinning the wheels too much. The last timing beam is under the gantry exactly 1/4 of a mile from the start line.
11.Slow down gently once you have crossed the finish, and keep going until you reach the first Turn Off Point on the left. Check your mirrors for your opponent before turning off and heading back on yourself. Do NOT turn around if you miss the turn-off point, keep going and take the next exit on the left. Drive slowly and carefully once you have left the track.
12.You can collect Timing Slips from the signing on office at the startline tower. These are free to collect as soon as your run is complete. If in doubt at any point, simply look to the marshals for direction. Please do not smoke or use mobile phones when on the track.
5 RWYB Tips for a great ET:
•Avoid wheel spin on the run.
•Avoid hitting the rev-limiter.
•Change gear as smoothly and quickly as possible.
•Race on a warm, but not hot engine.
•Remember to take the handbrake off!!!
Oh and to clear a common misconception….
Some people want to know how cars and bikes can run fast ETs after having sat on the startline with a green light for ages. For example, the Fireforce jetcar can sit on the line for 3 seconds after getting the green light, and still run a sub-six-second pass! Well, the answer is not that it did the ¼ mile in 3 seconds, but the timing system doesn't start counting until the staging sensors have been cleared. This allows the casual Run What Ya Brung'er to get themselves fully prepared on the line without having to worry about reaction times distorting their vehicle's performance.
So, if you are not interested in reaction times, but are interested in performance, take your time on the startline to get the revs right before dropping the clutch. Panic-free performance! Remember, in a real race situation, your reaction time is added to your ET to find the winner, so reaction time becomes critical. If you are serious about racing, you will need loads of attempts at improving both your RT and ET, and then work on synchronising them to get some really storming runs in.
So to get prepared here is a guide ahead of the big day...
Run What Ya Brung (RWYB): Beginners Guide
What is RWYB?
RWYB stands for “Run What Ya Brung” and refers to public test days when Santa Pod is open to anyone with a driving licence to run their car or motorcycle down the track.
RWYB is as simple or scientific as you want it to be, and you can use these days either to just have fun with your friends or as serious test days, whether your vehicle is for road or track.
Your mission is to accelerate from a standing start and cover the 1/4 mile in the shortest possible time. A full performance printout after each run will show your reaction time, speed, and elapsed time as well as a host of incremental measurements.
What Do I Need To Have A Go?
•A vehicle (vehicles must be safe and run at the race director's discretion).
•A driving licence suitable for the type of vehicle you are driving.
•A crash helmet for open top vehicles and those going over 110mph at the finish line. Arm straps required in open-top vehicles if wishing to run with the roof down.
What Do I Need To Do?
1.Visit the Signing On Office located at the base of the control tower near the startline on foot. You will need your driving licence and signing on fee (cash or card). You'll be asked to fill in a form.
2.Check your vehicle is well maintained and safe. Tyres, oil, steering, coolant and brakes are important. Also check your tyres and arches are not muddy.
3.Move your Vehicle to the back of the queue in the "fire up road". Bikers can usually push past to the separate queue for bikes.
4.When you are called forward by the marshal, close you windows and sunroof fully, and buckle your seatbelt. Bikers should pull down visors or goggles. Please DO NOT activate liquid spray-bars.
5.If you wish, attempt a burnout in the water under the tower. This will clean and warm your tyres. 4WD cars will not burnout unless equipped to do so.
6.Roll forward to the Start Line when the marshal indicates. The start line is not actually marked on the track (because it would get scrubbed out very quickly), but the best way to spot it is to look for a gap in the red boarder next to the track.
7.The first pair of lights on the "starting tree" marked Pre Staged will light when you are nearly in position.
8.Roll a few inches further forward and the next pair of lights marked Staged will light also.
9.When you and your opponent are both staged and the track is clear, the three orange bulbs will light and then the Green. Now is the time to go!
10.Accelerate as hard as you can without spinning the wheels too much. The last timing beam is under the gantry exactly 1/4 of a mile from the start line.
11.Slow down gently once you have crossed the finish, and keep going until you reach the first Turn Off Point on the left. Check your mirrors for your opponent before turning off and heading back on yourself. Do NOT turn around if you miss the turn-off point, keep going and take the next exit on the left. Drive slowly and carefully once you have left the track.
12.You can collect Timing Slips from the signing on office at the startline tower. These are free to collect as soon as your run is complete. If in doubt at any point, simply look to the marshals for direction. Please do not smoke or use mobile phones when on the track.
5 RWYB Tips for a great ET:
•Avoid wheel spin on the run.
•Avoid hitting the rev-limiter.
•Change gear as smoothly and quickly as possible.
•Race on a warm, but not hot engine.
•Remember to take the handbrake off!!!
Oh and to clear a common misconception….
Some people want to know how cars and bikes can run fast ETs after having sat on the startline with a green light for ages. For example, the Fireforce jetcar can sit on the line for 3 seconds after getting the green light, and still run a sub-six-second pass! Well, the answer is not that it did the ¼ mile in 3 seconds, but the timing system doesn't start counting until the staging sensors have been cleared. This allows the casual Run What Ya Brung'er to get themselves fully prepared on the line without having to worry about reaction times distorting their vehicle's performance.
So, if you are not interested in reaction times, but are interested in performance, take your time on the startline to get the revs right before dropping the clutch. Panic-free performance! Remember, in a real race situation, your reaction time is added to your ET to find the winner, so reaction time becomes critical. If you are serious about racing, you will need loads of attempts at improving both your RT and ET, and then work on synchronising them to get some really storming runs in.
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