"Clutching" to get a better launch?

[Dick R.]

Riaan,

I recommend that you contact Craig Taylor at
http://www.taylor-race.com/ for information and potential solutions. Craig has lots of knowledge regarding clutches and has plenty of solutions. My "guess" is that you will also need to consider a gearing change to reduce the need for clutch slip.

Dick

[Dick R.]

Riaan,

Another key factor in my clutch withstanding hundreds of standing starts is to make sure that I get wheelspin rather than clutch slip at each start. This is possible, even with warm "slick" tires, due to a combination of gearing, engine revs, and "agressive" clutch pedal movement. Tires are relatively cheap and generally work better when hotter anyway . . . just the opposite of clutches. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Dick

[D.T. Benner]

Now i'll have to wait till next year to try some of these ideas! Yesterday at our last SCCA race for this year[Thunderhill California] I was all set to try some of the ideas expressed here! Starting 4th.overall with my friend Mark Ishikawa om the pole in his Swift 008. I know mark likes a slow start and wouldn't you know the starter throws the green just as i'm shifting from 1st to 2nd.! Dang! all I could do was gas it and go! So much for planning. I was able to get a jump on my competition[a Ralt RT-4 with a BMW V-12!] and win. So I have all winter to think about it.

[Dave Belz]

Dang! all I could do was gas it and go! So much for planning. I was able to get a jump on my competition[a Ralt RT-4 with a BMW V-12!] and win. [/QB]

Specifically for the new racers checking in on this thread... Check this quote (emphasis on "WIN"), and then go back to the earliest 4- 6 posts and reread them.

Find a method that works well for you and stick to it until you KNOW that it's hindering your starts, then and only then, experiment with something new. My name obviously won't pull the same weight as one other Dave in this thread but I've managed to win a few races at my chosen level of competition, and people are not blowing by me into the first turn... The ONLY thing that I FOCUS on at the start is the person holding the green flag.

I don't use either clutch or brake at starts - but I did once have to really stand on the binders, when a very reputable driver in front of me did not see the green as quickly as I did (no contact) .