Drag Racing a 200TQ?

["Scott Mo." <scottmo@teleport.com>]

This past weekend I took my '89 200TQ down to the PIR raceway where they
were having 1/4 drag races to get some baseline test results for the
basic ECU mod I have been testing these past 18 months. Air temp was 55F
with relative humidity around 41%. I weighed my car afterwords and it
weighed 3385 lbs with only a few gallons of gas in the tank. The test
weight during the drag runs with driver and some tools etc. was 3600 lbs
total.

The engine is a stock MC dual knock sensor with the K24 turbo. The only
mods being a modified ECU running a modest 11-12psi boost  (brief
overboost to 15psi) and the installation of the larger single pass
Intercooler out of the 1991 200TQ 20V engine. The car has 16 X 7.5 TSW
wheels and 205/5 x 16 D40M2 tires.

Getting the car to launch well off the line proved to be a difficult
task for me, I made a few runs during the time trials and only got one
good launch. The first two runs, I started out with the revs at
2500-3500 but the car would bog really  bad in first gear as the tires
gripped well off the line. The first 1/4 mile time I got was a 15.37 sec
at 91.3MPH. 60ft time was 2.35 seconds, 1/8 mile time was 9.95 seconds.
I had a G-Tech Pro connected and it gave a 1/4 mile time of 15.07 at
96.7MPH. The second run I bogged again off the line again but did not
get a time due to a timing equipment error. 

On the third run, I raised the launch RPM up to ~4000 RPM and finally
got a good take off and launch. I managed to get a time of 14.75 seconds
at 92.3MPH. My 60ft time was 2.02 seconds and the 1/8 mile time was 9.4
seconds. The G-Tech Pro  gave a reading of 14.94 sec at 92.3 MPH. This
was the closest the G-Tech readout came to reality. Getting a good ET in
these Quattros requires a pretty aggressive launch technique as the all
wheel drive grip will make the car bog if you don't keep the revs up.
There were several people who came up to the car and were surprised that
an "Audi" could scoot down the track.

The first run of the elimination round I bogged the car again off the
line and got a 1/4 mile time of 15.33 sec @ 91.7MPH, 60ft time was 2.36,
1/8 mile time was 9.93 seconds. The G-Tech showed a 1/4 mile time of
14.67 @ 99.6MPH. My dial in time was 14.7 but fortunately my opponent
red lighted so I won and went to the next round.

My next run I got another good launch, the car turned a 14.84 @ 91.5MPH,
60ft time was 2.00 seconds, 1/8 mile time was 9.43 seconds,
unfortunately I hit the overboost fuel pump cutout briefly in third gear
which didn't help my ET or MPH. The G-Tech Pro showed a 1/4 mile time of
14.36 @98.3MPH. The other guy ran too fast for his dial in time, so once
again I won and made it to the next round.

My final run I was running against a Chevy pickup with a 454 V8, I left
too early and red-lighted,  I spun the tires hard in 1st gear and
over-revved the car in second and hit the rev limiter, what a horrible
run! There may have been water or oil on the track which caused the
tires to spin so badly, I didn't think this was possible in the dry in a
Quattro. I ran a 15.1 @ 92 MPH, (no G-tech info)(When I redlighted, I
left 0.111 seconds early before the green light, my competitor also
red-lighted and left 0.110 seconds early, but he won because his
redlight time was less by 0.001 seconds!)

All of this rambling indicates that times from the G-tech should be
averaged and you may want to throw out the highest and lowest times
recorded. Getting a good 1/4 mile time in the Quattros does take some
practice and hopefully the clutch and drivetrain will survive these sort
of "exercises". 

Now it is time to test the latest ECU mods with some more boost and more
fuel....

May the tire smoke be with you.....
-- 
Scott Mo.
1989 200TQ
http://www.teleport.com/~scottmo