Rep Power: 292

So I was coming back from the local drag strip (just watching btw) so im all pumped to race and I (02 lx coupe) pull up to a light beside a 02 i think focus SE. Now he was all by himself and all i could hear was his dumb *** stereo playing **** music and he kept inchin forward so im like alright i think i can beat a focus why not, So we go and he has me off the satrt and by the end of 1st were even than 2nd he starts gaining again then at the top of second im pullin him in but i gotta shift to third and gains again! Im like WTF its a focus!! so we try again from the next lights pretty much the same thing except i got a better launch but he still beat me, than one more time but same results he beat me by like 1/2 car or more each time! Im not the best driver but im good, I just thought I woulda been able to take him! I tried to talk to him to see if he had any mods but he turned off! bw all i got is I/E and 17s! Why did this happen to Me I was rather embarassed!

 
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lose the 17s, and he probably wasnt stock. There is no way we could lose to a stock Focus... no possible way (excluding SVT)

 
Rep Power: 401

your driving skills are probably not the best, and your rims are slowin you down. a focus isn't faster than a civic. (svt excluded)

 
Rep Power: 292

Ok like I said I know im not the best driver but I think im pretty good! whats the difference between a great driver and a good driver? In a straight line there cant really be much difference can there? Its just get a good launch take it to 6000rpms and shift quick right? plus would me having a passenger make a differnce between a win and a loss? Please help I dont wanna lose to another focus!

 
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u gotta take it to 6750 rpms lol, right b4 redline

 
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drivin is a big role in street racin

 
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Between 6700-6800, right before redline, shift. Ive beaten may cars, some faster than me, because they shift early. Unless you have light racing 17"s, lose them. They are weighing you down. What do you have on your car?

 
Rep Power: 4647

yea thats right, take it to redline... burn that motor up..
do something... lets blow our Singled Over Hamster Cages (SOHC) up!

 
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single cam bangers..isn't a focus dual? i raced a focus auto tranny w/ cai, springs. my was bone stock w/ 15 in OE wheel hubcaps..won by half a car in a quarter mile. you should shift right at 7K and Ride the clutch on first gear everyTIME.. never drop and release gas and clutch pedal. cuz if you do that, then it'll take awhile for your clutch to wear out, so you should break your car asap.

 
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Maybe it was a stock focus - but a way better driver. RT is key in a light to light race, but means nothing on a 1/4 time.

 
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your passanger and the 17s slowed you down...but dont sweat it..your car looks 10 times better...

 
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Your 17's are weighing you down. Get lightweight 16's.

Having a passenger doesn't mean you'll lose a race.

You shifted too early.

 
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having a passenger doesnt mean youll lose but its equivilant to having 10 less hp...weightower...100:10...im asuming the passenger weighed at least 100.

 
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the rule of thumb is 100 lbs equals .1 of a second off...never heard of the 10 hp thing...maybe its true

 
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Damn... lost to our #1 enemy. I'm more ashamed of you than you were embarrassed.

 
Rep Power: 292

Well thanx for the advice guys. I know I know you guys are all ashamed of me for losing to our #1 enemy but hey I tried! Yeah I know the 17s slow me down but they look better than 15s or 16s and I know civics arent fast so it might as well look good right? So do you think takin it up to 6750 instead of 6000 is really gonna make a difference? Do we have much power left that high in the rpm's???? Is there anything else I can do to better my driving skills besides the launch and shifting points?

 
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Haha... That's harsh.

 
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Do not "chirp" or spin your tires when you enter 2nd gear (3rd too for some of us) so be somewhat considerate on the clutch entering 2nd. Take it all the way to the redline. Practice launching but keep in mind a good launch will add wear to your clutch but you also have to move the car on time. Dumping it will only deteriorate the life of the front axles and give you the worse possible start. Try not to hit the rev limiter as it would just be as faulty as spinning your tires. Find the RPM on your tachometer to feather the clutch out while on the gas (a.k.a. the sweet spot). The RPMs will be too low if the car bogs. It's too high if the car accelerates poorly. But it's just right when the car actually pulls once the gears catch (your car should already be moving fairly good when they do catch). Try to do this without tirespin. For me, it's no more than 4,500 RPMs and no less than 4,000 RPMs.

 
Rep Power: 339

Yeah, 4000 RPMs is pretty good for me too. According to Car and Driver, Focus SE stock vs stock, we are slightly faster.

 
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Slightly? I laugh at any focus I see, and have never seen an svt so I laugh at them too, bring all the compacts you want that are n/a and very few will beat us that are on our level.

 
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I don't believe the SVT is N/A. That car is faster than the Civic Si hatch. Not to mention it also handles better, too. It also revs higher for you people who like broader powerbands.

 
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who races without redlining?

 
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Ah yes good point made about n/a is'nt Fords new edge SuperCharging everything>?

 
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wow, you shifted way too early....
dont think really think its your passenger/rims
you werent racing a svt or anything...

 
Rep Power: 381

Turn off your AC

 
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And radio.

 
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I read that a really powerful, torquey RWD car doesn't need to do redline shifts.

Our cars have to be pushed to the limit. I suppose it's a gearing thing...

 
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Cmon do 17s really make that much of a difference?

 
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Focus aren't that bad, don't beleive all the haters. The SVT is n/a and runs just a few tenths faster than the SI...most times its just a drivers race between the two. But, they handle great and their cheaper than other cars in its class.

 
Rep Power: 344

why would you redline if the maximum horspower is at 6300? beyond 6300 is waisting revs.

at least thats how it works in real cars, never tryed to race my civic.