socal08xb

my buddy has a fusion and wants to race for paychecks this weekend


...


i got a stock manual scion xb and he has a stock ford fusion

ive raced my old honda civic before and he's NEVER raced before

do i have a chance?

midtowndesi

You have better chances of becoming one of those ricer kids that winds up dead after wrapping their "souped up" import around a tree.

Have fun. If we don't hear from ya, we'll know what happened.

/ rant

socal08xb

hahaha, except its not "souped" up, i havent raced it yet, we are doing it on a track for racing

its not against law to go fast dude, as long as your doing it legally

dont jump to conclusions when you judge someone...

burstaneurysm

Depends on how he drives I guess... the Fusion is lighter than the xB (assuming you are talking about the 0

BoxOffice

A. If you're 16 and making minimum wage, you don't have much to lose, so go for it.
B. You've posted in the xB Gen. 1 forum. (Your avatar and username reference a Gen 2.)
C. "midtowndesi" had a good point that should be well-taken by all (especially the younger drivers). You didn't mention anything about a track being involved, so his was a valid assumption.
D. None of the rest of us have any stake at all in the whole thing, so if you think racing a compact four door family sedan is really cool, knock yourself out...

burstaneurysm

My thoughts exactly.

midtowndesi

Thank you for the support, Box Office. I do not post to offend. I just hope it opened eyes. I am tired and quite saddened to see so many tC's tore in half, people flipping xBs while racing (youtube) so when someone asks a question like this, it is a safe bet that the person is young and does not understand why they shouldn't race a family sedan.

Chance

I believe the Ford Fusion is an AWD car as well. In my head, I see you getting beat, badly.

vettereddie

Stock 2006 Scion xB 1/4 mile estimates to 17.2s @ 83 mph, 103 hp, 101 ft-lbs torque (this is base, not wheel), 2425 lbs

Stock 2007 Ford Fusion, is it 4-cyl or 6 front wheel drive, or 6 all-wheel?
I-4 is 160 hp, 156 ft-lbs, 16.6 s @ 84 mph, 3175 lbs
V-6 FWD is 221 hp, 205 ft-lbs, 15.5s @ 91 mph 3232 lbs
V-6 AWD same engine, 1/4 time not listed 3577 lbs

(from cars.com)

Unless you're pretty good on the shifts and he has horrible reaction time, I wouldn't put money down on this one. if you want to be fair, why not run bracket racing with a handicap? Both of you run a few practice runs, put up the time you think you'll race, then go head to head with the xB going earlier off the line for a handicap.

jallamas

jallamas

vettereddie

Also, for the most fun to be had in all of motorsports for $500, check out

http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/, that's Lemons with an "o"

This one is not SCCA sanctioned,a nd if the event sponsor thinks you put more then $500 in your ride, he buys it from you. Also, the purse is paid in nickels.

socal08xb

thanks vetter eddie! thats wat i was looking for


i am glad someone had answers rather than useless critisims


thanks again, its gonna be a close one this weekend!!!


ill post after the race

Jan06xB

Not exactly the bes thing to be doing to a new car until is has some miles on it to break it in properly.

Lighten up the car as much as possible - don't have too much gas in the tank - remove the spare and if turns are involved fold down the seats to lower the CG. Remember the clutch is made to slip . . . not to be dumped suddenly to crack the wheels loose and do a burnout. You get much more acceleration when you keep the RPM around 3k and give plenty of gas while slipping the clutch - too much rpm and you break the wheels loose and start spinning. Practive it a little and allow the clutch to cool between take offs. Check your tire pressure also - not sure what you should be running for pressure but softer for straight line racing and harder for curves. Good luck and have fun!

socal08xb

thanks a bunch, ill be pulling out the tire tonight and ill check online what the best pressure would be. what do you mean exactly by the clutch is made to slip?

typhoonorchid

I would only have 3-4 gallons in. Pull the spare and jack that should save another 31 lbs.
Try and stay in the powerband. Between about 4.5 - 6k.
Good luck, let us know.

typhoonorchid

Ok I just did a little research and your likely to get spanked.

I'm going to assume he's got a V6 automatic.
Curb weight 3280 / 166 whp (crank hp times .75 through an automatic tranny)
=19.75 p/w
Box- curb weight 2395 / 92 stock whp = 26.03 p/w

Fusion wins. plus it may have AWD + a 6-speed automatic.
If he has a 4-banger, than you have a much closer shot.

edit* OK, I was thinking you had a gen 1.
So, recalculate using your weight and whp. I say you'll still lose against the V6.

Dispatcher138

go race...post results


my guess...the fusion wins.

Jan06xB

The idea of slipping the clutch is to keep the RPM of the engine at a torque/rpm point that creates the maximum needed torque to take off with but not too high a Torque/RPM level to break the wheels loose - you hold that RPM by slipping the clutch until the wheels/xB gets up to speed then let the clutch out the rest of the way allowing the RPM to continue to increase to redline then shift. If you just DUMP the clutch with full throttle you may bogg the engine or break the wheels loose and do a burn out which does NOT give you the maximum acceleration from the start. If your tires are sticky enough you should rev the engine at the max torque rpm of the engine and that gives you the most acceleration out of the trap.

socal08xb

it was a 4cy ford fusion

it went down this morning and i lost by .5 sec

he was a little worried though and so was i so we didnt bet whole checks. just 20 bux cuz we both we were goin to lose


oh well. i guess its time for mods