Racing

Mrspeedy123 · 03-02-2006, 09:24 PM

I just wanna see how many people race their Prius. I just got a new 05 and wonder how many people RACE or like to RACE with their Prius often

downsbs · 06-20-2006, 10:08 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mrspeedy123 @ Mar 2 2006, 10:24 PM) [snapback]219394[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I just wanna see how many people race their Prius. I just got a new 05 and wonder how many people RACE or like to RACE with their Prius often
[/b]

Why buy a Pruis to race? Fuel economy will not be nearly as good if you are racing, and isn't fuel economy the reason people buy the Prius?

ScottY · 06-20-2006, 10:31 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mrspeedy123 @ Mar 2 2006, 10:24 PM) [snapback]219394[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I just wanna see how many people race their Prius. I just got a new 05 and wonder how many people RACE or like to RACE with their Prius often
[/b]

I don’t know what the intension is for this topic, if it’s related to the infamous hybrid racing thread or not. But... MOST people who bought the Prius for reasons other than racing. If they are looking for a race car, then they bought themselves a wrong one. The Prius is not built for that purpose.

tnthub · 06-20-2006, 10:33 AM

Some people just like to have fun with their cars as well as use them for regular transportation.

Drag racing is the largest participant motor sport in the world. At the local level track hold bracket racing events so that anybody can compete on a fair basis regardless of the performance of their vehicle.

As a rule of thumb everybody competing at a bracket race event will receive two to three time trials. This is when you take your car down the track to see how quickly it will go.

For eliminations, each driver puts a number on their windows indicating the estimated time for the quarter mile. Two drivers at a time compete in each race. The reation time at the start is not calculated into the estimated time, but will have a definite impact on the results.

If the estimated ET (elapsed time) for a Prius is 18.0 seconds and that is put on the window and the person in the other lane has 14.0 on their window, the Prius would receive a four second head start. The first vehicle to the finish line without going quicker than the number on the window wins the round.

Most events have between 4 and 9 rounds of racing. Something as simple as cloud cover can change the ET of a vehicle significantly enough to alter the outcome of a race. To be proficient the driver will generally need to have a reation time of quicker than .550 (.500 is perfect), and the vehicle will need to perform within 2 hundredths of a second of the estimated time (dial in).

Look at it this way... It is a day at the track. Most racers are interested in technology rather than being against it. Hybrids are cool and the potential performance of electric engines is incredible.

The sport is extremely difficult to win at consistently as there are so many factors that can impact a vehicles performance and the driver has a lot to do with the outcome. simple selecting exactly where you line up at the starting line can alter the elapsed time by up to half a tenth of a second.

It is legal. You can win money. You spend time with other automotive enthusiasts. It is the safest of all automotive sports. There is no oncoming traffic, the strip is plenty wide, and you probably have more risk of hurting something while in a mall parking lot than you do at the drag strip in a Prius.

Just my .02....

ScottY · 06-20-2006, 10:42 AM

tnthub, most Prius owners' reponse to this is, "are you kidding? that would kill my lifetime (or tank) MPG!!!"

Getting the most MPG out of the Prius is fun for many of us.

tnthub · 06-20-2006, 12:19 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ScottY @ Jun 20 2006, 10:42 AM) [snapback]274068[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

tnthub, most Prius owners' reponse to this is, "are you kidding? that would kill my lifetime (or tank) MPG!!!"

Getting the most MPG out of the Prius is fun for many of us.
[/b]

I spend most days trying to get the best mpg possible out of whatever vehicle I am driving and I agree that it is fun and very challenging. However I also made it to the semi-finals of an "import day" a couple of years back driving a Suzuki Aero... 8 rounds....

aaf709 · 06-20-2006, 12:31 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tnthub @ Jun 20 2006, 07:33 AM) [snapback]274063[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Look at it this way... It is a day at the track. Most racers are interested in technology rather than being against it. Hybrids are cool and the potential performance of electric engines is incredible.

The sport is extremely difficult to win at consistently as there are so many factors that can impact a vehicles performance and the driver has a lot to do with the outcome. simple selecting exactly where you line up at the starting line can alter the elapsed time by up to half a tenth of a second.

Just my .02....
[/b]

I remember seeing an old ad for Stutz Motor Cars which explained why they raced. It puts the greatest amount of stress on the car in the shortest amount of time. They could see what went wrong at the track and would make changes in their cars.

Cheap! · 06-20-2006, 12:45 PM

When I race my Prius with my friends, I always say "First one to get there with the highest MPG wins." I haven't lost yet.

Maybe we should have some Priuschat races. "Teams of two (Both Prius owners- One hypermiler, and one new owner) 50 mile course (25 miles about 50 mph, 25 miles below 41 mph), whoever has the highest MPG wins." It would be a great place to learn P&G from your teammate.

Tom_06 · 06-20-2006, 04:43 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mrspeedy123 @ Mar 2 2006, 10:24 PM) [snapback]219394[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I just wanna see how many people race their Prius. I just got a new 05 and wonder how many people RACE or like to RACE with their Prius often
[/b]

If you did this mod, you'd have a three-way hybrid and could win just about any race. Plus the hatchback in the 2004-2006 Prius would probably make it easy!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/artic...&type=printable

- Tom

cwerdna · 06-21-2006, 02:51 AM

As someone who used to take has taken his 287 hp Z (and 255 hp Maxima) to track for drag racing, I think racing a Prius is downright silly.

It wouldn't do well in an autocross stock and would be beaten by almost everyone in a drag race. In a drag race, about the only ones you'd beat are really slow econoboxes. I don't think bracket racing would be a good idea either due to variation in 1/4 mile times due to variance in battery SOC.

View Poll Results: Who uses their Prius to race fairly often
I do	9	16.98%
I dont	44	83.02%
Voters: 53. You may not vote on this poll

06-20-2006, 10:33 AM	#4
tnthub Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 463 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Some people just like to have fun with their cars as well as use them for regular transportation. Drag racing is the largest participant motor sport in the world. At the local level track hold bracket racing events so that anybody can compete on a fair basis regardless of the performance of their vehicle. As a rule of thumb everybody competing at a bracket race event will receive two to three time trials. This is when you take your car down the track to see how quickly it will go. For eliminations, each driver puts a number on their windows indicating the estimated time for the quarter mile. Two drivers at a time compete in each race. The reation time at the start is not calculated into the estimated time, but will have a definite impact on the results. If the estimated ET (elapsed time) for a Prius is 18.0 seconds and that is put on the window and the person in the other lane has 14.0 on their window, the Prius would receive a four second head start. The first vehicle to the finish line without going quicker than the number on the window wins the round. Most events have between 4 and 9 rounds of racing. Something as simple as cloud cover can change the ET of a vehicle significantly enough to alter the outcome of a race. To be proficient the driver will generally need to have a reation time of quicker than .550 (.500 is perfect), and the vehicle will need to perform within 2 hundredths of a second of the estimated time (dial in). Look at it this way... It is a day at the track. Most racers are interested in technology rather than being against it. Hybrids are cool and the potential performance of electric engines is incredible. The sport is extremely difficult to win at consistently as there are so many factors that can impact a vehicles performance and the driver has a lot to do with the outcome. simple selecting exactly where you line up at the starting line can alter the elapsed time by up to half a tenth of a second. It is legal. You can win money. You spend time with other automotive enthusiasts. It is the safest of all automotive sports. There is no oncoming traffic, the strip is plenty wide, and you probably have more risk of hurting something while in a mall parking lot than you do at the drag strip in a Prius. Just my .02.... __________________ 2002 Champion New England Dragway 2001 GM High Tech Shootout Winner 1999 Champion Oxford Dragway http://www.tntdragracing.com

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03-02-2006, 09:24 PM	#1
Mrspeedy123 Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 5 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I just wanna see how many people race their Prius. I just got a new 05 and wonder how many people RACE or like to RACE with their Prius often

06-20-2006, 10:42 AM	#5
ScottY Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 1,245 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #3 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	tnthub, most Prius owners' reponse to this is, "are you kidding? that would kill my lifetime (or tank) MPG!!!" Getting the most MPG out of the Prius is fun for many of us.

06-20-2006, 12:45 PM	#8
Cheap! Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,157 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 4	When I race my Prius with my friends, I always say "First one to get there with the highest MPG wins." I haven't lost yet. Maybe we should have some Priuschat races. "Teams of two (Both Prius owners- One hypermiler, and one new owner) 50 mile course (25 miles about 50 mph, 25 miles below 41 mph), whoever has the highest MPG wins." It would be a great place to learn P&G from your teammate.

06-21-2006, 02:51 AM	#10
cwerdna Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,490 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	As someone who used to take has taken his 287 hp Z (and 255 hp Maxima) to track for drag racing, I think racing a Prius is downright silly. It wouldn't do well in an autocross stock and would be beaten by almost everyone in a drag race. In a drag race, about the only ones you'd beat are really slow econoboxes. I don't think bracket racing would be a good idea either due to variation in 1/4 mile times due to variance in battery SOC.