Performance tests from a standstill

Hello, first post :)

I've been fiddling around with RC a little bit until my "race car" is running again, and I was wondering how accurate performance testing is from a standstill.

In particular, it appears to take some time before the timer starts to run when taking off. Since I have no more accurate way to verify the times I thought i'd see if anyone ever did any comparitive measurements.

I did a 0-60mph run in my daily driver and I thought the time seemed perhaps a tad optimistic but not impossible.

Using 5 Hz BT Qstarz.

I imagine that performance test with a rolling start might be more accurate than those from a standstill?

As a side note, perhaps it could be a future modification to the 1/4 mile performance test to show "end speed" not only as the actual speed at 402.xx meters but also in the same way as drag strips do (average speed over the last 60ft)

Hope to record some nice laps of the Nurburgring in a few weeks.

Comments

  • edited August 2009
    Yes, there's some time the timer takes to start, but it does not mean this makes the result inaccurate. There is some delay on the GPS data, and also RaceChrono to determine you have started. If the time seems unrealistic just check the 60ft time, if it's realistic for your car. And yes, the accuracy is much better with rolling start.

    I never realized the end speed is actually average speed over last 60ft. Good find!
  • Actually to be entirely accurate, the first beam is 66ft before the finish (where the final timing beam is) and the trap speed is the average over that distance. This is why the "trap speed" of the RC software (and many other systems) is always reading a couple mph higher than what you see on a dragstrip.

    Would be nice to have both numbers available :)
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