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Drag racing in a 13 year old Volvo S60: My Experience

Once the Volvo S60 got going, it did make up for the slow starts; Managed to outpace a BMW 330i and an Audi TT 45TSI

BHPian khan_sultan recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Took the Volvo out for a well-deserved picnic… at Race Wars India! Because what’s a better way to relax than some good old-fashioned tyre-screeching, engine-revving, speed-chasing mayhem? The event was held at Buddh Circuit, and I signed up for the 0-100m drag with unlimited runs -- basically, unlimited chances to embarrass myself in front of speed junkies who do this regularly.

Now, this was my first-ever drag event. My past experience? Crawling over rocks and tackling slow-speed off-roading. So yeah, jumping into a drag race was like trading a calm yoga session for an intense HIIT workout -- big shift, much excitement, and lots of confusion.

Arrival: Early Bird Gets the… Empty Track?

Being the eager beaver I am, I reached before the organizers. Yep, first to arrive. Even the Volvo was like, "Bro, are we too early?" The winter morning drive was smooth, the car was happy, and I had a whole place to myself for a bit.

Once the organizers showed up, registration went smoothly.

Got my bands, car access pass, and an entire sticker collection -- basically turned my Volvo into a moving billboard. Stickered up, feeling official!

With my car looking the part, I took a stroll and admired the tuner cars flexing their mods for the autotrack event.

Meanwhile, the crew was busy setting up the drag equipment, testing the beams and computers.

Prepping the viewing and the drift area, which later turned into a full-on smoke show.

Then, the drag lineup opened. Cars started rolling in, and some of them were:

BMW M340i – Fast, and the driver was nailing an avg of 0.4xx second reaction times with 0.2xx seconds on several runs!

X4 M40 – Absolute rocket. This thing launched and kept on going and going and going till the end of the strip!!

Audi TT 45TSI – Classy, sporty, and quick.

And finally, yours truly in the Volvo, casually pulling up to the line.

The Drags: Reaction Time, what’s that?

My runs? Let’s just say the Volvo had the legs, but my reaction time needed some serious work. While other cars took off like fighter jets, I was out here contemplating life for an average of 0.9 seconds before hitting the throttle.

That said, once the Volvo got going, it did make up for the slow starts. Managed to outpace a BMW 330i and an Audi TT 45TSI, which was honestly unexpected with my skills. The real showstopper was a fully modded Skoda VRS in the OPEN Class -- that thing was lightning fast (and the fastest car of the day), but hey, I was only 0.917 seconds behind it. Not bad for a 13-year-old Volvo!

Key Learnings from My Drag Racing Debut

  • Master the Christmas Tree Lights -- Staring at them like they owe me money isn’t helping. Must react faster.
  • Improve Launch Technique -- Apparently, launching at zero revs is not the way to go. Holding revs for 2-3 seconds makes a difference.
  • Find the Perfect Transmission Mode -- Tried manual S1 & S2; felt weird. Found regular S mode worked best. More testing needed!
  • Volvo = Sleeper Beast -- It recorded the 5th fastest time overall, across all categories/classes. Fellow racers were shocked at how quick it was, and several came to me after the runs to ask about the car. A 13-year-old Volvo giving modern cars a hard time? Priceless.

Drift Action & Tyre Carnage

Between runs, I wandered over to the drift area -- because watching cars violently destroy their tyres is always entertaining.

More drifters waiting for their turn to burn some rubber

Rubber was burnt, tyres were shredded, and a pit crew was on standby to tend to the cars and do rapid tyre swaps. Absolute madness.

Did few more runs and as the day wrapped up and the circuit lights came on, it was time to head home -- happy and loaded with new racing wisdom.

Final verdict? A Sunday well spent. The Volvo proved itself, I learned a ton, and next time, I’ll come back sharper, faster, and hopefully, with better reaction times.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

 
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