Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Owner Seeks Drag Strip Advice

A Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG owner seeks drag racing advice from the community after a disappointing trip to the track.

While the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is an impressive machine on the drag strip, getting the quickest quarter mile times isn’t as simple as just mashing the pedal. MBWorld member 6ml500 recently learned that after taking his Benz to the track, so he turned to the community for advice on getting better elapsed times.

I have a stock c63 2013 performance package. I went to the track last weekend and could only run a 12.8 at 113 best. I did 4 runs in total, all trapping at 113mph. I felt it was a bit low. Track altitude 600 feet. Horrible 2.2-2.3 60 foot times.

Only mod is charcoal delete and new afe pro dry filters.

I was expecting a higher trap speed even with the bad 60ft times.

After a bit of discussion, the OP revealed that he was running his C63 AMG on all-season tires with the traction control system on. The community was quick to point out that both his tires and his traction control were major contributors to his slower-than-expected quarter mile times.

AMGonFire offered this insight, which is helpful information to everyone looking to get the best track times:

Drag radials and you will be a lot happier with your times 2.2 and 2.3 60s is bad. That’s your time loss there. Also with weather conditions you want to look at your density altitude that also takes into account your elevation. There is a good calculator on Drag Times that you can pull up your track you were at the day and time. It will give you everything you need weather wise for that day. Add in your elevation and hit calculate. Gives you your da and your corrected time if conditions were perfect.

I am Jeff echoed the sentiments of most of those commenting with a nice, short explanation:

The traction control left on plus the all season tires can contribute to lower trap speeds.

The Importance of Good Tires

This discussion brings up an interesting point that many people aren’t familiar with – traction control slows the car down. Modern traction control systems improve grip by reducing power. When power is reduced, the car gets traction, but it also does so with less power and that leads to slower performance times. Unless the vehicle in question has a traction control system designed for drag racing, running with the system on – even in sport modes – will almost always lead to slower quarter mile times.

This is why learning to launch a car like the Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG is so important. Traction control makes it easier to launch, but as is the case with most high performance cars, launching without the electronic helpers will generally lead to better track times. Of course, that requires practice and skill, but as the group has pointed out, adding high performance tires can also unlock a whole new level of performance.

Looking for advice on how to get the best track times for your Mercedes-Benz? Head into the forum and ask the community!

Should the OP get a stickier tire, he will likely find that he doesn’t need traction control to get his Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG away from the starting line. In other words, a good tire out back will allow this C63 to solve both of his issues, as his car was slowed down by the intervention of the traction control system due to the lack of grip from the all-season tires.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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