There are so many tools that drag racers can use outside of wrenches in their toolbox to improve performance at the track. Technological tools like traction control have changed the game, but you still need to know which products will work with your application and how to use them.

Austin Vincent competes in the PDRA’s Super Street category. His Mustang is powered by a small-block Ford that huffs a whole bunch of nitrous through a carbureted induction system. Vincent wanted to create a system that would work with his MSD Grid to control the engine and give him more tuning tools. After talking with Shannon Davis, owner of Davis Technologies, a plan was created to help the Mustang become a Super Street frontrunner.

“All of these EFI systems have traction control, and if you’re running on a slick like we do, it would be dumb not to use it if it’s allowed. So, we added a Profiler, EFI Module, Digital Ignition Module, and Vehicle Position Sensor system from Davis Technologies to help us manage the car,” Vincent says.

Adding these modules to the MSD Grid gives Vincent precise control of the engine’s timing during a run. This works out great in a nitrous application and gives Vincent another tool to tune his car.

“I can build pre-set curves that allow me to work towards a 60-foot I need the car to run based on track conditions. It gives me the ability to add and remove power to match the curve and optimize what the car will do. You have to remember, traction control is just a tool that only performs as well as the input it’s given. This isn’t a silver bullet for success, you still need to tune for the conditions to get the best outcome,” Vincent explains.

One of the biggest advantages the Davis Technologies products have given Vincent is the ability to set the car up to be more consistent no matter what condition it encounters.

“The traction control has allowed us to make a lot more A-to-B runs. The tune-up still needs to be in the ballpark. If the sun comes out from behind the clouds and the track gets hot, the traction control can catch it and bring the car back to your driveshaft curve. Likewise, if you don’t have enough power in it with the launch retard or nitrous, it can add timing to catch the car back up to your programmed driveshaft curve,” Vincent says.

Traction control isn’t just for vehicles with EFI or vehicles that use boost as a power adder. You can work with a company like Davis Technologies to build a system that will work for your application, which will improve how well it performs at the track as well as how consistently it runs in challenging track conditions.