i already did my research but couldn't find the answer

i keep on hearing people say how rwd always launch better on a drag race than fwd cars
can someone explain to me why this is?

 

Its simple physics. The drive wheels of a FWD car are close to the from. so when it launches the weight of the car it pushed to the rear wheels and thus the front wheels loose some traction. On the other hand when a RWD car launches the wieght again is transfered to the rear wheels and thus gives it better traction.

Does that about do it for yah?

 

oh yeah, now i get it. i never looked at it from that point of view.
i just kept on thinking that since the engine is in the front, then the front should always be heavier, and vice versa for rwd cars.
thankz for the answer

 

Cool beans. Also, welcome to the forum.

 

Or FWD pulls the car, RWD pushes the car....?

 

not really a factor in acceleration... when launching, weight is transfered to the rear which helps traction like windcalmer explained. Downside is that drivetrain loss is greater in RWD cars meaning that power is lost through the driveshaft and "rear-end". With a FWD car there is significantly less loss.

On average a FWD car will lose about 10-12% of its power by the time it reaches the wheels. RWD cars are closer to 15-18%... even more when you are running an AUTO tranny. AWD cars... close to 22-25% lost.