Back in the days of racers racing or testing constantly....a Client named Chris asked to borrow a drag controller. So I let him use my Koford bread and butter square handle no knobs drag controller. 5 minutes later he returned it and said... it made my car too fast. Not what he needed for his bracket racing cars on the 1/4 mile track.
He is still a threat to win when he enters either a drag or road race. Controllers should be tested periodically against similar use controllers with the same car, on the same lane and at the same time to ensure you're not going slower due to your controller needing maintenance.
Sometimes you'll have a better 60' with a less jumpy controller. A 2 ohm might be better than a 1 ohm because the car leaves smoother from the line. An on/off switch style controller isn't recommended unless you're hosting a children's birthday that uses slow cars.
Let the counter man check your controller.
Loose trigger pivot screw
Missing handle screws
Worn alligator clips. The teeth wear down. That increases the chance of the clip falling off during a heat.
Pull back the clip boot to inspect the wire behind where the wire is soldered to the alligator clip for broken strands.
Oil the trigger pivot. Many are either axle bushings or axle ball bearings.
Tighten the resistor bolt of the resistor moves around.
Check where the wires exit the controller handle for damaged wire insulation.
