I'm going to disagree with loxxr6 on a couple of things. (Sorry mate ;))
As it's your first time out don't worry about tyre pressures, or your reaction time. Everything else loxxr6 said I agree with.
Leave your pressures as is. Work on getting the best launch rpm as you drive it off the street. That gives you a starting point, and as you get experience and get the feel for launching, then playing with pressures will make more sense to you.
Reaction time doesn't affect your ET. As it's your first time out, take your time. Let the light go green, let the other guy zoom off down the track. Just concentrate on your launch RPM. If it takes you another 5 secs after the light goes green so be it. Take your time. Play with different stall speeds. Try launching at 1800rpm. Then increase it by maybe 50rpm each time, till you start losing traction. Compare your 60' times to each rpm to find your sweet spot. It's all about trial and error.
The sweet spot will change once you play with pressures. The track 'stickiness' will also change from day to day. There's other variables that come into it also.
Also, try to 'shallow stage'. That is, monitor your staging lights. (Two white lights atop the tree). As you creep onto the staging line the first light will glow. Now stop. Now, as slow as you can move forward till the next light also glows. STOP as soon as it lights up. Now you are (shallow) staged. Shallow staging will help you achieve a better ET, and better 60' time. You'll have that little extra speed before you break the beam and start the clock.
Your reaction time will suffer, but that's not important, until you start bracket racing.
Try to keep your staging as constant as possible. It's another variable that affects your 60' time, and as you want to concentrate on your launch rpm, which is indicated by your 60' time, you want your stage to be as constant as possible.
With the auto, just keep it in performance mode. Has given me the best results with my car.
Oh, and have fun ofcourse.
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