Quote:
Originally Posted by Hog
ET is meaningless in heads up because the timers for your own lane dont start until your vehicle moves, and end when your car breaks the beams at the finish line.
On the quicker shifting. Having quick shifts on a manual trans increases the amount of time that the drive wheels are putting power to the ground. The only way rpm drop during an upshift would increase appreciably is if shifted VERY slowly. Slow enough that the car actually loses speed during the shift, otherwise rpm in a manual trans car is pretty constant. This is where an automatic has an advantage, power is always being transmitted to the rear drive wheels during upshifts. But thats a different discussion.
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I know what you're saying, but I don't think e.t. is meaningless in a heads-up race. I think what you mean is that e.t. isn't the only factor, and that the quicker car can still lose if his reaction time is slower, giving the slower car an advantage.
On the quicker shifting issue, I think about it in terms of inertia. The difference between a power shift, and a granny shift, is that in a power shift the gas pedal is on the floor throughout the shift. When the clutch is disengaged, the rpms shoot up, the shift is made while this is happening, and when the clutch re-engages, the power is higher than before, therefore helping the engine rpm stay up higher in it's power band.
In the granny shifted car, shifted at the same rpm, as the clutch disengages the driver lets off the gas until the clutch is re-engaged. As it re-engages the rpms are lower than before, and pulled down further by the next gear. This loses inertia. The engine has to climb that rpm mountain again, three times during the race, (twice in a three speed car). It goes with out saying that when you are letting off the gas three times during the race, even for milliseconds, that is slowing you down.
Wear and tear on the gearbox is obviously the downside to power shifting. I've been through 3 transmissions doing this. So, now that I'm a Grandpa, I shift like Granny tells me to.
