Quote:
Originally Posted by SSDan
I've read about this debate many a time - shifting just before redline or shifting at the point the power curve starts to drop off. Its a great debate topic because either side can be argued and defended.
So, here is my take for shifting just before redline. The longer you accelerate in the lower gear - the longer you benefit from the multiplier factor for that lower gear even with some drop off after peak power. Most every case where the math is applied there is more power being put down in the lower gear even after the drop off versus the power the next highest gear provides after the shift. The other plus is shifting high in the rpm range makes it more likely the rpm drop from the shift drops you in back in the meat of the power range for that next gear.
I'm honestly not sure which is right. I have no personal experience to share for which produces the best time as I have only been down the drag strip for 5 or so runs and none with my current gen 6.
Just wanted to put the counter point out there for reaction.
note: On the other side of the debate - another plus of shifting a little early is it makes it less likely you will hit the rev limiter which we all know will ruin the time for that run.
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I see what you are saying, but in the past that usually doesn't work for me (it may for others). I spent many years bracket racing (and won my season class multiple times
), and while those cars were autos for consistency all my other cars I've drag raced over the years were manuals. So I have lots of seat time. I spent lots of time experimenting with my Coyote Mustang and C5Z with shift points. And in both cases I went a tad slower running out fully to the redline as oppose to shifting a few hundred rpm past the peak power points on those particular cars. As verified by dyno pulls I had made to establish peak power points. I have yet to run my Camaro (only 400 miles on it as of now), so I can't say how it will work out best, but I remember reading on here how a couple of the guys at the top of the manual fast lists that they went quicker shifting at around 6000 rpm. To be honest, I thought the rev limiter on these cars kicked in before 6500 rpm?