[fastrThanU]

nonono... if you have an automatic, press the brake with your left foot just enough to keep the car from moving foreward while pressing the gas with your right foot, bringing the rpms to about 2500-3000 depending on how powerful your motor is. on go, release the brake quickly and keep the gas pedal in the same position as before until you hook up the traction for about 7 ft. then, mash the gas. this is called a brake stand. it allows you to start in an rpm range closer to the power peak.

on a manual, press the clutch in, bring the rpms up to about 2500-3000 again, and on the go signal, dump the clutch and keep you foot at the same point on the gas (same as above) after you start to move, nail the gas and go.

both these practices are for optimal low speed acceleration off the line. they are a fine art of finding the best balance between bog and spin. if you do it right, you will leave the line with just a small amount of tire squeal. take your car to a straight back road and practice until you can get a "feel" for the way your car wants to launch and pay CLOSE attention to the rpms until you can do it consistently.

when shifting an automatic, manually shift it from Low to Second, and then to Drive. you're gonna want to shift the tranny about a quarter sec. to a half sec. before you reach your shifting rpm, because there is always a little delay before the torque converter kicks in and puts the tranny into the gear you just put it in. you will have to look up the engine specs for your car to find the rpm at which it produces the most HP. shift at approximately 500 rpms higher than that (you can usually feel it) if you have a 4-cyl, stay closer to the peak rpm for your shifting point, because their power curve tends to drop off sharply. in an 8-cyl, for example, you can maybe go for a little more, as their curve doesn't drop off nearly as sharply.

good luck.