---Driving Techniques---

[MexSiR]

When racing from a dead stop how do you shift and what is faster for the quarter mile racing.

A) Punch it after spinning wheels and shifting at the redline or a little past redline before rev limiter. Shifting by taking your foot off the accelerator, pushing the clutch while putting the car into next gear, realeasing clutch as fast as possible and push the accelerator. This results in tires spinning on 2nd some times. Letting the clutch abruptly.

B) Punch it and shift before redline, lets say 500 rpms before redline. Shifting by pushing the clutch in while accelerating and putting car into gear. Can result in car hitting revlimiter since you are shifting with the accelerator pushed while having the clutch in. Known as power shifting. It doesent feel as abrupt as the option A, since its a smooth transition.

C) Punch it and shift at redline while partially having the clutch in so the revs are as close as the redline as possible before going over them. Sort of powershifting without the accelerator being fully in so the tach needle doesent go over redline. This one is the hardest.

I do option A. But I think the realising of the clutch very fast can deteriorate it fastly. What are the benefits of each and the downside, how do YOU do it?

[SilverY2KCivic]

I just put in "D4" and FLOOR it!

My car knows, or has adapted rather to my driving style, and knows when I want it to shift at redline, even for an automatic. No need to manual shift it here.

[MexSiR]

Well, do you know how to drive stick? the macho man transmission...lol

[KrNxRaCer00]

Originally Posted by SilverY2KCivic

I just put in "D4" and FLOOR it!

My car knows, or has adapted rather to my driving style, and knows when I want it to shift at redline, even for an automatic. No need to manual shift it here.

haha...i love it...

i do something like A.

rev to 3500-4000, feel the car an if its slipping too much. wait til i have jus enough traction then floor it. slam it between gears and jus mash it.

[SilverY2KCivic]

Originally Posted by MexSiR

Well, do you know how to drive stick? the macho man transmission...lol

Actually I do, but since my car happens to be auto, why bother? Stick isn't so macho when I've pounded on many before, and proven the one in an SLK Mercedes to be rather inferior.

[Dumped91Hatch]

I'm all about option A. I've never tried the other 2 before. I would think that if any would make the Clutch deterriorate (sp) faster it would be the last 2. All racing is going to make the clutch go out faster than normal driving. Your best bet if your worried about that would be to get an aftermarket clutch.

[MexSiR]

Yeah I think option A is the fastest one, although many people I know do option B, put I just dont like the feeling of pushing the clutch while pushing the accelerator.

[JakeDrummer]

shift right after you pass your peak power range. For me in my integra I run it to about 7k I think (i shift by butt, never watch my tach) My method of shifting is: Launch at about 3K and control wheel spin, once it grabs, punch it, and shift at 7k. I have a really weird way of shifting i think. I do it all in one quick motion. I drop off the gas, but hold it at about 3K. Thats the weird part, but its nice because I have instant power because I don't need to spin up the motor from idle. So yah I punch the clutch just enough to release the gear, shift, drop clutch and peg gas.

[Zonathin]

i don't know if this would actually happen, but does the engine take a little while to go back to idle rpms? (by little while i mean like less than a second but still have a little lag) if it does, than if you shift fast enough, wouldn't it be possible to keep the engine speed up?

[BullShifter]

Want the best advice? Practice, get ready to tear parts up.

D. none of the above - feather the clutch to prevent wheel spin in any gear.
www.racingschools.com

[KrNxRaCer00]

Originally Posted by jackasssi

Want the best advice? Practice, get ready to tear parts up.

D. none of the above - feather the clutch to prevent wheel spin in any gear.
www.racingschools.com

u've got to remember w/ our hondas (like urs) that unless we're racing in wet conditions, the torqueless wonders aren't going to spin. they may chirp a bit, but i dunno bout "spin." (i think of spin as burning rubber hardcore...)

EDIT: btw jake, i don't see how u even let the rpm drop that far. should be quick enough so the rpm drop only a couple k tops (atleast how i drive.)

i've never heard of someone who between shifts waits long enough for it to fall all the way down to idle.

[00accord44]

Originally Posted by KrNxRaCer00

u've got to remember w/ our hondas (like urs) that unless we're racing in wet conditions, the torqueless wonders aren't going to spin. they may chirp a bit, but i dunno bout "spin." (i think of spin as burning rubber hardcore...)

EDIT: btw jake, i don't see how u even let the rpm drop that far. should be quick enough so the rpm drop only a couple k tops (atleast how i drive.)

i've never heard of someone who between shifts waits long enough for it to fall all the way down to idle.

Dropping the hammer from anything short of 4500rpm should not cause much "spinning". Maybe a half second of chirping. ***In MOST stock/mildly modded hondas and acuras***

BUT at the same time, like jackassi said, you gotta control your clutch to prevent losing those prescious half seconds of chirping. It takes a little while to learn your clutch/engine well enough to be able to get the perfect launch. Same with shift points. As for shifting methods, I use method A (without the spinning tires).

Torque/spin control is a lesson that must be learned if you plan on driving in Chicago weather with Z-Rated tires!!!

[ArideII]

Is this the same thing that I call riding the clutch? Kinda having the clutch half engaged, never releasing it all the way???

[00accord44]

I guess you could call option C riding the clutch. But in this application, it at least has some sort of purpose. imho "riding the clutch" should only be used to identify those that have no idea how to use their left foot properly.

[MexSiR]

At least in my car if I do the movement really fast from realeasing clutch abruptly to hammering it, they chirp in second, if i dont do it too fast they dont.