Staying in 1st Gear As Long As Possible?
Former Moderator
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,729
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Whats first gear? I forgot all about that gear when I switched to an AP2! Even today's race where my max speed was 53 mph and the slowest speed was 28 mph I still never thought about going to first. I think 28mph puts me at about 4200rpm in second gear. Not exactly in the meat of the powerband but it's nice having my vtec set at around 4K.
Video from todays tight and small ass course. The car was fuel starving at half of a tank and I had no access to fuel inbetween runs. Cost me a couple tenths for sure!
https://vimeo.com/93912863
as for the ap1 and downshifting, my rule was always "if you slow down to 30mph a downshift in the ap1 may be faster", you have to think about:
- it takes a .10 of a second to downshift
-you have to have smooth throttle application to not light up the tires
-you have to be smooth and the car feel stable in first so you can stay on line and drive the course correctly
- and it takes another .10 of a second to upshift
*risk of messing the shift up and losing time*
with that said:
-If you light up the tires you wasted the gain in acceleration ability of first gear over second
-if the speed doesn't drop down low enough into first gears power band (IE-30mph) the loss of .2 seconds worth shifting vs gain in acceleration quickly becomes obsolete
-If you cant keep the car calm and settled in first then the car isn't going to hold as high of a G load.
- staying on line and carrying as much speed as possible is more important then simply accelerating fast. We dont own corvette, this isn't point and shoot.
**messing up a shift kills the run**
So it comes down to weighting your options, an slow 30-32 mph corners can benefit from a down shift if done correctly. Higher speeds it may not be worth the risk. The easy answer is to switch to an AP2 and just put it in second and drive!
Video from todays tight and small ass course. The car was fuel starving at half of a tank and I had no access to fuel inbetween runs. Cost me a couple tenths for sure!
https://vimeo.com/93912863
as for the ap1 and downshifting, my rule was always "if you slow down to 30mph a downshift in the ap1 may be faster", you have to think about:
- it takes a .10 of a second to downshift
-you have to have smooth throttle application to not light up the tires
-you have to be smooth and the car feel stable in first so you can stay on line and drive the course correctly
- and it takes another .10 of a second to upshift
*risk of messing the shift up and losing time*
with that said:
-If you light up the tires you wasted the gain in acceleration ability of first gear over second
-if the speed doesn't drop down low enough into first gears power band (IE-30mph) the loss of .2 seconds worth shifting vs gain in acceleration quickly becomes obsolete
-If you cant keep the car calm and settled in first then the car isn't going to hold as high of a G load.
- staying on line and carrying as much speed as possible is more important then simply accelerating fast. We dont own corvette, this isn't point and shoot.
**messing up a shift kills the run**
So it comes down to weighting your options, an slow 30-32 mph corners can benefit from a down shift if done correctly. Higher speeds it may not be worth the risk. The easy answer is to switch to an AP2 and just put it in second and drive!
In an AP2 with short second gear, third is pretty much mandatory on a lot of National courses.
First is also critically important in an AP2 at the Nat champ level sometimes.
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 569
Likes: 1
From: Twin Cities
You're asking good questions, attending lots of events and grabbing instructors, and keeping an open mind.... you clearly have the right approach to learning.
I hope to be able to spend some time coaching with you in the future. I wish I could have made the practice event this past weekend. A good eye opener will be our Midway event. The lot is nicknamed "postage stamp" as it is a tiny little square of pavement. We typically get 8 runs, and speeds are usually mostly within 1-gear range. That said, it has been very very rare that I go faster there in 1st than in 2nd. If I do, it is never by much.
With 8 runs available, it is a perfect event to try both approaches and sit back during a break and compare the differences. Like the others have said, the benefit of a smooth controllable run typically out weights the acceleration benefits of first gear (until you reach the top top level of driving). From a learning stand point, first will make it much harder to work on other more important parts of driving.
- Matt
I hope to be able to spend some time coaching with you in the future. I wish I could have made the practice event this past weekend. A good eye opener will be our Midway event. The lot is nicknamed "postage stamp" as it is a tiny little square of pavement. We typically get 8 runs, and speeds are usually mostly within 1-gear range. That said, it has been very very rare that I go faster there in 1st than in 2nd. If I do, it is never by much.
With 8 runs available, it is a perfect event to try both approaches and sit back during a break and compare the differences. Like the others have said, the benefit of a smooth controllable run typically out weights the acceleration benefits of first gear (until you reach the top top level of driving). From a learning stand point, first will make it much harder to work on other more important parts of driving.
- Matt
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 569
Likes: 1
From: Twin Cities
Concept: Pick an event to try it both ways and pay special attention to how much easier executing a clean repeatable run will be in 2nd.
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