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XTREME -> RE: Launching an Evo (4/6/2006 6:29:10 PM)
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Here is some information about Launching cars in General:
The way you launch your car is based mainly on two variables--the type of transmission in your car (manual or automatic), and the drive wheels (front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel-drive).
We will take a look at managing a manual transmission. With a stick shift, the main aim is to avoid excessive wheelspin by pressing the throttle too much, but also avoid bogging down the motor by pressing the throttle too little. The driver has to get the throttle input just right, like in that Goldilocks fairytale. Each car engine has a different rpm range in which it will produce the most power. The trick is to keep the engine in this sweet spot from the moment you cross the starting line all the way to the finish line, without any of this peak power being wasted. Launching a car hard from a dead stop is accomplished by slipping the clutch and spinning the tires, both within reason. Power is lost here, but most engines have narrow power and torque bands, so the fastest launch will include wheelspin and slipping the clutch. The only way to find out how much slipping would be just right is to experiment at the track, holding the throttle at various rpm levels at launch to see how much juice is needed for the quickest start.
While playing with the clutch and throttle, use the parking brake to keep your car from rolling. This is the only way to keep your car stationary while you work the clutch with the left foot and the throttle with the right. You then release the parking brake as you launch.
Some people may say a manual benefits from powershifting during a race, which is to keep the throttle floored between shifts. It is not a good idea for a beginner, since a ill-timed shift can cause your engine to over-rev and inflict permanent damage.
All-wheel-drive cars have made inroads in the sport compact market with the likes of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo and the Subaru WRX. These high-tech four-wheel-driven machines often have more traction than they can use, so a nearly full-throttle launch is possible without a hint of wheelspin. Generous throttle application is needed since bogging down the motor is even easier in these cars. But these perfect-looking launches are very hard on the clutch and drivetrain.
After figuring out the best way to launch your type of car, you then fine-tune your technique to factor in environmental conditions like the track surface, the weather and ambient temperature, the state of your tires and the contents of your stomach (stay away from baked beans before a race). Learn the handling quirks of your own car, and practice in various conditions. Vary only one parameter at any given time--amount of launch revs, sweet spot of the clutch, etc.
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