Just going to leave this here, https://youtu.be/RuFqiftsr-s

what is the rev limit? How about the top speed? Oh yea, 43 mph is the top speed of first gear. Not exactly the same thing.

^^^Um, yeah. AP1s have a really long first gear. I remember that course. For instance, in the walloms on the far east side of the track, I was going to third in my Si for a big long blast. Right at about the 0:47 mark.

Different transmissions on different cars are different.

You'll also note him struggling a bit to put power down on exit whenever he grabbed first. That's a pretty big break in forward progress.

Thanks. I'm not saying they are the same car (having driven both in various classes/prep) just that first can be a very usable option if needed. My local club uses a narrow runway so two hairpins are a part of every course. I use first every event.

OP, yes.

Well at my first event this weekend at the start I was so focused on getting into 2nd as quickly as a could and didn't think about ringing out and staying in first longer. The suggestion was made to me and things became a lot cleaner and faster. Here's my best run below, during my first 3 runs I was trying the shift before or in between the salmon ladders. This was was much better...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj3ZRfSXVxc"]Alaska SCCA Event #1: CS #86 BRZ Best Run - YouTube[/ame]

[ame]http://youtu.be/DM0IonCszMU[/ame]


I would downshift whenever engine drop out the power brand , no different in 1st . The 1st gear is most diffcult to down shift , but it just take some practice .

The trick is timming , 2nd gear rpm drop about or below 5k , rev hard to match 1st , try untill you can smooth it out .It best to shift heel and toe , easier option you shift after braking and before accelerate out of a corner and it has no different in lap time if both done right .

Thanks for the update! :thumbsup:

If you need 1st, your course designer fucked up.


Don't watch newbies in Ap1 S2000's either, those idiots think they need to be in VTEC at 8,000 RPM's, or their car doesn't move...not realizing they're basically hitting the brakes every time they're on decal.

Or site limitations.

Didn't the idiot in that video finish third in his class?

All I'm trying to say is if you need first, use it.

We often having autoX at kart track where you see low speed hairpin , it is also common to find low speed slalom , tight 180 and 360 in here . Some lay out we use 1st gear and only able get to 2nd for short time .


The bigger different in speed contain in a lay out ,usually harder to drive and more challenging , is it not ? While for those who can do tight/slow part consider that is a advantage and having fun , there are people complain it is too tight too slow .


I disagree that autoX lay out need no 1st .

Last two auto-x's I'd been to: one needed me to do a nice downshift to 1st because I had lost speed after a corner. the other I needed to stay in 1st for awhile because the course started with two corners before the straight, a guy who went before me in his BRZ just told me to stay in 1st there, but I spun out going a little to hard lol.