I don't think there is any getting around the fact that you should go faster if you maximize the average power under the curve. Physics won't let you get away from that. However, as has been suggested elsewhere in this thread, a lot of these Pontiac builds have really flat power curves. For my money, if I could run 11 flat shifting at 6300 RPM or 11.1 shifting at 5500 RPM, I'd lose the tenth and keep my engine together for a long time and enjoy racing. So as I see it, you can probably shift a good bit earlier than would be theoretically optimal, still run really close to your theoretically optimum et/MPH, and have an engine that lives a lot longer. Not to mention it will help keep the rest of your drivetrain intact.
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