[PontGuy]

Been just watching along since helping to sort out the math a couple dozen posts ago. I said back then that math is math, but real world never works out quite like theoretical. Lots of posts since then agreeing with this point.

I am not a drag racer, only a very occasional test-and-tuner, and managing a strong stick car down the 1/4 without a bunch of practice is challenging. And I can speak from experience that breaking rear end parts definitely reduces the fun factor. Even with street tires launching on a prepped track is harder on things back there than a typical street launch. From the perspective of a relative rookie, a few things I focus on-

1. Don't spin the tires. Dropping the clutch is fun on the street but a mistake at the track. I try to think think "smooth application of power". A good launch makes a huge difference compared to shift points.
2. Don't over-rev before shifting. The 1-2 shift point on a stick car comes up very fast and I find it is easy to go too far with it unless I stay focused, even if I have a particular shift RPM in mind.
3. Be conservative on the first passes to get a feel for it. This takes self-control especially if a car is lined up in the other lane, but I find the difference between conservative and aggressive is usually no more than a couple of tenths or so. And smoking the tires or over-revving the shifts definitely doesn't help.

I really like driving stick cars, but an auto trans is sooo much easier..

After all this discussion Adam, really looking forward to hearing how it goes when you do get your car to the track!