|
the bottom line is that for a given acceleration run, you have a static amount of work to do. for instance, if your car weighs 2800 lb and you are running a quarter mile, you must move 2800 lb a distance of 1320 ft. you will be performing 3,696,000 ft-lb of work.
since the object is to minimize the time in which this work is accomplished, we must maximize power. work / time is the very definition of power. shift points should be chosen in such a way as to maximize average power AT THE WHEELS. this is why blue2K is correct in stating that the curves alone will not tell us the best shift points; gearing must be considered. the car with the highest average horsepower AT THE WHEELS over a given distance wins the race.
|