DIYbanter - View Single Post

In article ,
says...

OT, but I've wondered about this for a long time.

In Indianapolis-style cars, like at the Indy 500, do the drivers have
to shift gears for each lap? How many times? Do they up-shift for
every short stretch or only the long stretches?

What about NASCAR cars on their tracks?

And Formula-1?

Well, as an ex-driver, I can help a bit. I don't know about Indy cars, I
suspect they only shift a few times, perhaps one gear on each
straightaway since the speed is fairly constant around the course.There are no
'short stretches' at Indianapolis.

Forumula 1 cars and other road racing vehicles (my background), you shift
a dozen or more times on each lap. At a track like Mid Ohio, you might go from
40 mph (2nd gear) in the Keyhole to 150 mph (5th gear) down the main straight a
few seconds later, than back down to 75 (3rd gear) for the turn at the end. A
road racing course will have a dozen turns or more, in both directions, and
will have a wide variety of possible speeds in each turn. Smooth shifting, both
up and down, is at the very heart of a smooth, fast, driver's skills.

Dennis