[Blue98GT]

i have a 98 mustang gt 5 speed and i have only owned it for about a month now... i live in KC, Missouri and FINALLY the snow is all gone so the track is open this weekend for a grudge night... im just looking for some advice on what i should be launching at and at what rpms should i be shifting at through each gear... the car is all stock except for an xcal2 tuner set for 91 octane... ANY rough estimations will help... thankx in advance

[97_4.6L_Stang]

i wouldnt shift any higher than 5600. 5300-5600 is a good shift range. if you want more exact shift details you'll probably need a dyno or something else. as for launching that all depends on the road and the tires you have. you'll just have to play around with it and you'll get the hang of it.

[Drgnracin72]

launching, youll have to figure it out as your car will react differently than other because of different temps, track prep. to many variables. you just need to figure out what the optimal launch rpm is. you want a little wheel spin but dont want ot blow the tires away.

as for shifting i wouldnt take it past 5800

[TheUNZippee!]

Power shifting.
I'm not sure if you know how to do this, but what the hell, here goes:
Power shifting is done by keeping the accelerator floored, and without lifting, you bang the clutch to the floor while you are simultaneously moving the shifter, so you are making the gear change the instant your clutch pedal hits the floor.You don't hold the clutch pedal down for even an instant, you just stab it while you move the shifter at the same time. Think of your arm and leg moving at the same time. As your leg is stabbing the clutch pedal down, your arm is moving the shifter to the next gear, with the next gear being engaged just as the clutch hits the floor, or is fully disengaged.
It takes practice. The key is to WATCH your rpm's, especially if you don't have a rev limiter.The whole idea is the shift is accomplished far faster, which means when you engage the next gear, your engine will have dropped fewer rpm, meaning you are higher up in the power band where you have more horse,which equals better acceleration.
It's harder on your shit, but if you're drag racing, you aren't using your car for longevity.
Some people seem to think power shifting means not using the clutch. Untrue. This is known as floating.
If you keep your foot to the floor, and try to bang it into the next gear with no clutch at all, your transmission is a grenade looking for a place to explode.
Launching.
Where to launch your car takes practice. When I get a new car to play with, I usually start launching it at 3 grand and go from there. If it bogs down, you need to increase your rpm, and if it lights the tires up too much, you need to drop the rpm. Try working one way or the other in 100 rpm increments until you find your cars sweet spot.
When to shift depends on whether the car is stock or not. drgnracin is far more familiar with this generation stang, so I would follow that advice. Usually you are shifting just below your cars redline, so that when you perform your power shift, you are not over revving your engine or banging it off the rev limiter.

[Drgnracin72]

well when i shift, my car is banging he rev limiter. the limter is set to 6500rpms and i shift at 62-6300 and then its on the limter iuntill i let the clutch back out

[TheUNZippee!]

What were you hammering them out at when your car was stock. Assuming your current ride was ever stock, that is. lol