gearing for autoX or road racing

[RiceCooker]

I've heard that having a numerically higher gear is really good for autoxing and road racing. can I get some input on this?
Royce

[DominusEtDeusNatus]

3.23 is the favorite for the V8 guys. I'm not sure how that translates to our cars. It's all about the speed your doing around the course.

[V6Bob]

With road racing the optimum deal is to get max rpm in fifth at the end of the longest straight. Then you spend more time in the upper gears, where the rpm drop when you shift is less. It may mean more shifting, but conventional wisdom is that won't hurt you more than the closer gears help.

With autocross, you get some of the same benefit. But here you're using very few gears anyway and the added shifting may be more important and the high gear may hurt more than it helps. It would depend on the particular course.

[Cale]

With my 3:42 in my 5 spd, I never leave 2nd. I might on a LONG straightaway, but not even two seond later Im back down again. 3:23s would seem to be more ideal actually, but too late now!

[MustangEater8251]

I like my 3.42s, I have only needed to shift into 3rd once, maybe twince autoxing. I prefer the increased acceleratriong for better "sprinting" ability.