You know what makes a turd like a 1989 Hyundai decent to drive? A manual transmission. Same goes for a Ford Festiva, a Dodge Ram 50, an early 1990s Beretta, and many other cars we’d love to forget. Why is that? Because rowing your own gears is much more satisfying than an automatic to a gearhead. That’s a known fact. But in racing, most racers want to stick with an automatic: simpler launches, less chance of an issue mid-run and no smoked clutches when you get too enthusiastic. Again, a fair point. So why do some racers swear by rowing their own? The shifts are slower, there’s a bigger chance for carnage and now you’re driving a monster one-handed.
It’s the same thing that turned a Geo Metro from a penalty pit into a solid argument for a fuel sipper. Except no Geo Metro will reverberate your spine in the column quite like that 1-2 shift straight off the line. No TDI Jetta will make you feel accomplished for nailing the 2-3 shift with no lifting. (Can a TDI Jetta even live through a no-lift shift?) Racing a manual trans on the strip in a car that is carrying big-boy power takes serious skills and sometimes, luck, but when things go right….well, hit play on the video and turn your speakers up. If this doesn’t do it for you, not much will.
