Use the route, not the highway
A tune that wins a speed trap may still lose the race. Set top gear for the longest useful straight in the actual event.
- If the car hits the limiter early, lengthen final drive.
- If it never reaches top gear, shorten upper gears.
- Compare lap time after speed changes.
Fix launch before top speed
If first gear spins or bogs, the rest of the gearbox cannot show its value. Start with launch and first-to-second behavior.
- Launch three times from the same point.
- Lengthen first gear if wheelspin dominates.
- Shorten lower gears if the car feels asleep after hairpins.
Keep shifts in the power band
Bogging after a shift usually means the gear gap is too wide around the part of the route that matters most.
- Watch RPM drop after each shift.
- Close spacing for technical roads.
- Leave taller gears for fast routes and high-power builds.