Is an auto-matic faster?

[Jeff Chambers]

In Street Warrior this year, AODs won seven of the ten events. Our Lentech equipped car qualified #1 at six of seven events attended and brought home two of those wins. The AODs enjoyed a 200-lb weight advantage, 2900# versus 3100# for the sticks, but in 2003 that has been reduced to 100#. With S/W cars going in the mid-10's next season, I really look for more cars to make the switch to the AOD. Since our class rules state that the stick cars cannot be clutchless, the AOD has an efficiency advantage IMHO. With the lock-up of my Lentech, I'm at 1:1 in third gear with no converter slip....just like the stick guys. But I get a softer hit on the tires out of the hole and get the torque multiplication of the converter to help get me rolling. My car had some of the best 60' times in the class this year. We set the ET record twice and MPH record at least five times, and held both when the record books were written at the end of the season.

Just like anything else with your car, it works for some but not for others. You won't find an absolute answer to your questions on the message boards.