Auto Racing: Torque vs Horsepower, maximum torque output, torque torque

Question
Dear Mr. Ogle,

I have read virtually every article on Google concerning the topic "Torque vs Horsepower and what each does concerning automobile performance."

In a car with a fixed-ratio transmission (non-CVT), is it ideal to keep the car's RPM's as close to the torque peak or the horsepower peak as possible when trying to attain the maximum acceleration and lowest lap times?

My intuition is that for a car with a fixed-ratio transmission, like a regular manual, the torque peak should be the ideal place to place one's engine RPM's. Transmission output torque is what determines the acceleration of one's car. Since the gear ratio is remaining constant on a given gear, the maximum torque output occurs at the maximum engine torque-at the torque peak.

However, various online articles I have read concludes that the horsepower peak is the ideal place to keep the engine RPM's and states that the engine horsepower is equal to the transmission output torque. I understand that for a CVT, the ideal place to keep the RPM should be the horsepower peak-as despite losing engine torque, the gear ratios can be geared up and the car will experience an overall net gain of output torque. But on a car with manual transmission, the gear ratios cannot be adjusted on-the-fly and therefore it is in one's best interest to keep the RPM's as close to the torque peak as possible.

Which viewpoint is correct?

Thanks.
James.

Answer
Ok James, first of all this is one of the best, yet hardest, questions ive been asked.  So I'll tell you a couple of facts:-

Firstly in order to get the best acceleration and lowest laptimes you gear the car around HORSEPOWER.  As im sure your aware BHP is a calculation of torque (Torque x RPM divided by5250 (i think thats the correct formula but not 100%))

Example - a formula 3 engine which is a 2L straight 4 with a 26mm air restrictor has 284NM of torque at 4250 RPM and 220BHP at 6000RPM.  If i send the car out on the track and tell the driver to shift at 4500RPM ie just after peak torque then the car would be hopelessly slow.  This is because you need to use the BHP.  Like i said BHP is derived from Torque and RPM so because it uses RPM then it involves momentum.  Difficult to explain but if an engine is sat at 6000RPM producing 190NM of torque then technically you could set a torque wrench at 200NM, put it on the engine and the engine would stop but NO the engine would brake the torque wrench because it has momentum or in other words Power.

Im sure you can see from the way ive explained it that its a difficult question to answer, maybe with a bit more thought i could do a better job ?!!!

But the simple answer is BHP makes you go fast, not TORQUE.

Matt