Auto Racing: transmissions, old bench, gear ratios

Question
a friend and i were argueing about which transmission will get you down the track the quickest in the 1/4 mile,  auto or manual?

Answer
John-

  Oh man...that's an old bench racing argument.  There really isn't one right answer...more a matter of preference.  I, myself, prefer an automatic.  They're much more consistent, eliminate driver error, and can hold quite a bit more horsepower with little modification.  There is something to be said for a strong manual with a good driver, but even the best drivers miss shifts from time to time and when the power levels get insanely high, manuals become almost non-existent.  However, if we're talking stock vs. stock, a manual will probably squeeze by the auto since factory automatics are...well...crap.  Plus the manuals get better gear ratios from the factory.  So it's just all in how you look at it.  Hope this helps.

Steve