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Standing starts — the data behind the Dual Clutch article

Virginia International Raceway — North course

16 runs, 95 measured standing starts, with the virginia.sto setup (baseline_wet.sto for the wet runs). Condition-controlled protocol: a baseline run (Tall gear stack, 25°C track, 0% humidity, dry, clean track surface, 17 L), then one condition changed per run. All launches from the same grid box.

Conditions Best settings
Run Gear stack Track temp Humidity Wetness Track usage Fuel Fastest 2nd fastest 3rd fastest Settings tested
07-17 20:10 Tall 50.6°C 0% dry clean 17 L 43 · 5.300s · 2207 44 +0.004 · 3017 42 +0.011 · 1762 40–46
07-17 20:16 Tall 50.6°C 0% dry maximum usage 17 L 43 · 5.298s · 2208 44 +0.005 · 3022 42 +0.012 · 1762 41–45
07-17 20:19 Tall 25°C 0% dry maximum usage 17 L 45 · 5.230s · 2262 46 +0.005 · 3092 44 +0.010 · 1807 41–48
07-17 20:27 Tall 25°C 0% dry clean 17 L 45 · 5.228s · 2261 46 +0.007 · 3093 44 +0.011 · 1806 30, 35, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 50
07-17 20:33 Tall 25°C 100% dry clean 17 L 44 · 5.293s · 2636 43 +0.005 · 1974 42 +0.019 · 1614 41–46
07-17 20:38 Standard 25°C 0% dry clean 17 L 45 · 5.455s · 2241 46 +0.005 · 3068 43 +0.026 · 1494 43–47
07-17 20:40 Short 25°C 0% dry clean 17 L 44 · 4.227s · 2160 45 +0.002 · 2633 43 +0.005 · 1833 42–46
07-17 20:44 Very Tall 25°C 0% dry clean 17 L 45 · 5.342s · 2262 46 +0.006 · 3093 44 +0.011 · 1808 43–47
07-17 20:47 Tall 25°C 0% dry clean 3 L 45 · 5.182s · 2296 46 +0.008 · 3124 44 +0.009 · 1834 43–47
07-17 20:50 Tall 25°C 0% dry clean 22 L 45 · 5.244s · 2252 46 +0.006 · 3086 44 +0.012 · 1796 43–47
07-17 20:54 Tall 17.8°C 0% very lightly wet clean 17 L 45 · 5.229s · 2261 46 +0.007 · 3101 44 +0.011 · 1807 43–47
07-17 20:58 Tall 17.2°C 0% lightly wet clean 17 L 45 · 5.232s · 2261 46 +0.007 · 3112 44 +0.010 · 1807 42–47
07-17 21:01 Tall 17.2°C 0% moderately wet clean 17 L 45 · 5.232s · 2261 46 +0.007 · 3115 44 +0.011 · 1806 42–47
07-17 21:05 Tall 17.2°C 0% very wet clean 17 L 45 · 5.236s · 2261 46 +0.006 · 3116 44 +0.010 · 1807 42–47
07-17 21:09 Tall 16.7°C 0% extremely wet clean 17 L 45 · 5.239s · 2259 46 +0.007 · 3118 44 +0.011 · 1805 43–47
07-17 21:13 Tall 18.3°C 0% dry clean 17 L 45 · 5.228s · 2262 46 +0.006 · 3094 43 +0.024 · 1512 43–47

Mosport (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park)

4 runs, 28 measured standing starts, all with the mosport.sto setup.

Conditions Best settings
Run Gear stack Track temp Humidity Wetness Track usage Fuel Fastest 2nd fastest 3rd fastest Settings tested
06-27 07:04 Tall 38.3°C 35% dry maximum usage 16 L 48 · 5.520s · 2139 49 +0.004 · 2489 47 +0.013 · 1712 45–55
06-27 07:13 Tall 38.3°C 35% dry maximum usage 16 L 48 · 5.516s · 2144 49 +0.001 · 2917 47 +0.013 · 1715 45–50
06-27 07:22 Tall 38.3°C 35% dry maximum usage 16 L 48 · 5.508s · 2149 49 +0.001 · 2919 47 +0.013 · 1721 47–50
06-27 07:26 Tall 38.3°C 35% dry maximum usage 16 L 48 · 5.519s · 2140 49 +0.001 · 2913 47 +0.014 · 1713 47–50

Reading the min RPM column: the minimum RPM identifies the setting error without any timing. The ideal is around 2200–2600 RPM; above ~3000 the engagement is too soft (setting too high); below ~1800 it is too aggressive (setting too low). Near 750 the anti-stall has intervened and the launch loses seconds.

Repeatability / noise floor: identical settings repeat within a run to 0–2 ms, and a baseline rerun two hours later reproduced the original to 2 ms — podium places closer than ~5 ms are effectively ties.

Large deviations (from the Virginia 20:27 sweep, settings 30–50): setting 50 costs +0.319 s over 1st gear alone, setting 40 +0.060 s, settings 30–35 +0.11–0.13 s.

Wet runs are also colder (rain cools the track), so two conditions move at once; the late dry run at 18°C confirms 45 remains fastest on a cool dry track at Virginia.

Cross-track: the winning setting differs (Mosport is fastest at ~48 where Virginia is fastest at 45) but the winning minimum-RPM band is the same everywhere — which is why we recommend tuning by the minimum RPM, not by a remembered number. More tracks and conditions to come.