Why do cars redline in Drag Race when shifting and sometimes not?

Question

Is it because if wheel spin or there’s more to that

In: 7

Answer 1

I used to drag race a stick shift car for years, a 440 Dodge Challenger with an OE 4 speed trans. The 2-3 and 3-4 shifts should be made at peak HP, which is where you’d typically set the ‘redline’ on the tach. The 1-2 shift is best made at peak torque. That means you shift at a lower RPM than peak HP.