GARAGE CALCS FOR THE HOME BUILDER

Drag racing gear selector

The axle ratio that puts your engine where you want it as you cross the finish line. Use a real trap speed if you have one, or estimate it from horsepower and weight.

Free, no sign-upUpdated September 2026
Your numbers
Car
Distance
Leave blank to estimate it.
Usually just past peak power.

Ideal axle ratio

Trap speed used
Closest common ratios
Estimated ET

How the gear is chosen

Axle ratio = finish-line rpm × tire diameter ÷ (trap mph × 336 × top gear ratio)

This is the same rpm formula as the gear ratio calculator, solved for the axle ratio. Most racers aim to cross the finish slightly past the engine's peak horsepower rpm, so it's pulling hard all the way through the traps.

Estimating trap speed

Quarter-mile mph ≈ 234 × (horsepower ÷ weight)1/3

This is Roger Huntington's classic estimate. For the eighth mile, trap speed is roughly the quarter-mile figure ÷ 1.26 and ET roughly ÷ 1.57, both common rules of thumb.