Question:
I have a question about the use of the launch control on dry tarmac in rally use. It feels incredibly hard on the car which, with two rear wheels each weighing about 20kg, leaves me sitting on the line just waiting for something to break. Whilst I can appreciate the time benefit on sprints & hillclimbs, I am not yet convinced of the benefit of launch control on my car on dry tarmac.
Answer:
We have customers who have very fragile transmissions. When using manual launches one particular customer was breaking CV joints, driveshafts and on a couple of occasions even split the transmission in half, once he started using launch and traction control, the transmission problems almost completely vanished. Another customer, who was breaking crown wheel and pinions also gained the same improvements in component life.
So it appears that a control launch creates less stress than a manual launch, which is controlled by the driver's right foot and the amount of grip at each moment during the launch period, which could vary greatly. Don't forget that on the sprint cars, the tyres are normally much wider and have far more grip, the number of starts that we have during each day easily goes into double figures, particularly when double driven and so far we have seen no increased wear.
Obviously, if your transmission is far too weak for the discipline/car/engine you are competing in or damaged already, it won't save it!