I agree that the use of automatic transmissions opened the door to technology and decreased demands on drivers to drive. We used to have a saying for the auto trans guys - "stab it and steer it".
Personally I wouldn't succumb to the auto trans switch, I stayed with the manual from my F/Stock Chevelle to our D/Gasser... and I never missed a shift, and had my launch down to a science. It was just a matter of knowing how to ring every last drop out of your car and staying cool in the heat of battle. Even in drag racing there are so many mistakes a driver can make, it just happens a lot quicker with no time to correct. Racing takes skill regardless of the shape or surface of the track. Each has its own demands.
