Correct, and here’s why (check post #3). Basically, you want to be at the same amount of power before and after the shift so that you maximize the area under the power curve.
Yes, many cars irl will have peak power at redline, but it matters more so in sport applications, and guess what this challenge is about.
If you’re struggling with raising redline because your internals can only handle so much, either use forged internals (if it makes sense for the car you’re building) or make it more oversquare.
And about the tires, there’s only really negligible changes in service costs if you increase the speed rating until you start going over 155mph. Then the costs increase massively. I’m positive most people this round set their speed rating to that.
Here’s some other thing that can jack up service costs. Some should be pretty obvious.
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Staggered tires (front and rear tires are not the same width- this can easily cost you hundreds of dollars)
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Excessive camber (try not to exceed -1.5 degrees)
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Excessive brake pad type
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Carbon-ceramic brakes
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Sport tires