Regardless of other peoples opinions I still don't and won't believe a true petrol head would choose an auto over a manual 
Racing drivers are not petrol heads in your opinion as you don't find many manual boxes in them now a days. 
I didn't realise you lived on a race track where every 1/1000th of a second counts?
I think you will also find that most 'racing cars' don't use Dog Sh*t Gearboxes...they use automated sequencial manuals. A very different beast to a twin clutch gearbox. But ho hum...