Yep,
I agree autos are the best for drag racing.
Now lets talk real life because drag racing is meaningless.
Manual, takes far more skill to drive but gives you far more control of the vehicle. I'm talking a real manual with a clutch, not an auto with manual mode which is useless.
They are also much more fun to drive to people who know how to operate them. They are simpler, and most of the time much cheaper to repair. In the case of the Sonic they get better gas mileage.
Fact is, anyone who drives a manual, no matter how good you are, will stall from time to time. For example, making a right turn at a stop light on a steep hill as a really hot girl walks by.