Come on Greg, that's what traction control is for. That would be your left and right foot on the clutch and gas.
I wouldn't want a deeper gear in my car. I run a 3.73 with a tko600 and it's about right. 1st gear is plenty short and traction is a huge issue if you don't slip the clutch or modulate the gas pedal. It also allows me to run all my autocrosses in 2nd gear and not need to shift. Which version on the t56 are you running Mario?