By installing a numerically lower gear ratio (a higher gear) you would be able to stay in 1st gear longer, but what sense would that make? Performance wise that would be a bad idea. Yes the car would be faster in the sense that it would have a higher top speed, assuming wind resistance or lack of vehicle stability didn't take over at 160mph, but you are going to lose alot of power/acceleration.

If you're doing this merely so that you don't have to shift from 1st to 2nd so quickly, why not just start in 2nd?