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Happy29
Guest
I've heard of this technique and it's commonly used by our race car drivers, I've been a little curious as how it works and how it's done. Can anyone give me a few pointers?
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bowtie
Guest
You need to watch Ricky Rudd's feet at a road course. you would see it first hand.
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HardScrabble
Guest
Basically it is a high performance technique for downshifting. The object is to be braking and still be able to match engine rpm to a lower gear. Before the excellent synchros we have now it was virtually required or serious gear grinding would occur.
The right foot controls both the brake and throttle simultaneously. Most drivers will put the heelof of the foot on the brake pedal with the foot angled so that the ball of the foot is on the gas pedal. You "rock" your foot so that the engine revs as you make your downshift, keeping pressure on the brakes the whole time. Some drivers will reverse the foot position, using the toes on the brake and the heel on the throttle.
The left is obviously occupied with the clutch.
Most street cars do not have the pedals in a good postion for doing this, but with a bit of practice it is not overly hard to do.
Among "pro" drivers it is rapidly becoming a lost art. Modern day transmissions do not require it. Indeed most do not even require use of the clutch. I would bet that many of the most accomplished heel and toers now reside in the SCCA.
The right foot controls both the brake and throttle simultaneously. Most drivers will put the heelof of the foot on the brake pedal with the foot angled so that the ball of the foot is on the gas pedal. You "rock" your foot so that the engine revs as you make your downshift, keeping pressure on the brakes the whole time. Some drivers will reverse the foot position, using the toes on the brake and the heel on the throttle.
The left is obviously occupied with the clutch.
Most street cars do not have the pedals in a good postion for doing this, but with a bit of practice it is not overly hard to do.
Among "pro" drivers it is rapidly becoming a lost art. Modern day transmissions do not require it. Indeed most do not even require use of the clutch. I would bet that many of the most accomplished heel and toers now reside in the SCCA.
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BebiF1
Guest
Yes, and a fine art that it is Hardscrabble. Perfectly explained. Because nascar seems to be the only sport with all of these undercar cameras, foot cameras, and a camera looking at the hola girl on the dash. If you watch a camera that shows a drivers feet, particularly on a short track like Bristol or road course, you can get a great idea of this method. If I remember right I belive Juan Montoya also uses this method in his F1 machine, that is until fully auto trannys came into the picture. With that ban for next year, we may see this method emerge once again.
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HardScrabble
Guest
I think the first thing I would work on getting shifts with the clutch dead solid perfect on smoothness. No jerk at all when you engage the clutch. It should feel like an automatic transmission shift, and be jsut as quick if not quicker.
Then work on "clutchless" shifts. Start with upshifts as they are much simpler. Ease off the throttle ever so slightly and slip the tranny to neutral, as the engine rpm falls it will match the car speed and you can slip the tranny into the next higher gear smooth as silk. Once mastered, work on "clutchless' downshifts. A bit trickier. The same technigue for getting to neutral, but you must use the throttle to bring hte engine rpm up to car speed for the lower gear, once matched you can slide right into the lower gear.
You should be able to drive a stick shift without ever using the clutch except to get rolling from a start. Once you have this mastered you are ready to move to more high performance shifting.
Found out just how rusty I was at doing this well when the clutch went out on my daughters car last summer while she was down at the shore. Drove the thing back home (about 70 miles) and it took me several times through the gearbox to get the "feel" back.
Then work on "clutchless" shifts. Start with upshifts as they are much simpler. Ease off the throttle ever so slightly and slip the tranny to neutral, as the engine rpm falls it will match the car speed and you can slip the tranny into the next higher gear smooth as silk. Once mastered, work on "clutchless' downshifts. A bit trickier. The same technigue for getting to neutral, but you must use the throttle to bring hte engine rpm up to car speed for the lower gear, once matched you can slide right into the lower gear.
You should be able to drive a stick shift without ever using the clutch except to get rolling from a start. Once you have this mastered you are ready to move to more high performance shifting.
Found out just how rusty I was at doing this well when the clutch went out on my daughters car last summer while she was down at the shore. Drove the thing back home (about 70 miles) and it took me several times through the gearbox to get the "feel" back.
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BebiF1
Guest
Lol, good ol stories from the older generation.