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Heel-toe: For me it was like trying to learn to jump rope. I wasn’t going to have to learn, 'cause i could let the clutch out easy…That takes too much time. How much? Maybe .1 seconds. Now multiply by 12 turns and you see the difference.
Besides, its fun to spin in front of others when you don’t exactly rev- match as you’re taking up an extra .1 seconds.
My “have to learn” experience was at turn 4, Roebling Road.
In time you’ll learn.
Good luck, RP
I agree with Mr. Patton, I could never learn heal toe on the street, and I still can’t do it properly in my street car. On the track though it came to the point of sink or swim.
When braking for a turn requiring a downshift I move my right knee under the middle of the steering wheel/column and use my heal to blip the gas, the timing comes with practice, and in my experience it is hard to learn on the street because rarely are you going from almost 6k rpms in 4th down to 3rd while threshold braking unless you’re on track.
FYI: this is a skill not needed for DE1
I couldn’t learn on the street because the amount of brake pedal pressure is too different between street and track. I learned in my garage. Spent 20min each night for a week in the garage sitting in the car with the engine off and visualized driving on my favorite track.
When the driving is only happening in my imagination, I’m really good.
I started heel-toeing when I started driving. I remember reading Car and Driver articles that would mention it.
If you can do it smoothly on the street at lower revs and lower brake pedal pressure, it is a snap on the track. The real trick is keeping the brake pressure steady at threshhold while rolling over to the gas.
And, no, it is not necessary for DE1. My preference is actually for students to stay in 3rd from 1-7 using 4th only on the front and back straights.
Steve D wrote:
That’s the non-4.10 advice, right?
I learned heel and toe out of necessity. Drive a p.o.s. 5 speed car with a bad cold start valve (coolant temp sensor, etc) in the winter and you’ll quickly figure it out (having to keep foot on gas to keep the car running while stopped at traffic lights, idle, even between shifts sometimes). Practicing in the garage is what nerds like Robinson and Ranger do in their spare time, instead of looking at chicks. DeVinney takes it a step further by practicing egress. Chicks don’t dig dudes who egress the fastest.
Heel and toe is a misnomer. Some actually do put the toe on the brake and the heel on the gas, but some others, like me, use the left side of the foot (wide foot and modified pedals) on the brake and roll the foot hitting the gas with the right. I have Ultimate Pedals covers and mounted the brake full right and the gas full left to lessen the distance between the two. Works for me. Note, get a pair of race shoes and only wear those in the car…street shoes have a vastly different feel and width and switching back and forth requires relearning the feel. Have fun, Chuck
TheRedBaron wrote:
[quote]
That’s the non-4.10 advice, right?
I learned heel and toe out of necessity. Drive a p.o.s. 5 speed car with a bad cold start valve (coolant temp sensor, etc) in the winter … Chicks don’t dig dudes who egress the fastest.[/quote]
Chicks certainly don’t dig guys that drive 80’s pos cars that don’t run. I learned on an e46 M3 which the lady’s love.
Well except my wife who wouldn’t ride in it ever. I can agree with you that practicing your emergency landing drill while your daughters time you in the garage isn’t cool. (steve d.)
IndyJim wrote:
[quote]I learned on an e46 M3 which the lady’s love.
Well except my wife who wouldn’t ride in it ever.[/quote]
Ummm, Jim? Buddy? The problem wasn’t the car…
Speaking of how hard heel-toe can be… http://vimeo.com/3815810 Don’t watch beyond 4:45 unless you want to see what NOT to do. Which just happens to be what Chuck described - but without the benefit of wide pedals suited to that technique.
PS - Chicks dig scars. Chicks don’t dig big skin graft scars. Practice your egress routine over the winter. 
PPS - If you are running a 4.10, I recommend staying in 4th. :huh:
I watched that video Steve. I noticed a couple of things during your mishap. 1) it is amazing how far the car traveled during one minor mistake and 2) it is easy to see how one can break ones ankles in a little mishap like that.
On the heel toe topic - I learned to heel and toe on the street in my 320i 30 years ago. I started just because I thought it was cool how the racers did it. I then had to re-learn (double de-clutching) 20 years ago at Skip Barber school where we drove formula Fords with Hewland straight cut boxes. I have been double declucthing everything ever since.
Don
I really went out there and enjoyed myself. I took everyone’s advice and prepared my car and listened to my insturctor and low and behold I definitely noticed the difference in my driving from Saturday morning to Sunday evening. I’ve been on plenty of rides on the track but never saw myself out there tearing up the corners or at least trying to :lol: . Overall I loved the event and my car. I’ll definitely be out there for another NASA-SE event.
Thanks to all of the drivers who contibuted!
Come to the March RA event…a lot of us will be there. If you want to ride with an old racer:woohoo: , I’ll take you for a ride. CB