By Fred Pack, PCA DE
instructor
The track driving tip is: you must learn how to do
heel-and-toe downshifting. For many turns you will slow down enough that
you need to be in a lower gear. The problem is that you
must operate the clutch, brake and gas to make a smooth downshift, but we only
have 2 feet. You could get around this
problem by braking for a moment, then downshifting, and then braking again, but
while you’re doing the downshift you wouldn’t be slowing down so you’d
obviously not be at peak performance. So
how do you operate 3 pedals at the same time with 2 feet? The answer is that
you use the heel-and-toe technique. You brake with
your right foot and when you want to do the downshift you press the clutch
pedal with your left foot as usual. At that same moment, while you are still
braking, you give a blip to the throttle with the heel of your right foot in
order to match the revs as required. (In some cars the pedal layout is such
that you use the left side of your right foot for the brake and the right side
for the throttle.) It takes a while to get accustomed to the method but you can
practice on the street. If you don’t heel-and-toe your downshift is likely to
be jerky and the last thing you want on the track is get a chirp from your rear
tires while slowing down. This is particularly true in the rain where it can
cause an instant spin-out. Learn this technique!