corvette95

What is the best way to practice heal/toe shifting. Do most use side of foot or twist ankle and use heel of foot? Any help you be appreciated. 95 fully prepped C4.

Bad Karma

What's comfortable for you and what works in s given situation. On the street I can usually roll the side of my foot onto the gas. Most of the braking on the track the pedal is too far down and I pivot my heel over. I use it on the street too, so you can always do that. The feel will be a little different in track conditions but it should help get the feet moving.

One of these days I'll start working on left foot braking on the track.

JerryTX

It is your first HPDE, go and enjoy!! Listen to your instructor, you are going to have a blast, and you won't have a need for Heel/Toe in this first event. Somewhere about 5-10 events in you will want to add it but get the basics first (safety on track, relaxing, focusing on the proper first skills etc). Let us know how you do!

CHJ In Virginia

Best method for you would depend on several things. 1) size of your foot - can you easily roll to the side to blip throttle or do you need to twist foot to reach ? 2) Stock pedals in car or do you have extenders to bring them closer together 3) vertical location of brake pedal in relation to gas pedal. You are going to have to try both methods and see what works best for you given your car's setup. I have a
Elite Engineering gas pedal extender that both widens and raises the gas pedal level in relation to the brake. It makes a sideways roll of the foot to blip the throttle very easy.

Fulton 1

I'll echo this sentiment. If it's your first HPDE your head will likely be too full for thinking about things like heel/toe if it's a new practice for you. At least that's how it was for me. I'd concentrate on relaxing, being smooth, learning the line, and just having fun at first.

With that said, I found that practicing on the street when I first started doing heel/toe worked best for me. Last thing I wanted was my foot slipping off the brake, upsetting the car's balance by stabbing the brake, or some other distraction while at the track. Highway off ramps with a stop at the end work well since you can shift down through the gears while under heavy braking (obviously want to be conscious of other vehicles behind you or in the vicinity).

Also, just sitting in the car while idling in the driveway, in neutral, foot on the brake, and practice blipping the throttle to get a feel for the amount of rev and pedal geometry can be helpful.

I prefer the "twist your ankle" method, but as noted previously, there are a lot of factors that will contribute to the method that you find works best for you.

This is probably silly, but I think the most difficult aspect for me other than the timing of everything was using the ball of my foot on the brake. Before I started HPDE I never did any heel/toe and would always just "cover" the brake pedal with my foot. It took me a bit to get comfortable with just using a small portion of my foot on the brake - especially at speed - if that makes sense.

Good luck and have fun!

joenationwide

This is sage advice. First track day will be mentally overwhelming, do yourself and your instructor a favor....don't bother trying to also learn heel/toe. Do that on the street. Good luck, have fun!


Also, what do you mean by "fully prepped C4"?

sheshnwoody

I agree with most here, no need to think about Heel/Toe on track the first day. My first instructor didn't even bring it up and my second didn't either (he is a member here).

I went to Bondurant 4-day school in vettes and the only thing we did the first day in the morning sessions was heel/toe on the skidpad. That was all we worked on that morning (the cars were getting hammered) and by the 3rd day I wasn't thinking about it much. That kind of concentrated learning really helped learn that muscle memory. I don't think I would have picked it up as well in an HPDE on track as quick or at all. It's something you need space to learn, so you can screw up a few times. However, my trans, clutch and engine thank me now every track day.

Have fun on your first day and just listen to your instructor! Enjoy it!

RDnomorecobra

Conciously try to not shift too much on your first day. Don't know what track you will be on but you may get your money's worth out of leaving it in 4th and just driving the line and learning. I had read about and watched videos and practiced heel/toe on the street for quite a while before my first track event. So I went out there thinking I would make the best use of the correct gear for each corner. 2nd session my instructor said "leave it in 4th and do 3 laps." That simple suggestion made for a much more effective 1st day of learning at the track. It's different on track than on the street as stated above. When we went back to downshifting it was for specific reasons at specific corners and made much more sense to me. just my experience...

also need to be careful as stated above. on track is not a good place to first try it. re-read this line from Fulton carefully

"Before I started HPDE I never did any heel/toe and would always just "cover" the brake pedal with my foot. It took me a bit to get comfortable with just using a small portion of my foot on the brake - especially at speed - if that makes sense."

taken19

Be prepared to go broke...

After the first event, you will feel completely different about driving (on the track). For me, it took about 1 full lap to realize that I had just found my new favorite hobby and that I would spend every spare cent i had trying to get more seat time and figuring our how to drive faster.

And the guys are right. Don't learn heel and toe on the track... practice everywhere you can on the street. Every time you are in the car, shift at different points both during acceleration and braking. If your shoe is wide enough to straddle both pedals, learn to roll your ankle while applying consistent brake force. Once you get it perfect on the street you can try some slower laps on the track to see how you do.

Good luck and welcome to one of man's most expensive hobbies!

corvette95

I have racing super bikes past 20 years and know the costs. Just can't seem to keep firm pressure down when shifting and blipping throttle.

Bill Dearborn

Although I would add on the street I heel and toe just about any time I am coming to a stop. If you can do the rolling of the right side of the foot over on the gas pedal that will give you more control. It is much easier to control the ball of your foot than it is the heel. Ball of the foot can be controlled without moving the lower leg while moving the heel means moving the leg up and down.

Bill

racebum

practice your lines and brake points. once you have that down you can work on faster shifting and rev matching.

s'noJob

So how did it go?


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