Heel & Toe Magic

[silver912e]

This has probably been posted before, but I just saw it for the first time tonight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HjXXUyQhPE

[Zeke]

Rolling my foot is my way of doing it. I've never done a heel and toe. I'll tell you this, switching your left foot between the brake and clutch is a talent unto itself. I can do it until a surprise occurs in my routine and then I'm likely to hit the clutch instead of the brake. That has scared me away from doing it unless I'm on a familiar track.

Ol' Walter is certainly a master.

[Dantilla]

Dang. I've seen that before, but worth watching again. Except that it shows that even though I've got a competition license and a race car, I don't have a clue how to drive.

[mattdavis11]

Where does the heel have anything to do with what is known as a heel-toe? I can see and understand if it was called a ball-toe, or something to that effect. I always thought it had to be some weird/difficult maneuver where your heel was on the gas and toes were on the brake (or visa versa) at the same time. After watching a few vids of the so called heel-toe, color me unimpressed.

Very nice vid, thanks for sharing. I can't drive either.

[TGTIW]

The only thing that would make that clip more perfect, would be losing the music. I hate that 80's video crap.

[pwd72s]

size 13 wide foot...it's easy...toe on gas, heel on brake for me...learned to do this in a WWII surplus jeep in order to hold a hill...The same rig, (no synchros) that taught me how to double clutch...a useful skill when driving dad's 1950 F-1 Ford pickemup as well.

BTW...ol' Walter wasn't heel and toe...he was left foot braking...that's different.

[cstreit]

Unreal stuff... I think the worst bit is the stress on the driver with all the knuckleheads standing right next to the track...

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

BTW...ol' Walter wasn't heel and toe...he was left foot braking...that's different.

Look close.... He was doing both.

[BlueSideUp]

Can you imagine going for a ride with this guy in a 997? That would be an awesome experience.

I have a big foot (size 15) so I can't turn my foot sideways. I just use my big toe and my pinky toe sides to heel toe.

[RallyJon]

The hardest part for me was the left foot clutch-brake transitions. I had a syncro gearbox so I had to use the clutch going down.

You watch that video and understand why today's paddle shifting p*ssies can't compare to the old school Group B drivers.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by cstreit

Unreal stuff... I think the worst bit is the stress on the driver with all the knuckleheads standing right next to the track...

no kidding, in the middle of the road as he bore down on them, amazing more people don't get hit.

[Jays72T]

Originally Posted by cstreit

Unreal stuff... I think the worst bit is the stress on the driver with all the knuckleheads standing right next to the track...

Was thinking the same thing, those guys are asking to be hit. Great vid, amazing footwork.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

size 13 wide foot...it's easy...toe on gas, heel on brake for me...learned to do this in a WWII surplus jeep in order to hold a hill...The same rig, (no synchros) that taught me how to double clutch...a useful skill when driving dad's 1950 F-1 Ford pickemup as well.

That's what e-brakes are for. My SOP for hill starts is to roll to a stop, clutch in, shift to neutral. Once the car is stopped with the foot brake, pull the e-brake and release the brake. You can then sit there on the hill all day long with the e-brake holding the car and your feet/legs not getting tired (and without risk of warping your rotors).

When it's time to go, clutch in, shift to first and simultaneously release e-brake and let up clutch. Very easy to do without rolling backward or without putting wear/tear on your clutch. At least that's the way I was taught to do it - it's always worked well.

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by mattdavis11

Where does the heel have anything to do with what is known as a heel-toe? I can see and understand if it was called a ball-toe, or something to that effect. I always thought it had to be some weird/difficult maneuver where your heel was on the gas and toes were on the brake (or visa versa) at the same time. After watching a few vids of the so called heel-toe, color me unimpressed.

As I understand it, the technique dates back to a time when pedal clusters on cars were arranged in such a way that one actually used the heel and toe.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

That's what e-brakes are for. My SOP for hill starts is to roll to a stop, clutch in, shift to neutral. Once the car is stopped with the foot brake, pull the e-brake and release the brake. You can then sit there on the hill all day long with the e-brake holding the car and your feet/legs not getting tired (and without risk of warping your rotors).

When it's time to go, clutch in, shift to first and simultaneously release e-brake and let up clutch. Very easy to do without rolling backward or without putting wear/tear on your clutch. At least that's the way I was taught to do it - it's always worked well.

Remember? I said WWII surplus jeep? A functioning e brake??? You had to be kidding...this rig never left the ranch..no license, among other missing things..

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by mattdavis11

Where does the heel have anything to do with what is known as a heel-toe?

http://www.r-series.org/footwork.pdf

[Zeke]

Some people rotate the foot placing the heel on the lower portion of the gas pedal. The mechanical advantage is not very good on the average car, therefore RPM matching is difficult, to say the least. Rolling the foot instead puts the edge of the foot on the gas pedal in the upper region. The accuracy is better for me. My car has one of those billet gas pedal thingys that allows the heel to push down on the lower part of the pedal. It works better than stock, but I'm in the habit of doing the other way, Half dozen and six.

[304065]

Heel-toe at 1:33

[ejames19]