Adjusting Pedals for Heel & Toe

[EPIQTodd]

Originally Posted by wild1poet2

it's just the technique of blipping the throttle to match revs when downshifting while braking. Saves stress on drive train and smooths the downshift, keeps the car balanced by not transferring the car's weight around.

I keep my heel planted at its usual spot near the base of the throttle and use the ball of my foot to brake. When I need to blip the thorttle I roll the outside edge of my right foot onto the throttle pedal to match the revs(keeping brake pressure).

Left foot of course operates the clutch.

Some guys have variants of this but its essentially the same idea.

It's actually easier to do at higher speeds and revs than when you're just trolling along.

The track guys on this forum can probably add to this but basically that's it.

This is pretty much correct on the street, but at the track, if you keep your foot resting with the ball of your foot by the throttle, you'll be off track on the first turn. Most tracks require significant braking (like today I spent at Buttonwillow - a hard track on brakes - see my new post on it, regarding sport cups and camber...) and you need to be ON the brake with full force. With your foot squarely on the brake pedal, you rotate your heel outward (this is the classic 'heel and toe' method, actually) to blip the throttle. This is why pedals are designed with that extra heel extension, but as we've talked about here, it's not enough for many of us.

You have to go beyond the revs needed and you should, if done right, match the revs once you release the clutch with what the new gear is, so you get no lurching and the car stays grounded. Takes a lot of practice, but is absolutely necessary.