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A lot happens foot-wise during the driving of an Australian racing car:

• Those micro-second clutch applications indicate up-shifts, obviously.

• “Heel and toe” braking - you’ll see in the clip that the driver hits the brakes and accelerator simultaneously during down-changes - raises engine speed to road speed; otherwise rear wheels seize, leading to a “hello, trees!” race exit.

• Note the (unidentified) driver’s right foot squirming for further purchase on the accelerator even when the thing is jammed completely to the firewall. Six hundred horsepower, and the guy wants more.

• Brief left-foot brake taps probably mean we’re looking at footage from an endurance race, during which tired brakes sometimes require a pressure-building nudge. 

(Via James N.)

Posted by Tim B. on 05/05/2007 at 01:40 PM

  1. Do they buy carbon offsets?

    Posted by rightwingprof on 2007 05 05 at 01:45 PM • permalink

  2. Actually the brake taps are more likely to do a couple of things, keep the pads hot, and/or to help “set up” the car for the corners. The brakes may be carbon, so he is purchasing carbon directly.  Maybe Al would like to help them purchase their brakes?  My kind of carbon offset…

    Posted by Cliff on 2007 05 05 at 02:36 PM • permalink

  3. Holy crap. Exciting.

    I was confused by the accelerator and brake at the same time thing.

    Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2007 05 05 at 06:36 PM • permalink

  4. What kind of wimp driver uses the clutch?

    Posted by rhhardin on 2007 05 05 at 07:03 PM • permalink

  5. Kind of like trucking the 299 between Eureka and Redding, Calif. Mountains, curves, hardly a straight stretch for 120 miles and 13 gears to play with. And no blinking, or you go over the side into the river. I get paid a lot less, though.

    Posted by dean martin on 2007 05 05 at 07:06 PM • permalink

  6. “What kind of wimp driver uses the clutch?”

    Watching and listening to that clip, I’m sure I can hear upchanges occurring with no associated clutch movement.

    I think it has been edited

    Posted by PeterTB on 2007 05 05 at 07:40 PM • permalink

  7. No rubber on the accelerator pedal for grip? Maybe they like to slide the boot on bare metal with a heel & toe.

    Did I see a bit of double de-clutching during the downshifts or am I mistaken; and would it be necessary anyway with a syncro box?

    Posted by Spag_oz on 2007 05 06 at 04:03 AM • permalink

  8. It isn’t a syncho box, Spag. Straight-cut non-syncho, manufactured by Holinger Engineering in Victoria. They’re practically unbreakable.

    Posted by Tim B. on 2007 05 06 at 10:03 AM • permalink

  9. #5 - dean martin
    something like the Cullarin Range on the old Hume Highway in a KW SAR with a 20 speed Spicer and mistaking which range you had the switch in?
    Have I used all those cogs already?
    More fun going up the hill than down.

    Posted by Pickles on 2007 05 08 at 02:38 AM • permalink

  10. I heard that. 13 is as many as I can keep track of.

    Posted by dean martin on 2007 05 08 at 03:50 AM • permalink

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