Question for Greg Amy

[bamfp]

I don't heal toe on down shifts either. I feel I can brake much better and deeper then I can when I heel toe.

[backformore]

Thanks Blake. That's been my experience too. I think it might have been Tom Fowler who first suggested it to me.

So do y'all just release the clutch or do you slip it?

thanks again.

[Jeremy Billiel]

It is true! Greg Amy does not heel/toe downshift. Never has...

[Greg Amy]

Correct, never learned to. I've always driven Showroom Stock/Improved Touring/Firehawk-type cars and just never learned the technique. Everything I've ever driven has been a syncro box. To manage engagement of the clutch, minimize shock on the drivetrain, and manage the forward weight transfer I tend to slip the clutch as needed (which I had to do a lot of at Summit Point last weekend through the chute...) but it's not a massive slip that's damaging to the clutch; ironically, my clutches tend to last a very long time.

Never learned to left foot brake, either.

Only time I found heal and toe to be very useful was in a Spec Miata. Really needed it for that to keep the car from swapping ends.

[backformore]

Thanks Greg. And everyone else.

[R2 Racing]

I never learned how to do it for the ~10 years I drove FWD IT cars, mostly all with OEM clutches, as there was never a need to. Once I went to an un-sprung dual-disc kit on my FP car, I then had to modify the pedals and learn how to match, as it could get pretty violent without it. But even now when I get back into an IT car, I pretty quickly revert back to not doing it.

[gran racing]

Exactly what Greg said. I drove a FWD ITB car for years, could do heal-toe just fine (always did it on my street car cause I thought it was going to be necessary), but never found a gain by doing it. Instead, I found that one time I'm under pressure, it's one more element that I could potentially f-up.

My ITA Miata... What Greg said again. Tried without...Ugh.

It's not a bad thing to learn how to do on your street car. I'm all for learning different tools you might someday want to try.