Just wondering if their is an OPTIMAL technique or if it is just preference how you downshift 2 gears at the track.

For example,

on a straightaway going about 110-120 in 4th gear, you approach a tight 90 degree turn, in which you need to be in 2nd.

on the downshift, I brake, press clutch pedal in, put gear into 3rd...while keeping clutch pedal in, rev-match, put gear into 2nd, release clutch pedal to engage the clutch.

I was watching a video of a good s2k driver at the track and it SEEMED like he downshifted from 4th, rev-matched and engaged the clutch in 3rd, then quickly downshifted and rev-matched and engaged the clutch again in 2nd before entering the turn.

is this the optimal downshift technique? or is it just preference?

i don't want to go directly from 4th to 2nd.

 

It doesn't seem like he did, he did. That's the proper way to drop two gears under braking.

 

what is the purpose of engaging the clutch in 3rd when you are going from 4th to 2nd?

why can't you just cycle through 3rd (with the clutch disengaged/pedal pushed in) then continue to 2nd?

 

You can, if you want to.

You can also go straight to 2nd.

There really is no "proper way" to do this, except that any time you do engage the clutch you want the RPMs to be matched up, and you don't want to overrev.

Many people find it easier/safer to row through each gear. It's not a requirement, though.

 

You also get engine braking when you go down through each gear. I think it's more natural to me.

 

thanks for the response.

I row through each gear, (4th to 2nd, i row through 3rd)...BUT i don't engage the clutch...the clutch pedal is pushed in through the rowing down the gears...i rev-match before engaging the clutch in 2nd.

so I am assuming, engaging the clutch in 3rd first, before going down to second is to prevent over-revving...so it is a safety precaution...

tell me if i'm wrong. other than that, i don't see the benefit of engaging the clutch in 3rd OVER just rowing through 3rd without engaging the clutch.

thanks,

 

A lot of people do it the way you do it. Other people do it the way I do it (engage the clutch in that intermediate gear). Other people go straight to the gear they want. It all depends on too many factors to make one general rule.

 

It's not normally significant compared to the forces generated by the brakes.

Being "more natural to you" is really the issue.

 

yea, i understand that there are different ways to do it.

but i'm wondering about the purpose of the different ways.

for me, cycling through 3rd before going to 2nd, speed up the layshaft and puts less strain on the synchros, thats the reason why I cycle through 3rd.

what is the purpose for engaging the clutch in 3rd, before downshifting to 2nd?

 

Is there an advantage of one method over the other? I doubt it. Rev matching down through the gears one-by-one is what I've learned to do, so it's one less thing I have to *think* about on the track. That's OPTIMAL for me