Lately I've been left foot braking which makes gas to brake to gas much smoother and faster. No heal and toe is involved since no clutch is involved, I use clutch on the up shift since the flywheel isn't light enough to make it beneficial. Does any one think that this will wear the synchroes even with a perfect match. This technique is used in race cars that have no synchroes all of the time no exceptions.

 

you will notice left foot braking by top drivers in auto-x, I have started to try it out on a few corners at various track events and seems to be easier, not just for rev matching on braking/downshifts but to balance the weight of the car more on slow/mid speed corners. You'll notice that most cart/F1 drivers left foot brake...whatever that's suppose to mean.

 

The left foot braking method from what I've learned was very handy with turbocharged cars when boost comes down and introduces lag into the equation at lower rpms. It's a method used to maintain boost pressure or to minimize some of the drop in pressure by constantly applying the throttle while controlling the braking action.

WRC drivers also tend to apply this technique to maximize engine response by keeping the boost on. On some cars, they've used mechanical devices such as anti-lag systems (also known as the misfiring system) which ignites fuel and air in the exhaust manifold just before the turbo and spins the turbo back up whenever the driver lifts his foot off the gas. Unfortunately, this is hell on the car and the exhaust system components, generates an alarming amount of heat, and the noise is just unbearable (which is why the WRC has strict noise regulations regarding usage of this kind of device.)

I'm yet to see drivers of N/A cars apply this technique... if someone has any experience with this or with any other situation, I'd be interested in finding out how the technique could be applied in those cases.

 

Guys, I think he's not only talking about balancing the car in a steady state corner with the brake which I do in the Impreza at the track, but he's also talking about not using the clutch on downshifts.

Honestly, I'd say, even if your match is really close to perfect it will never be perfect and thus cause syncro wear. Moreso than using the clutch. One of the reasons I'd like a dog box for the Impreza is to be able to do exactly what you're talking about. The syncros only get in the way and make clutchless shifting more diffecult.

The S2k has enough transmission and other drivetrain frailties... if you want to push your luck then go right ahead, just don't bitch when your syncros are trashed in 6 months and Honda won't rebuild your mission for free.

 

You know what, your rignt, maybe w/ an NSX, Vette or 360. I shouldn't push our piece of crap tranny. When I hit 6500mls I'll change all of my fluids to Redline oil. Thanks for understanding the post. Do you think the S2 would have a chance against a C5 at a track like Laguna Seca? Keep in touch [/B][/QUOTE]

 

Read my post more carefully.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hyper-X
[B]The left foot braking method from what I've learned was very handy with turbocharged cars when boost comes down and introduces lag into the equation at lower rpms.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MACH5GSXR
[B]

You know what, your rignt, maybe w/ an NSX, Vette or 360. I shouldn't push our piece of crap tranny. When I hit 6500mls I'll change all of my fluids to Redline oil.

 

I left foot brake whenever I'm not downshifting entering a corner in just about every car I've ever driven on the track, both turbo and N/A. It does require quite a bit of pedal dancing, but overall it is faster for several different reasons. The only car I have recently driven that I didn't left foot brake in is a Miata that I crew chiefed in an 8-hour enduro at VIR, and that's because left foot braking is quite a bit harder on the drivetrain and brakes than right foot braking. There is a great benefit to being able to use either the brakes or the gas to balance the car in a corner.

One other thing I've discovered when left foot braking: with the old racing addage "In a spin, both feet in",you have to remember where your feet are. Flooring both the brakes and the gas at the same time is not good for the car

 

Left foot braking in autocross can be beneficial but isn't necessarily mandatory or even used 100% by top drivers. A few of the very best I know don't, but many others do.

It's use for maintaining turbo boost, and for helping a FWD car rotate, however, are good points to take home.

As for an S2 vs. C5 (or Z06) at Laguna, see the video here- http://user.s2ki.com/jzr/getfile.htm - it's the second video listed.

Given equal drivers on equal tires, a C5 should be a couple seconds faster than an S2000, and the Z06 a couple seconds more than that.