I'm going will you AL ~ Might need to do an oil change and check on my brake pads (haven't change the front pads since I got my car).

 

alan has to look after his p port housings

 

1 more day WOOT WOOT!!

 

I totally fail.

I cannot for the life of me do the heel-toe downshifting thing. I have tried every day this week in various secluded areas on straight roads with no one around. Argh!

I have tried different foot positions, and so far the only one that feels comfortable is the "rolling your foot over to the gas" method. It feels alright but I cannot get the right amount of gas, usually WAY too much or not enough. Scared the crap out of myself once because I almost stalled it... And then again when the car took off like a freaking rocket because I revved it up to 7000 by accident. Good thing I was going straight with no one in front or behind.

Any tips for good ways to practice? I was trying it 2nd -> 1st to try to slow everything down but the car didn't like that at all, so I did 3rd --> 2nd... or would it actually be better to try it faster? If so I need to find somewhere to do that with no one around.

Blargh! Failure ahead!

 

Personally I find toe-heeling the easiest coming off the highway onto a high speed corner.. (where either you have a decent exit ramp, or a green light...)

I usually drop into 4 on approach, brake, then toe-heel into 3rd or 2nd...

That being said... I suspect track toe-heeling will be different from street... and I haven't really tried downshifting once I drop below 5K yet...

***

As for practice methods, there are topics that suggest practicing in a straight line, then go through your 4-3-2 shifts...

Make sure nobody's around though...

 

Skyfire, dont worry we are in the same boat on this one.... i still cant get the hang of it either

 

^ That's actually pretty re-assuring...

n00bs unite!

P.S. I'm going to go practice again tonight.

 

you dont have to be going super high speeds. just do it in every day driving situations. every time you are slowing for a light, istead of normal downshifting apply a little brake pressure and heal and toe down through the gears (not into first though!). Obviously dont do it with cars all around you until you get comfortable with it. I do it all day every day everywhere i drive. Its just part of how i drive now. i find it much easier to heel toe off the track than on. i find i dont rev it enough on the track because im more used to doing little blips for city driving.

 

I use the sides of my foot as much as possible instead of the actual heel/toe.. The easiest gear to practice IMO is 3rd --> 2nd.

Don't worry about over revving it, worry about not enough then work your way back gradually. After a while you will get an idea of what RPM you should be at in each gear for a given speed. I just go by feel and I'm not always 100% on target but it's getting better.

 

I know (roughly) what RPM it needs to be in... that's not the problem. It's making that happen that is proving difficult.

 

Cant wait for tomorrow!!

 

I have a work function tonight till the wee hours of the night, so i won't be able to drive up. But have fun guys! Let's see some pics afterwards and no dive-bombing ppl!

 

Least you are practicing!! I find the track easier to do it at, especially when I was first starting out cause you are braking harder and that makes the heel-toe thing easier.

I told my bro, best place to start is getting the feeling of rev matching with no brake. Coming off the high way or up to a light letting your car slow down so your RPMs are low, clutch in blip the throttle, gear change, clutch out. It gives you the feeling of how that part is supposed to work. Then start throwing in the brake.

I do heel-toe as that is how I first started to learn and can't do the other way now. Becoming more and more second nature and a HELL of a lot easier.

Don't do heel-toe down to first, since as long as you are somewhat moving you don't really need first. 3rd - 2nd is great gears to practice with.

+1

 

Now just hours WOOT WOOT!!!

Stay away rain!

 

Weather reports are looking kind of nasty:

Weather Network - Belleville

Environment Canada - Belleville

Summary: Possibility (Weather Network says 80% POP) of showers beginning in the evening (whenever that is, exactly), and maybe even thunder storms. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

 

i cant wait to get on the road. i almost just want to leave now. lol. see you guys thisafternoon

 

Have a great day guys.....hope the weather holds out for you.....its 2pm and not raining here yet.

 

Guys, have fun with the awesome track lapping day.
Too bad, I can't come due to...it's full booked...and I couldnt make up my mind early enough :-(

I wish I can come join you guys next time. :-D
Come drop by the meeting if you guys can, and tell us your story about the day :-D

Have a nice day, and have fun with the 8ssssssss~

 

wow! what an experience! Too bad it was raining, or else we could've used the R1s instead of driving with our crappy all-seasons.

am definitely looking forward to future track events xD

 

Well day was pretty interesting. Constantly drifting and trying to get traction even on the straights was a challenge. Only really got to squeeze it in the last 20 minutes. Overall good day, very different from usually grip track days. Maybe next time I can put my Hoosiers on

thewird

 

driving on the track in the rain was definitely an experience! Glad it started to dry out at the end .

Thanks Al and Thumper for organizing this one

 

lots of fun, sorry could stick around longer i had a very long drive home. ill post up a pic of the giant rock that shattered my windshield on the way home.

 

OH NO!!!! Nate that SUCKS

 

Got the soggy car back to the dealership and unloaded by about 12:30am, thanks to Josh, Jay and Ryan for coming back and helping me! The rain really brings out who has the best "feel" for what their car is doing and be able to keep it in the edge of adhesion all the time..................thank god for stability control, it saved my *** a couple of times! From pit out we got to watch just how good the stability control is when a few of you "missed" lol. One wet day out of 3 isnt that bad, Thumper wants to do an August one can we get 20 people again?

 

So anyone go off roading?