Hey CSG Mike, I got a newbie question...

I'm still trying to perfect heel toe downshifting and the way the FRS is setup I cannot do it with the outside of my foot even if my life depended on it.... so I have to actually lift my heel pivot my foot and stab the throttle with my heel. And through each gear I lift the clutch as I've seen from hundreds of videos. My question is, can you actually downshift through gears pressing in the clutch the whole time, never lifting it off (still shift through each individual gear and still blip the throttle each time you go through a gear, just not lifting the clutch until you reach the gear you want)?

Kind of a stupid question since I've never seen anyone do that... so what is the disadvantage or problems one would encounter if you never lift the clutch at the end of each blip?

Don't stab with your heel. The pedal is not nearly long enough (unless you have weird ultra flexible ankles...). You can thank unintended acceleration suits for that. Take a look at this:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxGtx9xXhlM&feature=share&list=UUgoaptaitc Spjy6cAD2IOkg"]Heel and Toe Braking - Shifting Technique Tutorial: Hooked On Driving - YouTube[/ame]

It was my poor choice of words, I simply meant I have to blip it. So like your video, I cannot do it the way they did it. I have to do it like this video (right at the start of the video), by pivoting my foot https://www.youtube.com/watch?vhs=1&...=28ijoZwpmbU#!.

Do what feels natural for you. Every foot is different, big-foots with monster 11's sometimes blip the throttle with their toes... smaller feet do it with their heels. Some uses the side of the foot. You mentioned you had difficulty with using your heel so the next progression would be the side of your foot.

Maybe consider pedal covers, or even just a change in footwear. Narrower Pumas tend to help me with the heel aspect. Wider Timberlands let me use the side of my foot.

In the end it's more practice than anything. I posted that video just to point out you don't necessarily have to use only your heel + toe. Just make sure you have good grip on the brake pedal so your foot won't slip off and be able to manipulate the throttle without getting your foot stuck between them (aka be safe).

Mike, whats the cost of track time out there on the West Coast? Say a typical weekend at Willow Springs? I may be moving there in less than 2 years for grad school, and track location IS something I consider in choosing a school. I mean, thats whats really important, right? I'm from PA and I usually pay 120$ for a track day or 165$ for time trials.

Nick

There's no "wrong" way to do it. Ultimately, the goal is to be able to blip the throttle while maintaining steady brake pressure. Some people use their heel on the gas pedal, while others pivot the other way and use their heel on the brake pedal.

Yes, you can go through every gate without lifting on the clutch, and that's what I actually did for a long time, until I refined my downshifts enough that I can go through every gate without affecting car balance or time.

Streets of Willow Springs: $60-140, average 100-120
Willow Springs International Raceway: $100-180, average: 130-150
Auto Club Speedway: $180-240, average: 210
Buttonwillow: $140-200, average: 160
Chuckwalla Valley Raceway: $125-200, average: 150-175
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca: $180-350, average: 300 (4 sessions)
Sonoma: $180-350, average: 300 (4 sessions)
Thunderhill: $100-200, average: 160

add 50% for any SCCA/NASA/POC/PCA/BMWCCA events.

Lower prices are during the summer when turnouts are smaller and/or when promos are going on.

What specific make/model tire? That's WAY more important than 225 vs 215. Are they trackworthy, have they been tracked, and if so, how many heat cycles?

Actually, just a couple of random used tires. Used because this next event I'm going to is more of a drift-practice skid-pad event and last time I went, my stock tires lost a lot of thread.

Just use the cheap tires, but match the compounds front/rear so that the car is more predictable :thumbsup:

Ok, I'll switch back to the stock tires and just keep the used ones as backup instead of the other way around. This way I'll have the same compound for all 4.

my first autox
 

Hi cgs mike I love reading your article its help a lot to the comunity I have a couple of question that would like your experts skill

1) on sunday I am going to my first autox the car is bone stock I just want to learn how it is and learn the car behavior any tips you can give when I arrive there, also any concern on the car i have to be aware of, i am gonna try my first time with aids of to start like that

2)I want to buy a set of coilover since I want to autox and track racing that help me on lap times but still maintain a good daily driver since some times I am gonna use it for work and the wife is gonna use it I am aware that if I buy coilover the car will be a bit stiffer and feel more bump I don't mind so wich one you can recomend me I am planning to buy 18 wheels Xxr 527 since I like them and in my area nobody run thems they are 18x8.75 35+ and on widht tires I was thinking front 225/40/18 and rear 245/40/18 since I like that stance of people watching my ass lol oh and most important a good option of tires that I go DD but take a weekend abuse and 3 hours drive lol since my tracks are far away

Thanks for your time and help sorry if I miss something I am a little noob on forums

1. Listen carefully to your assigned instructor. They'll be your biggest resource for the day. Also, take a tire pressure gauge. Drive with all aids off. Leaving them on means the car is "catching" you, depriving you of the opportunity to learn from errors.

2. Leave your car stock. As you drive it more, you will discover what aspects of it you want to change. At that point, start modifying.

For anyone considering trying to learn a throttle blip technique and especially for those who may have tried but were unsuccessful I have some suggestions.

Before focusing on the physical aspects, make sure you understand the why and when portion including knowing at what stage of the braking process this should occur. Hint: trail braking probably should not be on your mind at this point.

Moving on to the physical side, consider breaking down the technique into steps that will build muscle memory. Start with simply braking using only the right edge of the pedal. Most people have years of stepping on the center of the pedal which needs to be unlearned before adding throttle blipping. When you are ready, try both the foot roll and traditional heel toe technique with the car sitting in neutral until you can maintain steady brake pressure while also completing a throttle blip. Next move on to an empty parking lot and add actual downshifting to the equation. This all may seem remedial but taking actual traffic conditions out of the process really contributes to skill development.

Alright thanks a lot for you help anxious for sunday to test the car true strength

Any thoughts on the effects of removing the rear sway bar and just keeping the stock front bar?

I'm wondering if it'd plant the rear nicely and allow me to push harder through the bends or whether the car might just become an over steering pig.

Heard about the S2K guys doing it. Curious if it's worth looking at for our cars.

Any thoughts on the effects of removing the rear sway bar and just keeping the stock front bar?

I'm wondering if it'd plant the rear nicely and allow me to push harder through the bends or whether the car might just become an understeering pig and lose the ability to rotate at will. I'd also not want to lose front grip.

Heard about the S2K guys doing it for AutoX. Curious if it's worth looking at for our cars (AutoX or track, pros & cons).

Currently running - coilovers (RSR), upgraded street rubber, camber + caster bushings, alignment, stock sways.

Mike,

After you have bed-in your brake pads. Is there a way to maintain the burnishing longer using a certain braking style on the street?

If heated properly, the bedding should be permanent. Generally, I brake slightly later and slightly harder than "normal", and that seems to maintain the bedding for me, as well as most of the socal track crowd that daily drive on race pads.

What does your cars alignment print sheet look like?

We don't have one because we get our car aligned using levels and yardsticks.

Totally serious.

-3 front camber
0 toe

-2.4 rear camber
0 toe

Is it a full on track animal or do you street it like that? I'm seeking something between the two I think. How does that much camber feel in straight line at high speed like over hundred?

The car is mixed duty; it has 26k miles on it!

Camber won't affect feel as much as tire itself and toe. A hint of toe-in front/rear will add stability, but isn't ideal for raw grip.

Hi Mike, there's an open track event at Willow Springs next month and I was planning on going to this. After reading the first thread, I'm a little concerned with 1) brakes and 2) tune.

Do you recommend I hold off on track days altogether until I can purchase the above items? You mentioned there stock tune "destroys injection collars" is it really that bad?

Was hoping to just try to get some seat time as I've been really itching for a track day but I can't afford any costly mods (>$200) for a few months. I could probably swing a cheap-ish set of brakes but a tune would be a little out of my price range for now.

Thanks

If you're not very experienced, you'll *probably* be okay, but it does eventually cause damage over the long term.

I would highly recommend you get a set of pads to swap on just for the track day.

OK thanks for the info.

Does a tune prevent the long term damage? Or is this something that Toyota needs to fix?? Also, does it throw a CEL?

After reading more I'm getting more and more concerned about this DI failure.

Correcting the transient timing table prevents the long term damage, and that correction is currently included in ANY tune that begins with a recent base map released by Ecutek.

Ideally, Toyota/Subaru/Scion need to fix it.

There is no CEL when you get the DI seal failure, only symptoms.

E.g.:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=450Pov98STg"]BRZ bad idle + misfire, no CEL, stock engine - YouTube[/ame]

Scary, thank you for the info. Happy to hear a tune will fix.

What's the best wheels /tires set up for stock brz for track used? 255/40/17 or may be 235/40/18?(will use coilover later)

Flashing cel under wot is caused by what?

This happened in my legacy and it was from overheating.

Mike, I read every post but still aren't sure. Are the newer (post 02/13 production I think) ECU cars still having DI issues?

Also, about trail braking. Every HPDE instructor I've had including two this year says to complete all braking in a straight line before corner entry. Maybe it's a CYA thing so they don't need to explain why I spun trail braking when I tried it solo. But really, what's to be gained trail braking? Is it a speed advantage or ability to rotate? How long should braking be carried into the corner? When should it be avoided (like an off-camber corner or rain)?. Isn't slow in fast out the safer, more predictable, repeatable way to lower lap times?

Doesn't seems like u get understeer due to the big wing at the back?

Spring Rates - Noob Question:

Some springs are rated at 8k, 10k, 14k, etc.

Others are rated at Lbs/in (ie -RCE Yellows)

What gives?
How does one convert to the other?

Use this:

http://www.hraefn.net/projects/spring_rates.php

It is almost impossible to drive a car anywhere near its limits "braking only in a straight line". This type of advice or instruction is totally counterproductive and slows down the learning process. As a newb driver years ago, I didn't get anywhere my first track day until I quit trying to "brake only in a straight line".

It is much much easier to gradually trade braking for cornering than to get totally off the brakes and then try to turn in. The car just wants to push. Very awkward, very unnecessary.

Trail braking is NOT an "advanced technique"! As an instructor, I often have to reteach beginning drivers to get them over the brainwashing they've received about how to enter a corner.
At a ZCar convention a few years back, I was asked to go out on the autoX course with a friend's wife who was having a hard time. At the very first corner, which she entered just fine, she apologized for not "braking in a straight line"! I told her she was doing fine, not to worry about it. I did practically nothing else, and she was 2 seconds faster and had a helluva lot more fun driving the course, vs. being forced to "brake only in a straight line" which her previous two instructors had totally insisted on.

Trail-braking is faster because it is smoother, and it makes it infinitely easier to hit the apex as it takes advantage of the front grip you get from increased load on the fronts under braking, and of course it also allows you to carry more speed a bit deeper into the braking zone.

That's not to say that braking deeper is always better or faster overall, you can go too far. But if you aren't trail-braking some amount at corner entry, you're doing it wrong. You pretty much *have* to trail-brake to execute a proper line into most corners. This business about getting completely off the brakes before turning in is stupid, makes the car much more difficult to drive, and is totally unnecessary. I expect my students to be trail-braking pretty much immediately. It's easier, feels more natural, and is faster.

Makes sense, I'll try it at the next track day this Sunday starting with open corners and ample runoff!

http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticl...ng-Issues.aspx
Read number 2 as well.

Track oil
 

Based on comments I've read on this website it seems like German made Castrol Synthetic oil is the best to use for our cars if Track Duty is in mind.

Anyone know where I can locally purchase it within the Triangle area? (Raleigh being the best).

I'm gonna call up T Hoff & Turbo Time tomorrow and ask them, but otherwise I wouldn't know where to look.

I applied your tips at a track day today. I wasn't consistent yet, but definitely felt the improvement of front end grip and ability to rotate using trail braking. It also wasn't as difficult as imagined and like you said, felt faster. To satisfy my curiosity, I did A/B comparisons using straight line and trail braking at the same corners during stints and the improvement with TB control was dramatic. It felt like I suddenly had a car with front downforce. More practice needed, but this has shown me a new way to hustle faster and safer, thanks.