Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

Ok, so I am loving and hating the Roadster from a racing standpoint right now.

Heel-Toe -- wow, effortless! I just lean my foot over and it's on the throttle. Much more difficult in my other cars, this is so easy in the Roadster. Rev-matching my downshifts while on the brake, really great!

Left Foot Braking -- Impossible! Can't get my foot in there. Do you racer guys just do without this technique? In autocross, it's a game changer, especially on my boosted car.

Discuss?

Left foot braking, yeah not happening. The good news is that I haven't really found a course that has needed it. The roadster is so flickable that you get your braking done early, then get back on the power and throttle steer the car through the corner. If you are understeering, lift a little and the nose will tuck, if that doesn't do it, add power and break the back end loose (hang on when you do.) If you are oversteering, back off the power gently and keep it pointed more or less in the right direction. If its really tight, step the back end out and pivot/drift the car and go for it. For a slalom, its light on/off as you go, the light flywheel helps here quite a bit.

That said, its a rare course where I need either 3rd gear or 1st gear. I grab 2nd right off the start and let it run. Occasionally on a really long slalom I'll need 3rd, but usually not. Roadsters are beautiful momentum cars, as long as you can keep the back end in line, you can get away with a lot of stuff because they are both short, and narrow. Yes, you will find yourself drifting some corners, but its not a crazy drift, its just a little bit of one. The cars do like a slightly wider line, I find that I give up too much momentum by keeping a super tight line.

As for braking, its never more than a quick jab on the pedal right before a turn, or at the end to pick up my time slip. Its a different car from the Yaris. It rewards smoothness, and will punish you if you are choppy or over-driving the car.

Will

If this is a thread hijack I apologize and ask that I be deleted....

Has anyone bent their pedals to spread them out and give more room for what Garm asks about (and to make room for wider feet which is the only issue I have for now until I learn to race/autocross?)

Tim

^ Or even fabricate new pedals? I don't think you can get the gas pedal away from the tunnel, but the other two maybe.

I left foot brake all the time. I consider it a big advantage. I put custom pedals in the road race cars. When I used to autocross a roadster with stock pedals I would wear driving shoes as they were very narrow compared to most modern sneakers and this helped. Also adjust the pedal heights, lower the clutch and raise the brake pedal and this will help a lot. You may need to adjust the throttle pedal to the new brake pedal height for better heel and toe when done. You can bend the pedal angles with two big adjustable wrenches closed down on the flats of the vertical sections. You can also trim the clutch pedal a bit on the right side as you don't need it full width.

Mike

Garm wrote:...but the other two maybe.

...definitely what I was wondering about.

I will buy driving shoes once I look (more) and find my size. 14EEEE For now I wear high top wrestling shoes that look a little goofy but are better than regular tennis shoes.

I will also experiment with bending the pedals since I have extras.

I wear size 12 EEEE and there is no way in heck that I can get both feet down there at the same time even with driving shoes.

Roadracing, yes, left foot breaking would be handy. AutoX however, I haven't found a need for it in a roadster. Heck, I can't even left foot brake with the M3. On a 510 I can, a Z I might be able to. Oddly enough, I was able to left foot brake a Miata.

Will

I'm glad the topic is worthy of discussion, and good to know there are multiple techniques available that work.

I like using the left foot with race shoes, after awhile it feels natural enough for me. I don't know if it really gets you that last millisecond or not but I'm told some people like using the left foot to brake check other people that are following too close. That's just what I hear....

I use left foot braking on the Yaris so I can stay in boost and/or get weight off the rear.
The technique is called brake boosting, becaust you stay on the gas. Feels real nice when you release the brake pedal.

I left foot brake everything I drive. 'Bad' habit that has just become my norm. I no longer have good "feel" for braking with my right foot. When racing I'm switching off depending on what I need to be doing. Only screwed it up once. I am also able to heel-toe with the stock setup (size 9.5). I do not however do it traditionally either. I sort of place my foot higher up and twist my right foot so I move my foot more forward and back as it just doesn't seem to work side to side too well, and most stock pedals aren't set up for it so I just adapted way back and it stuck. I'd like to think it can make things a bit smoother, getting rid of that split second of full brake release and rolling on the throttle, or if you need some trail braking.

At a Mazda ride and drive years ago, the dude that set the "beat the pro" time at the AX course did not left foot brake. He didn't lose.

some people like using the left foot to brake check other people that are following too close.

It's a safety thing, they need to know they should brake earlier.

This video covers most of what's being discussed;
Heel/Toe technique? Check
Proper braking technique? Check
Classy footware? Big red Check

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^ haha, that's a good one. Love the loafers.

Can't ever beat Rohrl for foot technique though.

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That rally stuff is nuts....

GeoffM wrote:This video covers most of what's being discussed;
Heel/Toe technique? Check
Proper braking technique? Check
Classy footwear? Big red Check

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Someone please explain to the uninitiated and clueless (me!) what the light pumping/feathering (?) of the gas pedal does (when coming out of a corner)?

Love the loafers!

It's too bad the rally footage doesn't have the foot shot superimposed like the NSX footage!

Thanks!
tim