rec.autos.simulators

I'm sure I read at some point in the dim and distant that drivers used
the clutch for the start only, but I recently saw footage on a VHS
tape of Jim Clark heel-and-toeing.  Why would one heel and toe if not
using a clutch?

Input on the above appreciated.

Cheers,

Mark
Reading, UK

In view of the length of the races in those days I'm pretty sure Clark and
co didn't shift clutchless unless they had to as it does expose the gearbox
to more wear and tear. That's why you'll see them heel-toeing instead of
braking with their left foot and blipping the throttle with their right.
That said, I'm pretty sure GP drivers used their left foot for small taps or
non-downshift braking work as early as the 1.5litre formula. Some GP drivers
may have skipped gears downshifting instead of "rowing" through the gears as
is done in GPL as well.

I don't know if clutchless shifting ever made it into Grand Prix racing
before sequential gearboxes, but seeing as gearboxes and such never would be
overengineered I somehow doubt it. I've seen some Nascar drivers shift
clutchless on roadcourses, others don't.

Jan.
=---

[From my experience driving a Frogeye Sprite with no synchromesh rather than
time spent at the wheel of a Lotus 49] When changing down you have to match
the revs of the engine to the speed of the car so that all of the gearbox is
spinning at more or less the same speed. You have your foot on the brake to
slow down with your heel (or side of your foot) on the accelerator to rev
the engine. Your left foot is doing nothing. Changing up is simpler - you're
not braking and the revs required are much longer.

Tomorrow's lesson - double de-clutching...

Tony Whitley

It's very simple. They could not, even if they wanted, reach the brake with
their left feet.
The steering column (sp?) was in the way. The clutch was on one side of the
steering column and the brake and gas pedals were on the other side.

(Thats why I always consider left foot brakers in GPL to be cheaters ;-) )

So would it not be better in such circumstances to left foot brake?

Cheers,

Mark
Reading, UK

Signed,
A left foot braker

Gerry

Peter

Mark

These are qoutes btw not me:

"Last..that Ferrari shift mechanism--you might also have seen the
description I dredged up a while back from Niki Lauda's first book, "Art and
Science" (1975--he seems to have been referring the the 312T).

There were a couple of photos of the small shift lever and gate-set there,
and he wrote a bit about that internal slider between second and first. Very
much like the one the ZF box Lotus had it seems--second gear had to be
engaged before the slider opened up to let the lever into first. "

"Into the Gasworks Hairpin JYS buried the brakes and changed direct from 5th
(I believe) to 1st, whereas team-mate Graham Hill seemd to brake just as
hard, though with a somewhat less *** initial application, and then
flurried down through the gearbox 4-3-2-1. But while Stewart tended towards
understeer on entry into the Hairpin, then kicking the tail round under
power at the exit, both Hill and Jack Brabham had their cars oversteering
into the hairpin, and they had the power on earlier on the exit perhaps
gaining some time on the long return run towards Ste Devote"

etc. its still possible that the gearbox of the brabham was capable of going
from 5th to lets say 2nd gear, but If you over-rev the engine in the same
time... :(

Tiff Needell driving the Lotus 49:

-"I tentatively try to engage first gear. The German ZF gearbox is a
five-speed unit with synchromesh and a selection system that demands
you to down through the gears in order, and it's supposed to be easier
to engage second before first before you set off. But whatever you do,
it's a pig to find!"

--
-- Fran?ois Mnard <ymenard>
-- http://www.ymenard.8m.com/
-- This announcement is brought to you by the Shimato Dominguez
Corporation - helping America into the New World...

Seems like a must-read book.. thanks for the tip :)

Andre