Anyway, there was some sort of sports car racing at Lime Rock Park - the
in-car camera on one of the cars seemed to show the driver using a
sequential stick shifter....
Could that be right? BTW, isn't paddle shifting sequential shifting?
Andrew
Yes, sequential stick shifting is quite common. Yes, paddle shifting is
sequential.
Andrew
> > Anyway, there was some sort of sports car racing at Lime Rock Park - the
> > in-car camera on one of the cars seemed to show the driver using a
> > sequential stick shifter....
> > Could that be right? BTW, isn't paddle shifting sequential shifting?
> > Andrew
> Yes, sequential stick shifting is quite common. Yes, paddle shifting is
> sequential.
All that I am aware of, yes. Just like a motorcycle. Even the "automatic"
racing trannies use a clutch. They are mechnically actuated under computer
control, but are in fact nothing more than a "manual" gearbox and clutch.
Chrysler makes a line of "sequential shift" trannies for the street, but
these are just normal fluid drive automatics with a spring loaded shift
handle.
<snip>
I believe that the vast majority of sequential shifting mechanisms are built
around a semi-automatic gearbox which handles the clutching and throttle
lift for you. I'm not saying there AREN'T fully manual sequential systems
out there, but I've never heard of one...
...anybody care to prove me wrong? :)
----------
Doug :)
Yes. A true sequential manual trans, anyway. Porsche and Chrysler have
modified automatics which behave like sequential transmissions, but
they aren't.
If a sequential trans racecar trans behaves like a motorcycle trans,
you don't necessarily have to use the clutch except to get moving or
when stopping.
When I'm hammering on an MX bike, I just back off the throttle and
upshift. Once underway, the clutch is used at a power control device.
Keep the throttle on, and slip the clutch to get the amount of
power/traction you want.
It'll upshift under full throttle, and sounds cool as anything, but I
pay for and fix my own stuff, so I don't to it often. :-)
Tim
> If a sequential trans racecar trans behaves like a motorcycle trans,
> you don't necessarily have to use the clutch except to get moving or
> when stopping.
> When I'm hammering on an MX bike, I just back off the throttle and
> upshift. Once underway, the clutch is used at a power control device.
> Keep the throttle on, and slip the clutch to get the amount of
> power/traction you want.
> It'll upshift under full throttle, and sounds cool as anything, but I
> pay for and fix my own stuff, so I don't to it often. :-)
> Tim
unless your car has baulk ring syncros you don't really need the clutch on
an H pattern street car either. This is not to say that I reccomend you
abandon the use of your clutch, just that you can shift without it without
doing any harm to any of your car's mechnicals, including the syncro. I've
even managed to get a stationary car going without the clutch when I had to,
without so much as a hint of grinding gears.
It can be a valuable skill to have, although I highly reccomend you learn to
do it on a "throwaway" car.
See Carroll Smith's "Drive to Win" for a discussion of this.
These weren't real high class cars for TV audiences but were touring the
northwest a while back. Someone might know of these or have even driven one.
Pretty cool cars, if not as quick as they could have been on our track.
(Since it was just a 1 week stop)
> > Yes, that's what I thought. One more question.... does all sequential
> racing
> > shifting use a clutch?
> > Andrew
> All that I am aware of, yes. Just like a motorcycle. Even the "automatic"
> racing trannies use a clutch. They are mechnically actuated under computer
> control, but are in fact nothing more than a "manual" gearbox and clutch.
> Chrysler makes a line of "sequential shift" trannies for the street, but
> these are just normal fluid drive automatics with a spring loaded shift
> handle.
Tim
