What's all this talk about a clutch???

Forgive me if I have missed something here. I have been driving GPL since it was released. I have never used automatic shifting. I have allways shifted for myself and have never bothered with the clutch. I don't even know which button works the clutch. I use the Nascar Pro wheel, and the wheel buttons are for looking left/right, the shifter shifts, and I never touch the clutch button. On starts, I sit on the grid in neutral, rev to about 8 grand, and when the flag drops I pop it into first and take off. Am I losing some performance and/or hurting the car by not using the clutch??? I have never suffered breakdowns that were a result of this technique. Please enlighten me. -- the 5th Doctor . . . (the first 4 Doctors are quacks) Rx; two Chee-tos every two minutes followed by intense ***. take with soda. Adjust setup and sound for pain.

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> On Thu, 20 May 1999 16:41:31 -0700, "5th Doctor" > >Forgive me if I have missed something here. I have been driving GPL since > >it was released. I have never used automatic shifting. I have allways > >shifted for myself and have never bothered with the clutch. I don't even > >know which button works the clutch. I use the Nascar Pro wheel, and the > >wheel buttons are for looking left/right, the shifter shifts, and I never > >touch the clutch button. On starts, I sit on the grid in neutral, rev to > >about 8 grand, and when the flag drops I pop it into first and take off. Am > >I losing some performance and/or hurting the car by not using the clutch??? > >I have never suffered breakdowns that were a result of this technique. > >Please enlighten me. > >-- > >the 5th Doctor . . . (the first 4 Doctors are quacks) > >Rx; two Chee-tos every two minutes followed by intense ***. > > take with soda. Adjust setup and sound for pain. > You're probably not doing much harm to the engine, as even with a > manual gearbox the engine has an automatic clutch. The manual clutch > is only there as an extra, which can be useful if you know how to use > it.

Uhhh, when your trannie blows you will know you don't have an automatic clutch. You are simply popping it out of and into gear. If you don't match the rpm well you'll hear the gears crunch. Wow, that's a new one too.

I too use the Nascar pro and you can configure the controls as you wish. If you want to you the clutch for the start (saves 1st gear) you can build a pedal etc. or simply put your keyboard just above your dash and use the enter key for the clutch. Assuming your'e right handed you'll like it. JM

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> Forgive me if I have missed something here. I have been driving GPL since > it was released. I have never used automatic shifting. I have allways > shifted for myself and have never bothered with the clutch. I don't even > know which button works the clutch. I use the Nascar Pro wheel, and the > wheel buttons are for looking left/right, the shifter shifts, and I never > touch the clutch button. On starts, I sit on the grid in neutral, rev to > about 8 grand, and when the flag drops I pop it into first and take off. Am > I losing some performance and/or hurting the car by not using the clutch??? > I have never suffered breakdowns that were a result of this technique. > Please enlighten me. > -- > the 5th Doctor . . . (the first 4 Doctors are quacks) > Rx; two Chee-tos every two minutes followed by intense ***. > take with soda. Adjust setup and sound for pain.

On Thu, 20 May 1999 16:41:31 -0700, "5th Doctor"

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>Forgive me if I have missed something here. I have been driving GPL since >it was released. I have never used automatic shifting. I have allways >shifted for myself and have never bothered with the clutch. I don't even >know which button works the clutch. I use the Nascar Pro wheel, and the >wheel buttons are for looking left/right, the shifter shifts, and I never >touch the clutch button. On starts, I sit on the grid in neutral, rev to >about 8 grand, and when the flag drops I pop it into first and take off. Am >I losing some performance and/or hurting the car by not using the clutch??? >I have never suffered breakdowns that were a result of this technique. >Please enlighten me. >-- >the 5th Doctor . . . (the first 4 Doctors are quacks) >Rx; two Chee-tos every two minutes followed by intense ***. > take with soda. Adjust setup and sound for pain.

You're probably not doing much harm to the engine, as even with a manual gearbox the engine has an automatic clutch. The manual clutch is only there as an extra, which can be useful if you know how to use it. It's sometimes easier to go around difficult and twisty corners with the clutch on, as it detatches the engine from the gears and accelerator, so the car glides around the corner. It'll be useful for you to start practising how to use the clutch however. Griffin, the Slayer

Have to agree with Griffin here. Using the clutch helps keep me from wheelspin in some corners - letting me get back on the accelerator earlier - keeping the car from sliding and making exit speed faster. Timing can be hard to master if you've only driven an automatic in real life, though - as my nephew proves constantly. Another reason to be glad I learned to drive with a manual. Michael > > It's sometimes easier to go around difficult and twisty corners with > > the clutch on, as it detatches the engine from the gears and > > accelerator, so the car glides around the corner. > Wow, that's a new one too.

Well, it's a clutch :) I use it to get out of spins and the like, though the cheapo button I use for it on my Thrustmaster GP1 should be replaced... -- Kirk Lane ICQ: 28171652 >Forgive me if I have missed something here. I have been driving GPL since >it was released. I have never used automatic shifting. I have allways >shifted for myself and have never bothered with the clutch. I don't even >know which button works the clutch. I use the Nascar Pro wheel, and the >wheel buttons are for looking left/right, the shifter shifts, and I never >touch the clutch button. On starts, I sit on the grid in neutral, rev to >about 8 grand, and when the flag drops I pop it into first and take off. Am >I losing some performance and/or hurting the car by not using the clutch??? >I have never suffered breakdowns that were a result of this technique. >Please enlighten me. >-- >the 5th Doctor . . . (the first 4 Doctors are quacks) >Rx; two Chee-tos every two minutes followed by intense ***. > take with soda. Adjust setup and sound for pain.

I have the clutch mapped to a key and use it only on the starts. I am not sure if it gives you a better start than just "jamming it" into gear, but I do know that I generally get off the line very well. -- Doug Gordon --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- ---Share what you know. Learn what you don't.---

> It's sometimes easier to go around difficult and twisty corners with > the clutch on, as it detatches the engine from the gears and > accelerator, so the car glides around the corner. Any time you're not accelerating or braking you're losing time on the track. If you're coasting around corners you need to brake later or accelerate sooner. Trips

> Have to agree with Griffin here. > Using the clutch helps keep me from wheelspin in some corners - letting me > get back on the accelerator earlier - keeping the car from sliding and > making exit speed faster. Control wheelspin with the throttle, not the clutch. Using the clutch to control wheelspin is an indication of poor throttle control. Trips

If this was the real world, at racing speeds coasting is one of the best ways to find yourself eating a tree. Mark >> It's sometimes easier to go around difficult and twisty corners with >> the clutch on, as it detatches the engine from the gears and >> accelerator, so the car glides around the corner.

I have the Clutch assigned to the gearstick on my NASCAR Pro. It's kinda halfway between being analogue and digital and allows me to get very good starts. -- Cheers! Graeme Nash http://www.karisma1.demon.co.uk ICQ# 11257824 ________________________________________________________________________________ "Sorry, my eyes were on screensaver" (Calvin & Hobbes)

After about 50 practice starts using a clutch button, I have abandoned that technique. I cannot seem to get off the line straight with a competitive speed. So I'll go back to crunching first gear, taking my chances, spinning the tires, softshifting, hoping turn 1 is clean, racing into the night, listening to the wife giggle as I lean into the turns, etc. -- <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> the 5th Doctor "4 out of 5 Doctors recommend yadayadayada" My Rx: two Chee-tos every two minutes, with soda. followed by intense *** till you die. adjust setup and sound for pain. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> >If this was the real world, at racing speeds coasting is one of the best >ways to find yourself eating a tree. >Mark >>> It's sometimes easier to go around difficult and twisty corners with >>> the clutch on, as it detatches the engine from the gears and >>> accelerator, so the car glides around the corner.

>Have to agree with Griffin here. Thank you! :) Using an automatic gearbox in GPL slows your car down a bit (it's a penalty), so it's best not to use it at all, unless you're still learning how to control the cars. Griffin, the Slayer

On Fri, 21 May 1999 19:39:55 +0100, "Mark Seery" >If this was the real world, at racing speeds coasting is one of the best >ways to find yourself eating a tree. So a lot of people say. For example, when I race motorcycles I have often found myself increasing my lap times and positions by coasting a just a tad around corners which should be taken a little slower. If I were to use the brake it would slow me down too much. Use the accelerator and I'd crash. Coasting however simply uses gravity to slow the bike down. Simple!

I'll put it to you this way. If you was coasting on a British driving test, you would automatically fail in most cases. I don't fully understand the dynamics of a motorcycle under cornering but in a car, there is a lot more stability to be had by having the clutch engaged and having the diff doing it's stuff. I agree that constant speed can be attained mid corner but should only be done under full assistange of the drive train. Go look up some driver interviews over the years. It is amazing how many racers have gone off on corners after failing to engage a gear or getting the wrong one. Sounds like a lack of sensitivity on your part using the brakes. You are either braking too early or too hard for too long. Again. It depends on how you use it. Sure if you floor the gas mid corner you are going to get high sided every time. Coasting however simply uses gravity to Sorry to nit pick here. Coasting uses friction not gravity to slow down. That is unless you are running up hill ;-) Cheers mate Mark !

| |> It's sometimes easier to go around difficult and twisty corners with |> the clutch on, as it detatches the engine from the gears and |> accelerator, so the car glides around the corner. | |Any time you're not accelerating or braking you're losing time on the track. |If you're coasting around corners you need to brake later or accelerate sooner. | |Trips | Yup. A friend of mine (accurately) says "Any time you're in a race, you're either accelerating, braking, or losing." Work it out. Av