Left Foot Braking
 

On long sweepers and chicanes (Ss), not turns prior to a straight, do any of you use your left foot to tap the brakes?


In either an auto tranny or a manual, just wondering if anyone has/does this?
I'm sure a lot of people must do this in Autox with an auto tranny, but it might be to quick of a movement with a 6m, meaning the next turn is a few yards away, and not too many straights if any.



Being a former Forklift training, I started doing this in my 6m thinking the movement is not that much different from a forklift, and I'm liking it.
Need to do this more often for muscle memory to kick in.

just be careful when left foot braking, if you are too quick to tag the brake after releasing the throttle (or still in the process of releasing throttle pressure) you can trigger ice mode. Not fun when you are trying to scrub a little speed during a competition run.

I don't like it personally. I don't get the same pedal feel from my non-dominant foot. I'm sure with enough practice it would be fine, but I haven't invested the time to make it work for me.

Call me weird. I always left foot brake an automatic. I switch with no trouble between my 6MT Camaro with right foot braking and the wife's SUV with left foot braking all the time. Like I said - weird. I guess my left foot needs a job when I'm driving!

In my years of instructing I would say more people do it wrong (over slow) than do it right. If you can do it, or if its not competition and you enjoy doing it; go for it. I don't think it's a tool you have to have for either though. I only do it in karts.

Yeah I hear you here...I do it very slightly to help settle the front, I don't let off the throttle, just not accelerating as much, but still on the throttle. It doesn't take much to feel the brakes (transfer of weight) just a slight tap will do it.
It just takes practice for me to be consistent and to remember when and when NOT to do this. I need to find some nice sweeping on/off ramps and practice this...when there's no cars in front of me of course!

What tracks are you running at in TX ?

Smooth is the key, so it’s right foot for me

I go to COTA as my schedule allows.

I totally agree!
Hence I'm trying to practice this. When I lived in Hawaii, back in 2003, the top SCCA Solo II driver did this continuously. I would see his brake lights come on and at the same time hear his engine rev. He did this in a '72 240z, and his wife and daughter did the same thing...they were all fast.
However, I had an M Roadster, and I asked him to drive it to show me what he was doing...well let's just say we spun! He was not use to my car to say the least...much shorter wheel base, and drive-by wire throttle.

Id think a partial lift in a fast sweeper would accomplish sufficient and much smoother weight transfer.
Senna doesnt left foot brake even once in his NSX Suzuka vid. Id pick Senna over any Time Trial hotshoe :)

A local time trial star taps a brake while under throttle but only close to track out point presumably to counter any understeer. But that might just be an old habit. Or a nervous tick lol!
Btw he no longer owns a track record at the venue where comps take place.

Having said that, L food braking does yield benefits in auto, or trannies which dont need clutching. All F1 and NASCAR drivers do it - obviously. But it takes years to develop proper feel for it and usually pros come from yrs of karting too, starting at 6 yrs old if not sooner...

left handed? its natural to me as well.





I do it on most Autos just depends on the pedal design. My 2015 Jeep SRT ill trip the TB error code about once a year doing it. I learned it saves time emergency braking in a truck driving class when I was young a young guy.





Most manuals the the clutch pedal is higher than the brake and i catch my foot crossing over. Left foot the brake a little on the Camaro just to warm the brake pads up a little in heavy AM traffic.

https://jalopnik.com/a-video-reminde...ell-1837285226

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Dht...ature=youtu.be

I will use my left foot on specific turns.