Eddie FourFather Hill and Ariel Atom 3 Video at Hallett

[Mattv6]

Great video and awesome skill there.

[FourFather]

[quote="Mattv6"]
Great video and awesome skill there.
[/quote]

Thank you, Mattv6.  I can't imagine a better way to try to learn road racing than with an Ariel Atom. 

Eddie 

[rbuckingham]

Hi Eddie,

I'm interested in where/why/how you learned left foot braking like that. I know in Rallying on gravel you want to do that to stay tight to the inside of a turn and still be able to power the wheels but in Road Racing is it common to utilize left foot braking?

Watching the video a couple of times I'm trying to figure out exactly what situation you choose to employ left foot braking, unsettling the Atom is not something I try to do (not consciously anyway!) but I do know when the Atom has traction under power its at its happiest!

Would love to try it out, teach me master!

Richard

[Bruce Fielding]

Left foot braking allows the weight of the car to move forward. This gives the car stability when taking turns and reduces understeer. It's brilliant if you're racing in the wet (or driving along dusty roads). In the US I taught a couple of people whilst driving Artists Drive in Death Valley and they managed to get significantly faster through it. It's amazing the difference it makes - especially when going downhill and around bends.

It's easy to practice - and don't worry that the first few times you try you will overdo it because your left foot is more used to putting a lot of power though it for the clutch.

You really don't need much power through your foot. The way I was taught was that you should try imaging that you are a) either squeezing a soft ball with your foot, or b) that you just curl your toes over the pedal.

Give it a go. You won't regret learning it.

[rbuckingham]

Thx Bruce, so you'd only really consider employing it at the track when you're feeling understeer and want to correct it on those specific corners only? Those are mostly going to be downhill and/or long sweepers? The thought of upsetting the car elsewhere at high speed (like in a chicane) is kind of scary so I wont be trying it there first!

Here (dry track with racing slicks) I do get occasional understeer mostly from not getting enough heat in the tires (which is why I now run AutoX compounds at the front unless its a particularly hot day or long hard session) and it's mostly on larger high speed sweepers from what I've noticed (probably because I'm now braking into the other shorter/slower corners so its not a problem there) so I'll give it a go on those longer corners when I do feel it. Thinking about it this could have really helped me get around Laguna Seca a lot faster, I missed apexes all day long not getting the turn-in I should have on 3 specific corners but it was a speed I was sure the car could make it around otherwise.

I was considering dabbling with car set-up a little but this approach may be more fruitful for me (I don't like the thought of a more aggressive/nervous car set-up just yet, had the car <2 years and I'm still improving my car control every time I go out.)

Thanks!

[FourFather]

[quote="Richard SoCal"]
Hi Eddie,

I'm interested in where/why/how you learned left foot braking like that.  in Road Racing is it common to utilize left foot braking?

Watching the video a couple of times I'm trying to figure out exactly what situation you choose to employ left foot braking,

Would love to try it out, teach me master!

Richard
[/quote]

It seems to me that there is too much ground to cover to try to do this subject justice in just a few words, but-

I perceive the largest benefit to left foot braking is being able to enter turns a bit faster than you would otherwise, and if the car is holding the line, good.  But if your speed is such that the car is drifting a bit wide of the intended line, a very gentle touch on the brake will bring the car right back in the intended line, and do it without having to back off the throttle or move the steering wheel.  And it avoids the disastrous event of having to take your foot OFF the throttle to use the brake if needed, and all the time it takes swapping feet. 

And, although I have not personally tried it, lifting completely OFF the throttle at speed in a corner, (should you want to reach over with your right foot to touch the brake) would probably not be a good thing.

So I'm thinking that the left foot braking can be a tool to fine tune the speed in a turn to all that physics will allow.

Any of this make sense? 

Eddie 

[rbuckingham]

that definitely makes sense, thanks! I guess I'll just have to try it! I did some youtube research last night and was surprised how many people use left foot braking.

[GTED]

Hi Richard

The first couple of attempts, please make sure you have a bit of room between you and the car behind you....  Ask me how I know....

I started to try left foot braking 2 years ago.  I remember the very first time I attempted that on the hwy, while my wife and daughter were in the car with me, I braked so hard with the left foot that the occpants in the car thought I did an emergency move to avoid a crash.....!!  That was funny scaring the wits out of everyone, including yours truly.  Now that I've been doing it for a couple of years, yes, it is definitely a faster way to drive without having to lift and move the right foot over, and it certainly provide a bit more flexibility on balancing the car.

GTED

[benyeats]

[quote="GTED"]
Hi Richard

The first couple of attempts, please make sure you have a bit of room between you and the car behind you....  Ask me how I know....
[/quote]

A colleague of mine would give the same advice, he got smashed into by the car behind!

I recommend practice in a 2 pedal automatic car to get used to modulating the pedal with the left foot.

Ben

[FourFather]

Instant replay of my post #7

It is taking me a lot of laps to get comfortable with the left foot braking, but I have seen worthwhile laptime improvement. 

I do practice left foot braking 100% of the time on the street, with whatever I drive.  Seems to help some.


Eddie