sccsiouxland

I've been practicing that left foot braking technique for a while now,since the last driving school anyway but I still can't do it.

Who else here besides Russ successfully left foot brake?

I tried to do it at the last event but failed miserably so I've just been using my left foot everyday on the street and hoping it translates.

I've gotten fairly adept at it on the street but haven't done as well with it on the autox course. It'll just take more time and practice.

I had it figured out in the 200sx, but in the z i have yet to get it right. In rapid i made it work really well, but in SF for some reason i cant get it down. But when used properly it can really help lower your times.

Practice everyday on the street. Re-train you mind to use your left foot for braking naturally.

Or, duct tape your right foot to the accel. pedal. Your brain will re-wire itself in a hurry. That works as well, but in a shorter interval of time.

Paul

I left foot brake a lot on the street, auto crossing, and on the race track. I left foot brake when I am not shifting for a turn. For down shifts I heel/toe brake downshift.

I really can't tell you when I really use it because I switch back and forth so much its hard to tell. I know I use it more auto crossing because you don't shift as much for turns.

Your first tendency is to over use the brakes when using the left foot. You will press too hard and over slow the car. You will also tend to spike the brakes too much. You have to train yourself to give you a the first "feel" for how hard to press.

Try driving an automatic trans car and use the left foot for all the braking. This will help train your foot for braking.

Also the "bean" test we did in the school was a great lay out to test/learn left foot braking. It allowed you to get up some speed and use the left foot for the turns with out shifting and you can do it over and over again.

BTW for most racing there is not one secret on how to do something. You have practice and learn over time. Some just learn faster then others. Some people are fast but not consistent. They tend not to know why they are fast and where they can be faster. They try and go 100% all the time. Trouble is they really are transitioning back and forth between 70% to 120%.

When you watch the guys who are consistently fast, they tend to look "slow" because there is no drama. They are smooth in and out of the turns. They know where and when to carry the speed. They don't spike up an down. The back end is not hanging out around the turns, no brake lock up into the turns.

I was ok at it in the Integra... I had gotten pretty good at using it in that car. The Protege I literally always left right on gas and left on the brake when driving it, as its an auto. Its also a car that is very easy to left foot brake. The miata I have spent so much time trying to figure the car itself out and where and how the car reacts and its such a finicky car I really haven't gotten into left foot braking it yet. I am perplexed by the way the car drives and throwing another obstacle in would not help me any at this point I feel...

I think I need to lose the progressive springs and go to a linear spring (GC) setup and I will get the car under better balance... Then I will look at trail braking/left foot/heel toe.


AMEN

I never really tried left foot braking after the advanced course. I think I will try it next year and focus on that to see what happens.

I've read somewhere previously that some guys can brake just as quick coming into a turn right foot braking, compared to left foot braking. Datalogged as well.

However,

I think one of the main benefits of LFB, from what I've gathered, is its more helpful before/in a turn to balance out the car (transferring weight), while you still have your right foot on the gas. Rather than letting off the gas and using your right foot to brake, a person would be better off LFB'ing and not abruptly letting off the gas so to not "upset" (or lack of a better term) your suspension.

Basically, it should help a person become even more smooth if used correctly, like Ron stated.

I think the hammerhead at the last course would have been a great place to use it, at least on my car. Now I'm mad I didn't! There's always next year.

I left foot brake all the time on the street and the track. heel toe is another thing, I suck at heel toe.

I LFB for AutoX and on the track. I don't do it on the street.