Jeff's Driving Tips Video #4
Welcome to Jeff’s Driving Tips!
Downshifting is something you should do as you are slowing down for a corner and before you turn your steering wheel into a corner!!!! We use this rule on the race track and it also works for street driving!
Main points: Why and where we downshift a car!
Here are the steps you need to take in proper sequence to get your Heel Toe Downshifting done correctly!
1. Always do your downshifts in a straight line before you turn for a corner.
2. Use your Heel-Toe Down Shifting technique for your down shifts.
3. Remember that down shifting a car is to make sure you are in the proper gear and RPM to leave a corner. It's not used to help slow the car down.
Have fun with it and good Luck!!!
Action steps:
1. White list this email address: jeff@jeffbucknum.com (put me on your “safe list” to make sure you receive the videos)
2. Make a folder to save all the emails you receive from me
3. Commit to following each Video / Lesson.
As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below.
Have a great day!
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Thanks Again!!! Still trying to perfect the heel-toe downshift, it’s harder than it looks! I think I need a new pair of shoes!?!
Hey Rob, I’m glad to hear you are still working on Heel-Toe Downshifting. New shoes might help, but lots of practice is the key to getting good at it. Good Luck and keep practicing…Cheers!!!
Jeff, Great tips for the novice driver. Might I suggest that you show the H/T Downshifts and Shifter movements AT SPEED. This is shown once in a while on Nascar Road course telecasts. You might also touch on the skipping shifter movements and going straight to the desired gear under the final nanosecond before letting the clutch out for acceleration. Production gearboxes are not quite as forgiving as say” a racing transaxle or transmission” but many work pretty well. Sometimes adding a strong tab to the edge of the accel. pedal helps with foot placement as well.
Keep up the good work!
Hey Jeff, Thank you for your message! Can you let me know what you meant about showing the H/T Downshift and Shifter movements at SPEED? I ask because I was doing the Heel Toe Downshift at normal speed. There is no rush doing your downshifts as long as you have them done with the clutch out before you turn in for the corner.
I am one of many professional drivers that don’t skip gears when shifting. The main reason is because there is always plenty of time to go through all the gears on your downshifts. Plus if you ever race a sequential gearbox you don’t have the luxury of skipping gears, so I thinks its important to practice using all the gears and get good at it.
It’s important to remember the most important part about down shifting a car is to do it while we are BRAKING and to NOT mess up your BRAKING. We don’t want our downshifts to upset the cars balance as we are braking for a corner. That is why we try to match the engine RPM’s with the new gear we are selecting and rear wheel speed before we let the clutch out…..Cheers, Jeff Bucknum
Thanks, Jeff, for another good Driving Tips Video. I’ll be sharing this one with my driving-enthusiastic friends, as I have with the previous videos.
Best of luck to you and the whole Mitchum Motorsports team at Mid Ohio in two weeks. Will Robert Stout be your co-driver?
Oops! I just read the article about who will be driving the Mitchum Camaros at Mid Ohio. Sorry to hear it won’t be you in the Number 6. Are the 2012 cars ready for testing yet?
Thanks Chuck! Thanks for sharing my driving tips with your driving friends.
Yes I am stepping out to the #6 Camaro at Mid-Ohio, but I am still waiting to hear if I will be in a different Camaro that weekend…Cheers! Jeff
Another great one… Thanks for sharing! But I think you could have accelerated out of the corner a little hotter with your magic marker
(I need some Camaro drinking glasses for my man cave)
Thanks Mike, I didn’t want to get all sideways with my magic marker accelerating out of the corner, so I kept it at a safe speed….Cheers!