So much for calling Scot a shifty character =P.
Shift points are so different, for every course, surface, car, driving
style, it's really hard to predict...
On Saturday, beyond the first two turns, the only place I would have been
tempted into 1st would have been if there was a straight worth accelerating
for after the finish line S. However, since there wasn't, I just
concentrated on a fast and smooth line to get across the timing lights
quickly.
The sharp left after the long left sweeper, and then the following 180 right
that lead onto the chichane/stright might have tempted me to go to first,
but for my car there wasn't nearly enough traction to put the torque down in
1st, and if there HAD been enough traction then my corner velocity would
have been high enough to make 1st gear pointless.
OTOH, I have run courses at Oakland early last year where I never got out of
first gear at all, never going faster than 35MPH. I have also run courses
at Oakland where I did down-shift to 1st for the final set of turns before
the finish, it just depends on exactly how the turns are stacked up.
-Carl
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Scot Zediker [mailto:mx5_1991@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Monday, March 13, 2000 9:47 AM
> To: Chris Tweney; ba-autox@autox.team.net
> Subject: Re: To shift, or not to shift??
>
>
> First of all, there are no stupid questions!
>
> Myself, I never shift on course, though I still brake
> with my right foot. Under most circumstances,
> whatever time I would gain by taking a corner in first
> is lost in shifting gears. FWIW, I drive a 1.6L Miata
> (116 hp, RWD).
>
> The only time I find it worth my while to shift is on
> a course with a long, fast section. The course we had
> at 3Com last Sunday is a good example. Leaving the
> car in second, I was bouncing off the rev limiter for
> about half of the back "straight."
>
> Scot - proud to be "shiftless" ;)
>
>
> --- Chris Tweney <cat@pobox.com> wrote:
> > OK, this question has had me fretting since
> > Saturday's event.
> >
> > I was talking to my co-courseworker, Darryl, who
> > said that
> > he runs his Cabriolet through almost the entire
> > course in 2nd
> > gear. Now what I've found is that I'm losing lots of
> > time by
> > trying -- and usually failing -- to heel-and-toe
> > downshift into
> > 1st on the slower turns. So should I just forget
> > about downshifting
> > in autocrosses, or should I work on perfecting
> > heel-and-toe?
> > What are y'all doing out there -- left-foot braking
> > w/o shifting?
> >
> > I'm driving an ES Hyundai Tiburon (140bhp, FWD), if
> > that affects
> > the answer.
> >
> > Anybody want to help a newcomer out? This feels like
> > such a
> > stupid question that I hate myself for asking it,
> > but there it is.
> >
> > ---
> > Chris Tweney
> > http://www.pobox.com/~cat
> >
> >
> >
>
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