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While at the Alfa-Romeo club track event my daughter, Liann wanted to know how to double clutch. Here is an introductory article.

Enjoy, Mark

Driving Techniques

Q: I've been driving for five years now and have been building up my experience and confidence to go track driving. I've bought a car to do trackdays in and would like to fine-tune my downchanges by learning how to heel and toe. Where do I start? -Ricky Short

A: Heel and toe is a great technique to use on both road and track. Used by an expert it aids smoothness and mechanical sympathy and makes for more pleasurable downchanges.

Firstly, let's be clear that the heel plays no part in the process in modern cars. In times gone by, drivers would need to use their heel to cover and blip the throttle, but pedal layouts have moved on since then!

So what are the rudiments of the heel and toe gearchanging process? You start by repositioning the ball of your right foot on the brake pedal

so that you are able to 'roll' the side of your foot onto the throttle pedal. (About three quarters of the width of your foot over the brake pedal is perfect.) This allows you to then either blip or sustain the throttle - to match the revs to the new, lower gear you are selecting at the same time whilst maintaining a constant pressure on the brake pedal. When you become fluent with the skill, you will also be able to modulate the braking pressure whilst downchanging.

It will take lots of practice to ensure that the braking is both smooth and compliant, as at first when you roll your foot over to the throttle you will find that the pressure you apply to the brake pedal becomes inconsistent. The 'blipping' method can be even more difficult to master than the 'sustain' approach as it can result in the pressure on the brake becoming jerky, which will unsettle the balance, inertia and moving mass of the car -not what you need when approaching a circuit corner at full tilt! Clutch uptake also needs to be smooth and slow to avoid locking the driven wheels - don't rush anything.

Practise in your car without the engine running. and when you feel you are proficient at it, try it for real on an open road when nobody is around or, better still, on a proving ground or circuit when similar conditions prevail. Be very careful of your foot slipping off the brake pedal, as braking, of course, is always the priority.

Finally, it's worth mentioning that the pedal placement of individual cars can make or break the effective use of heel and toe. For example, if the brake pedal is so far away from the throttle that your right foot cannot comfortably operate both pedals at the same time, then you're out of luck! - PR

Heel and toe downshifts take time to master, but the rewards are worth it.

The Expert
PAUL RIPLEY