Strong Gearbox

WANTSOM · Post by **WANTSOM** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 1:30 pm

Read an article a few years back about Juan Pablo Montoya - he was saying he learnt more in a sponsors promo day at Silverstone than in his years racing before that. How?

He and Jackie Stewart were doing sponsor rides in road cars and he (Montoya) was flat shifting and late braking everywhere. For all he tried he couldnt get close to Stewart's times in identical cars. He then went for a few laps as passenger with Stewart and observed he was slow changing up and down and using the clutch on each occasion. Stewart was easy on the throttle and squeezed on the brake. Result, the car was more settled and balanced and Stewart was able to let the car flow and carry greater speed to the point he was 1-2 seconds a lap faster than Montoya. Montoya went out then and copied Stewarts technique and matched his times.

Stewart was a 3 time world champion and Montoya gave up. Lesson - be smooth and let the car flow and watch the times tumble.

thrash · Post by **thrash** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 2:28 pm

i see my cars as living beings.. call me nuts.. but i talk to them.. like they were my living breathing friends.. i even say 'sorry' when i do something stupid like miss a shift and crunch the gearbox..

redzone · Post by **redzone** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:39 pm

i see my cars as living things too. i swear at them regularly.

Website · Post by **WidebodyWoody** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:57 pm

HAHAHA I do both rofl

thrash · Post by **thrash** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:02 am

i never swear at them or evcen think bad thoughts about them.. haha

the way i see it, the weakest link is the flesh behind the stearing wheel.. so i try to ensure the machine isn't swearing at me

4gpwr · Post by **4gpwr** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:16 am

I always talk nice to cars , so they dont bite me , and to do what I want.

WANTSOM · Post by **WANTSOM** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 4:27 pm

Well my car is called the "bastard car from hell" for very good reasons LOL

redzone · Post by **redzone** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 5:15 pm

i prefer to keep mine on a tight leash. i havnt had to swear at the widey much though *touch wood*

Website · Post by **WidebodyWoody** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 5:40 pm

Yeah I have been the same. Widy's seems to be a little better. All my straight body's have been jinxed. But my widebody has only had issues caused by dodgy people doing work to her. Hence why I do most of my own work now.

flappa · Post by **flappa** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:45 pm

WANTSOM wrote:Read an article a few years back about Juan Pablo Montoya - he was saying he learnt more in a sponsors promo day at Silverstone than in his years racing before that. How?

He and Jackie Stewart were doing sponsor rides in road cars and he (Montoya) was flat shifting and late braking everywhere. For all he tried he couldnt get close to Stewart's times in identical cars. He then went for a few laps as passenger with Stewart and observed he was slow changing up and down and using the clutch on each occasion. Stewart was easy on the throttle and squeezed on the brake. Result, the car was more settled and balanced and Stewart was able to let the car flow and carry greater speed to the point he was 1-2 seconds a lap faster than Montoya. Montoya went out then and copied Stewarts technique and matched his times.

Stewart was a 3 time world champion and Montoya gave up. Lesson - be smooth and let the car flow and watch the times tumble.

Funny that, I can remember some old bloke teaching me the same thing ;)

Website · Post by **WidebodyWoody** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 7:01 am

hahaha yeah I was taught that too. But that was from my dad. :beer Never heard that story. Thanks, was very useful.

thrash · Post by **thrash** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:38 am

you granny shifters.. you should be double clutching instead!! rofl

OLD FART · Post by **OLD FART** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 11:10 am

thrash wrote:you granny shifters.. you should be double clutching instead!! rofl

I'm one of them & i double de clutch while heel & toeing CAN YOU ???????????? :)

thrash · Post by **thrash** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 11:19 am

nope.. i can't even heel toe all that well..

(for the record oldie.. it was a joke.. recounting vin deisel's stupid line from fast and the furious...)

WANTSOM · Post by **WANTSOM** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:24 pm

Then go and practice, if nothing else it will save your gearbox. :)

Two methods for heel and toe - first is ball of foot on brake then twist foot around until heel hits accelerator then blip on the change as you are about through neutral going into the lower gear, then let clutch back out smoothly. Engine speed and road speed need to be matched. Thats the purpose of heel and toe.

Second method same as above but roll ankle so edge of foot goes over onto edge of accelerator. If you want to see it watch some in-car of V8Supercars. The racing's crap but just do it to watch Tander or Ingall (or whoever has camera in car) for foot shots to give you an idea. Tander swings heel over whilst Ingall rolls ankle. Both are OK.

Double declutching is the same except you declutch thorough neutral then clutch into the lower gear. It will keep you busy. The guys that can master it are fascinating to watch. (Go Oldie :D )

For the record I am hopeless at double declutching but religiously heel and toe.

Remember brake first then change back with a blip. :beer

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