| Author | Message | ||
| Horsefly (Arlie)
Intermediate Member Username: Arlie Post Number: 1523 Registered: 5-2002 |
And I thought that I was weird for braking with my left foot all these years. A friend of mine drove his hot rod 57 Chevy with 4 speed trans for years, and he always thought it weird that I braked with my left foot. With most daily driver cars (and my truck) being automatic trans, it only seems natural to equalize the work load by braking with the left foot. You have two pedals and two feet, why not apply the work equally. I think that I remember reading about a high performance driving school for police officers that advised keeping your left foot just above the brake pedal during high speed pursuit situations. The 10th of a second that it would save applying the brakes could be the key to avoiding a collision. I guess it just depends what you learned to drive in. Older cars from the 30s thru early 50s had a clutch, brake, and gas pedal as well as a seperate floor mounted starter pedal. You had to be quick on the feet when stalled out on a hill! | ||
| V.Z. (Ama328)
Member Username: Ama328 Post Number: 273 Registered: 11-2002 |
For those of us who are left footed, seems to me it's a no brainer...much more comfortable having left foot do something, whether the brake pedal or sumpin' else  ... | ||
| TOM BUCKLEY (Tom_b)
Junior Member Username: Tom_b Post Number: 102 Registered: 6-2003 |
Ooops. JON Kofod. Not Joe Kofod. Sorry about that. Tom | ||
| Joe Bennett (Formula1joe)
New member Username: Formula1joe Post Number: 11 Registered: 7-2003 |
Without a clutch in my daily driver, I left foot brake as much as possible. My left foot just gets bored sitting there. In traffic, open twisty roads, where ever I can get the practice. I tend not to do it very much in the Ferrari though because I am usually to busy throwing gears, and jostling my feet around between throttle and braking and have not mastered the 3 legged pony show yet. But practice makes perfect though. | ||
| Matt Karson (Squidracing)
Member Username: Squidracing Post Number: 555 Registered: 3-2001 |
Jon....have fun pal!! Let me know how it went. Tom....very funny story my friend. It's amazing what goes through the mind when facing a whole train of cars coming head on. | ||
| TOM BUCKLEY (Tom_b)
Junior Member Username: Tom_b Post Number: 100 Registered: 6-2003 |
Joe Kofod hit the nail on the head. You will be fastest at a high comfort level. If it doesn't feel good----don't do it. Like Joe I was an SCCA racer. Been doing it for nearly 25 years. In all that time I have to confess , my left foot has remained fairly stupid. When driving a racecar with a decent power to weight ratio such as my F Production AH Sprite I really don't think it mattered. But in a car lacking in hp, like my Formula Vee, I know it made a difference. You had to do everything possible to keep the revs up. Left foot braking was the way to go. But my left foot remained dumb. Heading to Pocono on Tuesday , Joe will become intimate with The Devil's Elbow. That's the tight left hander that takes you from the banking into the infield. In a FV that's roughly 140+ down to about 30. Well, I finally decided to try left foot braking again. I was really getting tired of being re-passed after late braking someone into the Elbow. Now, you must understand, this was a second gear turn in a Vee. But rarely were you able to find second gear in a Vee at speed. More likely fate would hand you reverse. So most drivers took the turn in third with a big drop in RPM's. I attempted to get the best of right AND left foot braking at the same time. I broke with the right foot and clutched with my left. Then, while in the turn, I attempted to move my right foot all the way onto the gas while moving my left foot from the clutch onto the brake. All the while maintaining constant pressure on the brake pedal. I ALMOST made it. I think I was actually in first place for .00001 second. But then my feet got tangled , let off the brake , and spun. I was backwards, facing 30 some odd screaming formula Vee's. Thank God every body missed me. I have a picture of the event wcich I had made into a tee shirt, to remind me that I'M NOT GOOD AT LEFT FOOT BRAKING !!! ;) Joe, have fun at Pocono on Tuesday. The Long Course is still my favorite there. Tom | ||
| Lawrence Coppari (Lawrence)
Member Username: Lawrence Post Number: 790 Registered: 4-2002 |
Many who do track events use left foot braking if the corner does not require a downshift. I do it myself. At Road Atlanta I left foot brake on turns 1,3, and 6 - if you are familiar with the track. | ||
| Phil Hughes (Ferrarifixer)
Junior Member Username: Ferrarifixer Post Number: 217 Registered: 7-2003 |
It's use is varied. In powerful front wheel drive cars, it can be used to steer, in Karts, the same applies, but in different ways. In our 360C's the quickest guy to drive one (before we used a wing), left foot braked which drastically improved the pitch and weight tranfer, allowing him to dive in on the ABS where others simply couldn't consider doing it. But it was a killer on brake wear. Now we have wings and better shock control (ohlins), the rear is much more stable under braking and the advantage is lessened, but still there.....if only the pedal wasn't so off set..... | ||
| chris cummings (Entelechy)
Member Username: Entelechy Post Number: 521 Registered: 5-2001 |
I play with it every now and then, but still feel very clumbsy. Just this morning I was playing with some gentle left foot braking through a long, decreasing radius turn to keep it balanced and ended up applying the brake too hard and unbalancing it | ||
| Jon P. Kofod (95f355c)
Intermediate Member Username: 95f355c Post Number: 1099 Registered: 8-2001 |
About 75% of the F1 drivers left foot brake. Notables who don't include Jenson Button, Reubens, and David Coulthard. Hubert is correct about the non-LFB's being a hare slower. I had seen some telemtry graphs in a European race magazine that compared DC, MS, and RB at Suzuka in 2001. Keep in mind that at this point the McLaren (and DC) were the equal of Ferrari at some tracks. RB and DC both lost between .10 and .20 per lap due to their inability to left foot brake. However, keep in mind that Senna always braked in a straight line (much like Jenson Button) and it didn't hamper him at all. Some do it some don't. My Spec Racer Ford team mate Richard Spice has won 8 Eastern Region SCCA Championships and has won two of the last three SCCA Runoffs at Mid-Ohio and he doesn't left foot brake (strangely enough he raced karts since age 7). I don't do it and I know it costs me on some corners but I also know that on some corners were others left foot brake I am much smoother and spend less time getting the car straightened out. Bottom line is that it's a matter of comfort. I never felt comfortable doing it. Karson say a prayer for me. Going to Pocono on Tuesday. Never ever been there and it's supposed to be 38 degrees in the morning....can you say COLD TIRES at 175 mph+ on the BANKING!!!!! I better wear some of my son's diapers!!! Regards, Jon P. Kofod 1995 F355 Challenge #23 www.flatoutracing.net | ||
| Matt Karson (Squidracing)
Member Username: Squidracing Post Number: 554 Registered: 3-2001 |
My fastest lap times came after I started left foot braking. | ||
| Ben Cannon (Artherd)
Intermediate Member Username: Artherd Post Number: 1014 Registered: 6-2002 |
I'm actually able to brake/accell with either foot, any combination (can even drive "cross-legged" though it's not very comfy I left foot brake lightly coming into 2 at Sears Point, but that's it so far. Haven't really mastered clutchless shifting when driving agressively yet (easy when cruiseing on the highway however.) In a Kart or other true clutchless craft (shifters have a lever somewhere, depends on the specific kart. You only use the clutch to get going like a 'bike.) left foot braking is the norm, and quite easy to adapt. Robert- I can't tell you how many times I've grabed turn signal stalks, or turned the whipers on, or dove for a clutch pedal that *just wasn't there!* Best! Ben. | ||
| Robert McNair (Rrm)
Member Username: Rrm Post Number: 685 Registered: 5-2002 |
I'm glad to read that others do this. Whenever I have driven a car with an auto tranny 'aggressively' I left foot brake. A lot of people say it shouldn't be done as there is a good chance one will apply to much pressure to the brake. I think it depends on the individual and knowing your own abilities I have never had a problem left foot braking. | ||
| Brian Kennedy (Kennedy)
Member Username: Kennedy Post Number: 427 Registered: 3-2002 |
Well, I started with a clutch and found LFB difficult except on moderate corners with no shifts immediately before or after (brain needed time to shift modes, I guess). When I got the F1, I switched to full-time LFB. I was a bit rough for a while (left foot used to going full on and then ease off was doing the same with the brake). But it didn't take too long to get used to... and now its totally natural. When I get back in a stick, it actually feels weird to RFB for the first couple minutes (but like riding a bicycle, as soon as I forget about it, it feels natural again). Driving an automatic is actually more disturbing... I am constantly pulling back on air or wipers or something to get the car to shift. | ||
| Morrie (Morrie)
New member Username: Morrie Post Number: 19 Registered: 9-2003 |
I did a lot of LFB when tracking my turbo Porsche. It makes a lot of difference when you can keep the turbo spooled up. | ||
| DGS (Dgs)
Member Username: Dgs Post Number: 371 Registered: 5-2003 |
In general, those who started in racing karts got used to LFB. Those who started in old street iron, converted for racing, got used to working a clutch. The habits you learn early tend to stay with you. One thing I haven't been able to glean from the Speed TV coverage: How do "shifter karts" work the pedals? Do they have a clutch pedal, or do they use a clutch grip, like a motorcycle? | ||
| Warren Balla (West662)
Junior Member Username: West662 Post Number: 52 Registered: 8-2003 |
Did any of you pick up the September issue of 'F1 Racing' magazine? They had a really interesting article on this topic, in which they compared Schumacher (LFB) and Barichello (RFB)on Telemetry graphs. The graphs showed the amount (in %) of throttle and brake each of the drivers were using, at what point in the corners, and at what speed. It was really quite amazing. The difference between Barichellos graph and Schumachers graph was night and day! Completely different driving styles. They did 3 tests. SilverStone - Copse to Becketts, Montreal Hairpin, and Suzuka turn One. The article also stated that Alonso and Raikonen both share very similar driving styles with Schumacher. 'At the first bend at Silverstone, Copse, he (MS) eases off the throttle by just 40% while simultaneously and gently applying the brakes. The goal is to keep loss of momentum to an absolute minimum. To achieve that the car's balance must be disturbed as little as possible, and that is why the delicate play-off of throttle against brake, the limiting of longitudinal weight transfer, is so vital'. If you haven't had a chance to look at the article, check it out, if you can still get your hands on it. | ||
| Hubert Otlik (Hugh)
Intermediate Member Username: Hugh Post Number: 1500 Registered: 1-2002 |
I left foot brake for certain corners, at certain tracks, in non - F1 equipped cars. It depends on how your were "groomed," per se, as a young driver (i.e., your preference). It's true that most F1 drivers LFB, but not all, but on the whole the drivers that don't LFB are slower, if only by tenths. In a "paddle" car, I would always LFB, but in a standard "shifter" car it's discretionary, and even with a seq. gearbox some drivers don't always LFB, and still heel and toe. In the end, it all comes down to how much "feel" you've got in a car, any car. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Senior Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 6932 Registered: 8-2002 |
Left foot braking... LOL... i don't think i'll ever get the hang of it... | ||
| Rosso (Redhead)
Member Username: Redhead Post Number: 464 Registered: 12-2001 |
Not all F1 Drivers are left foot brakers. I think that Rubens still is a righ foot braker and there are a couple others. AS far as when driving an F1 Ferrari, I always use left foot braking. On the F355 it is a lot more fun and rewarding then on a 360 IMO. R | ||
| Patrick Denonville (Arizonaguy)
Member Username: Arizonaguy Post Number: 707 Registered: 4-2003 |
F1 drivers always left foot brake, as do all other road course racers. | ||
| Bart Duesler (The_bart)
Member Username: The_bart Post Number: 380 Registered: 1-2003 |
Without a clutch, some people might use their left foot for the brake. Do the Formula 1 drivers used the left foot and do any of you F1 cars owner use the left foot for braking/ |