QuestionQUESTION: Hey i believe it was you a while back that told me about the Sports car club of America. i said i was 17 and i didnt think i ever had a chance of racing. Well i looked in to it and i cant invest into yet until i find another job (i was a salesmen and the company sucked). But i swear i will get in there i'm glad u told me. i called some guy and he said "can u call me back on tuesday because i'm in Ohio at an Indy car racing event, We about to race." i was like wow i'm so excited. lol anyways i can go on all day about that but if u the wrong person sorry.
But pay attention to this paragraph. My sister has/had (idk yet) a '98 dodge stratus. its only 200 horsepower but it's standard transmission which is what i always wanted. i know how to drive standard. my car is an automatic so i dont get that rush in driving. u know what i mean? but she went off to the airforce and the car could be mines and my brother get my little ford focus. I wanna start the heel and toe technique which is what i'm scared of. To heel and toe do i need to hold the brakes and fully press floor the gas as i downshift? or do i tap the gas? i know i gotta clutch it also. either way i really wanna learn this technique. the earlier the better. Also when doing this i wanna know what are all the consequences possible when messing up on it. I know a road that goes far out. i go there with my "automatic" and floor the gas pedal, and i only go up to 95. My moms nissan went up to 135 out there. but the road is very secure and safe. it just got out the shop with some new struts and springs. brand new tire rod. the car got a new pair of sneakers for the road. 6500 RPM redline. aww man u gotta help me. Nobody ever drove this car the "right" way the car wants to be driven. nobody ever opened the car up. I'll ride in the car with them they shift ever time at 3000 rpm. it sucks! i hate watching them do that. then they will slow down sometimes and forget to downshift or put it in neutral. they just suffocating the car and she's asking me to really drive her. It also went to the shop because my sister treated it like shit. i treated my car like she's my girlfriend. so since my sis in the airforce she can buy her own car with her money. that car has to come down to me. i would take car of it. sorry for writing so much. I also need cheap horsepower, can u tell me how to get that too?
ANSWER: Hi James.
Yes it was probably me that wrote to you about the SCCA.
For now, lets tackle the heel and toe technique. We'll start with the name, 'heel and toe' - - -it's wrong ! It should be "big-toe, and side of the foot"
So you put your big toe and that part of the ball of your foot on the brake pedal , press the brake, and turn your foot sideways so your toe is pointing to the left. Then using the right side of your foot, you rev the gas just enough so that when you engage the lower gear, it doesn't jerk the car . You're right, you must use the clutch each time. Getting the engine revs to match with the speed of the car takes a LOT of practice, and when you master it , you will be a far better driver than many. But- - - I'm 68 and have been racing most of my life, and I haven't mastered it yet !! I'm good, better than most people, but I still miss one now and then. When you get more comfortable with it, start applying more pressure to the brake, and start braking later before the turn. . Like I said , years of practice.
Also, be VERY careful about that country road stuff. All kinds of strange things can happen, God forbid that a little kid suddenly appears before you can avoid him. better to seek out the local drag strip or some other sanctioned and insured activity. Do a web search for NASA, Porsche-BMW Owners Club and so forth. SCCA will give you oppertunities to drive your car to the fullest. You may not get much top speed, but you sure will learn a lot.
Good Luck !
Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida
PS A final thought. Don't forget the other thing I said about staying in school, and PAYING ATTENTION. Since I'm an old buzzard I can say that, and I know what it costs to NOT pay attention.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: what about cheap horsepower? i dont wanna do to much but i wanna get as much horsepower as i can with the little money i get. do u still race?
AnswerWith these modern computer controlled cars, horsepower is harder to improve. But you can find a few gains with a K&N Fuel Injection Performance Kit. They run about $200 for most cars. Also an open exhaust system will help some.n You'll want an exhaust header, free flow catalytic converter, free flow muffler and one size larger exhaust pipe. Those two things should use up about $700.00 and will give you about a 15% increase. Much beyond that will involve engine disassembly with fancy camshafts. replacement pistons and the like. It's really a waste of money to put a lot in a street car if you are serious about going racing. Save your bucks for the race car- - - it's NOT cheap
Dan
