sig_a

^^^
That's good advice

jamuz

street cars have synchro mesh which prob saves u by speeding up next cog, but if yur gonna start racing you need to learn how to blip down thru each gear cause u can't skip with sequential. i think what u need to really consider is what revs u want to be in as you are coming OFF of the brakes. For example, in a E class boxster, u lose a lot of power below 4500 rpm so u want to time your final downshift so you're there when you get back on throttle to optimize your speed at apex (in boxster hopefully you are flat on throttle by apex). hope that helps!

Veloce Raptor

All I will say is that I have ridden with a number of fellow pros (Seth Thomas, Patrick Long, Craig Stanton, Joey Hand), and each of them hits each gear when doing a multiple gear downshift. So while this is neither right nor wrong, IMO it is the best policy and is what I coach.

claykos

On a whole I completely agree. The only one I have seen is Cervelli who will do a quick, double clutch, skip shift down to the appropriate gear when going from 6-2 for example. Obviously it works for him...

jamuz

i find that very very hard to believe in a race someone can wait that long between shifts like from 4th gear at 120ish mph down to 50ish in 2nd, while concentrating on braking feel, looking thru turn, watching competitors for mistakes or timing, then find a tough gear like 2nd and then blip hard enough to match exact revs to get into 2nd gear without risk of overrev without looking down at tach at all (which no one should do in braking zone... eyes up!!)??? i don't see any logic here

claykos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlMEkMOuBDI

Several skip shifts in this video on board with Chris Cervelli...it's not what I do but it definitely works for him.

spare tire

This sounds like the best advise. The clutch is for changing gears and you want to be in the right gear at all times. It doesn't matter if you are on the gas or braking or crusing. The good drivers do not think about toe heeling on downshifts. They just do it without thinking. If you do it a million times then you will do it well also.

himself

FWIW, Pat didn't row the gears in my car. 4-2 in one shift into Rattlesnake. [edit: I distinctly remember thinking "Wow, I don't do that" and tried for many events to get it.] I can't remember what Seth did though. But whatever he did, it was smoother than me!

That being said, I also teach hitting each gear - its good policy when you learn, and a good technique to know either way.

-td


Wait a second - are you tricking us! Did all of those guys drive cup cars? Can you skip gears in a sequential gearbox! Maybe that's why he skipped in my car - something different...

RickBetterley

Well said; I find it completely natural when not thinking about the sequence; its when I start thinking about it that I find I can't keep up.
I'm not in the 'millions of times' category, but practice definitely pays off here.

Veloce Raptor

Haha! Nah, I rode with Pat another time in both my car and in a 6 Cup (manula transmissions). I have ridden with Seth at Road Atlanta in a manual tranny car as well.

gums

I like to count down through each gear, but only release the clutch, with revs matched, on the final gear.
Others have said this already as well.
Nowadays, with sequential boxes, you don't have any choice but to bang each gear, but my car is stuck in the 20th century.

RonCT

Late to the party, but for me it all depends on the day, track, weather, etc. There are times when everything is nice and hot and sticky and the Yellows and R-comps are working optimally and the distance (and therefore time) for downshifts in some threshold braking zones is very short. In those cases with my setup there may not be time to go 5/4/3 (ie: Into Big Bend) or 5/4/3/2 (ie: Back straight of Monticello). Depends on how I'm feeling too. If I'm a bit tired toward the end of the day I might be more inclined to skip to save the potential for missing the rev match. This is what works for me in a 2009 C2S pretty much stock SPASM other than LCAs, R-comps, Yellows / SRF.

mjb

Another subtlety. So when rowing down thru the gears who releases the clutch after each change/blip and who holds the clutch in as gums describes?
In a related discussion in the "CA festival of speed" thread it appears James Sofranos engages the clutch once, rows/blips thru the gears, releasing at the destination gear with the proper rev matching - as he rips thru the field from last to first....

Gator_86_951

Coming into the hairpin at sebring I have always gone through each of the gears. I tried a few times to go all the way down, but my cadence was all the way off. Then again, I am a turtle compared to most, so maybe rowing is a bad iea.

CRex

The car stays in the "right" gear & revs should I need to let go of the clutch and power out. The other thing is, a 5-2 rev match involves too many variables esp. when the car's braking at the limit. Get it wrong and the rear wheels are bound to lock at the worst moment. I've messed that up more often that I'd like : )

I came across this guy's video and there he is doing exactly what we're talking about. Skip ahead to 6:30, 9:08, 10:36 and 11:03. From the audio he's prone to missing his rev match a wee bit here and there (tire squeal) but that could also be the ABS which he's triggering rather often.

No affiliation with this guy/video whatsoever, just thought it's good discussion material:

http://youtu.be/DLBvPziBXY4