Miata Mailing List: March 1994, Message #146
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   From: Al Jenab 
Subject: RE>Re: RE>Re: Physics
   Date: Fri, 11 Mar 1994 09:06:55 -0500

Barry writes:
"However, I have found that keeping the foot on the throttle and using
the left foot on the brake can get you out of a jam without unloading
the rear too much. Yes, the brake will tend to unload the rear but you
can control how much brake you use and will have more effect than just
lightening up on the throttle. 

I have not quite figured out how to heel and toe in my car without
breaking my ankle! 

:-)-x (legs tangled trying to heel and toe)"

Absolutely.  This is called "left foot braking" by racers and it's an 
excellent technique for keeping wheels properly loaded in all sorts of 
situations.  Warning!!!!  Try it far away from obstacles until you get the 
hang of it.  

You generally want to use it to load up the front wheels (prevent too much 
weight transfer to the rear) under acceleration, through corners or when 
cresting a hill while accelerating.  You can also use it as you say to prevent 
too much transfer to the front under adverse conditons, but you're really 
doing "right foot acceleration under braking".  It's a fine point, but you're 
using the throttle to keep the rear wheels loaded when conditions require 
slowing down or reducing oversteer as opposed to using the brakes to keep the 
front loaded when conditions demand acceleration or reducing understeer.

Another point, everyone probably knows this, but heel-and-toe for most people 
is truly a misnomer.  It's really outside-edge-of-foot and inside-ball-of-foot.
  When I "heel and toe" in the MIata, the ball of my right big toe goes on the 
edge of the brake pedal and I blip the throttle with the outside edge of the 
same foot.  For you karate nuts, it's just like doing a side kick.  It's not 
too difficult to do with my build (5' 10"), but taller or longer-legged people 
might get their right knee tangled in the steering wheel.
-Al
PS:  Can't tell I'm getting antsy for the track season to start, can you?