The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Newcomers → Manual Transmission Shifting help.
Which car #/type are you? I like to know who to look out for at downshifting spots. No offense, but I am being serious.
I was going to ask the same thing!! LOOK OUT!
When downshifting, have the others on your team inform you of the intended "red line" of the engine Just keep an eye on how the car is reacting on the test day and you should be able to determine your shifting points from that information.
If you're going to learn at Lemons, forget the fancy stuff...."point by" the faster cars, brake in a straight line before the corner with the clutch in and select the gear you want to drive through the corner while you're braking....don't go through the gears and heel and toe at this point....just brake in a straight line, get it into a lower gear then let out the clutch gently and accelerate smoothly out of the corner. Don't go too low in changing down, i.e. fourth to first only for a hairpin or very slow corner...better to choose a gear one too high and bog than one too low and spin/overrev. If you're handy, check Ebay for used MSD ignition units....many have a handy rev limiter that could save your engine. Keep it simple, then later, learn advanced techniques.
If you're going to learn at Lemons, forget the fancy stuff...."point by" the faster cars, brake in a straight line before the corner with the clutch in and select the gear you want to drive through the corner while you're braking....don't go through the gears and heel and toe at this point....just brake in a straight line, get it into a lower gear then let out the clutch gently and accelerate smoothly out of the corner. Don't go too low in changing down, i.e. fourth to first only for a hairpin or very slow corner...better to choose a gear one too high and bog than one too low and spin/overrev. If you're handy, check Ebay for used MSD ignition units....many have a handy rev limiter that could save your engine. Keep it simple, then later, learn advanced techniques.
Thanks for that advice. I do remember that the guys that have ran this track before in another Miata has said they only use 3rd-5th. I intend on using the test day to find out the limits and to see if I will be ok with going either way on the downshifts.
I thank everyone who has posted so far with information as it has been really helpful. I do look forward to seeing everyone at the track in two weeks. If anyone else has further information on this please post it as I may not be the only one in the same boat here.
If you're handy, check Ebay for used MSD ignition units....many have a handy rev limiter that could save your engine.
No rev limiter will save a misshift to 1st gear. Ask anyone who owns an E36 M3 about the 'money shift'.
I bet you can pick up some spec racer's parts-car Miata automatic for cheap, if not free. Probably better to put up with a slightly slower car than to grenade the manual/over-rev the engine.
Thats not much of a problem for parts as my other team mates have raced a Miata in about 5 other Lemons race in the past year or so.
Wait a minute... are we talking about the Miata guys who won the New England '08 race, then clammed up at CMP when we asked them how they'd done in previous races? Is this "driver doesn't know how to drive stick" story a scam to ease you through the BS Inspection?
If we smell lies, you're getting a washing machine bolted to the decklid!
Wait a minute... are we talking about the Miata guys who won the New England '08 race, then clammed up at CMP when we asked them how they'd done in previous races? Is this "driver doesn't know how to drive stick" story a scam to ease you through the BS Inspection?
If we smell lies, you're getting a washing machine bolted to the decklid!
Yes on the team and no lies as I'm the one driver on the team that needs the temp license. I was the fuel man for them during the spring race and had a great time during the race. I knew what I was getting into and they know it too but I'm just looking to have some fun and see how we end up.
Wow. Talk about a bad time to learn!
There have actually been several drivers who have driven a stick for the very first time in a Lemons race. One of them was a Maserati Biturbo driver. Who was also a girl. What could possibly go wrong?
As the Turbo Schnitzel XR4Ti and Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys Peugeot 505 have proven, you don't need to shift at all! Just jam it in 3rd, have your team push-start the car, and go!
There have actually been several drivers who have driven a stick for the very first time in a Lemons race. One of them was a Maserati Biturbo driver. Who was also a girl. What could possibly go wrong?
What I heard before I glazed into fantasy world was this:
drive a stick... first time... Maserati... Bi... girl...
I once raced a car with a three-on-the-tree....a 1970 Dodge Demon. Strangely, I didn't win....
The hell you say! 
I have taught many-a-friend (mostly females) to drive a stick (a few of them I have also taught heel and toe). I have a pretty fool proof mehtod for learning. The biggest issue is starting out, as stated before. Get a car with a stick and have someone who knows how to drive a stick drive it to a big open parking lot (or equivalent. Practice starting and stopping WITHOUT using the throttle. Once you can master starting a manual transmission without using the throttle, you will be ok.
You should practice driving the car around and shifting from first to second and starting and stopping ALL without using the throttle. Basically you are learning to use the clutch. Once you feel comfortable with that, you can start adding a little throttle to get some speed.
SAGE ADVICE: DO NOT REST YOUR FOOT ON THE CLUTCH. ONCE THE CAR IS ROLLING REMOVE YOUR FOOT FROM THE PEDAL. You WILL toast your clutch in quick order in a race if you rest your foot on the clutch pedal.
Once this is down, you can learn rev-matching, heel/toe, and double clutching. But those are in my advanced course.
I've used this method as well for teaching. It is amazing when someone realizes no throttle is needed to take off from a stop. Teaches the driver the clutch feel and engagement points quickly. And I thought I was the only one that knew that trick.
If you're new to racing, you'll be so overwhelmed by what's going on on the track that you won't have time to think about shifting. You need to get it down beforehand. Stalling in first doesn't matter. You'll either be in the paddock or in the dirt at which point it doesn't really matter. The two things that do matter are: fully engaging and fully disengaging the clutch and rev-matching on downshifts.
jimeditorial wrote:If you're handy, check Ebay for used MSD ignition units....many have a handy rev limiter that could save your engine.
No rev limiter will save a misshift to 1st gear. Ask anyone who owns an E36 M3 about the 'money shift'.
When do you use first gear other than starting?
VKZ24 wrote:jimeditorial wrote:If you're handy, check Ebay for used MSD ignition units....many have a handy rev limiter that could save your engine.
No rev limiter will save a misshift to 1st gear. Ask anyone who owns an E36 M3 about the 'money shift'.
When do you use first gear other than starting?
When you meant to downshift into 3rd and you found 1st instead. It's a common issue with the E36 M3s. They don't call it the money shift for nothing.
You mean the drive line spins up the engine past redline?
You mean the drive line spins up the engine past redline?
Among other things. I have done it before the first HPDE after I bought my Miata, went to downshift to 3rd, got 1st. Luckily didn't mess the motor up because I immediately started spinning like a top coming off the speedway at Rockingham.
Like I said, if this "first-time stick driver" story turns out to be camouflage for the cheatiest Miata in Lemons history: large appliance bolted to decklid!
Don't think we won't do it- we've got a bullet-riddled Maytag waiting for us!
Bah! Real Lemons cars have three-on-the-tree!
Got 2 of em at the house right now. It made me feel old to have to explain to the youngin's on our team how they worked.
Like I said, if this "first-time stick driver" story turns out to be camouflage for the cheatiest Miata in Lemons history: large appliance bolted to decklid!
Don't think we won't do it- we've got a bullet-riddled Maytag waiting for us!
I don't doubt it one bit. To make it even better you could fill it with water.
Like I said, if this "first-time stick driver" story turns out to be camouflage for the cheatiest Miata in Lemons history: large appliance bolted to decklid!
Don't think we won't do it- we've got a bullet-riddled Maytag waiting for us!
Do it anyway! Love to see all Miatas so adorned. The picture and video possibilities are endless. Next step: weld on a functional washer, plumb in the cooling system and make 'em run a load of whites while they're at it....
MurileeMartin wrote:Like I said, if this "first-time stick driver" story turns out to be camouflage for the cheatiest Miata in Lemons history: large appliance bolted to decklid!
Don't think we won't do it- we've got a bullet-riddled Maytag waiting for us!
Do it anyway! Love to see all Miatas so adorned. The picture and video possibilities are endless. Next step: weld on a functional washer, plumb in the cooling system and make 'em run a load of whites while they're at it....
Not a bad idea we could actually make a little bit of money cleaning firesuits during the race.
If you're going to learn at Lemons, forget the fancy stuff...."point by" the faster cars, brake in a straight line before the corner with the clutch in and select the gear you want to drive through the corner while you're braking....don't go through the gears and heel and toe at this point....just brake in a straight line, get it into a lower gear then let out the clutch gently and accelerate smoothly out of the corner.
^ this. don't try to do too many things at once. if managing downshifts is too much (and you'll really only need to be going 2-3-2-3-etc most of the time), just leave it in third. we ran the entire spring CMP race in 3rd once our clutch went out in the first 5 laps on Saturday.
and don't worry...it's a miata. they're next to impossible to break.
The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Newcomers → Manual Transmission Shifting help.
