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Why Racers Push Brake And Gas At The Same Time?

ByMatsumoto Naoki-February 05, 2024
Using brake and gas at once while driving the car might sound out of the ordinary to you. But, it is a daily task for car racers who only desire to win. The racing drivers press both the brake and gas pedals together on purpose. It is an old technique used by racers to maintain their speed and monitor the weight transfer of the car. These drivers push brake and gas simultaneously to trim down the extra time shifting the foot. You should not try this with your traditional automobile at all. The mechanism is not the same as every vehicle on the roads.

Let us talk about the reasons racers push both the pedals in one go.

Top Reasons Behind Drivers Pushing Brake And Gas Altogether

Modern cars do not offer brake and gas pedals at the same time. The gas pedal automatically goes out of the picture the moment you push the brake pedal. In simple words, you cannot accelerate the car while pushing the brake pedal in one fell swoop. Some people push both the pedals at once to heat the brake and engine accelerator. In addition, if you have a front wheel brake car, then the chances of burnout are more. The front wheels remain frozen, and the rear wheels spin producing burnouts.

The factors that make drivers push both the petals together are:

1. To match the engine revs

Racing drivers have to match the engine revolutions while shifting gears. Smoother shifting of gears is done by pushing the brake and gas pedal simultaneously. The drivers push the accelerator according to the engine speed to harmonize with the lower gear speed. You should not do this as an unprofessional at all. The mechanism can damage the entire transmission system in no time.

You should never try this with your car

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2. To reduce wheel locking

Some drivers perform this stunt to trim down the chances of rear wheel locking. The risk of wheel locking is a little more in rear-wheel drive automobiles. That is why the driver brakes and gas all together to balance the weight of the car making it lighter. According to professional driving tips, the drivers of a racing car always do this before the race. It becomes much easier to downshift the gears while braking heavily.

3. To maintain constant pressure

A driver changes foot from the brake pedal to the gas pedal in a fraction of a second. The transmission box and braking system might burn into pieces if the process goes wrong. That is why it is essential to learn the basics of foot shifting before doing the practical. It is also referred to as Heel Toe shifting done to maintain the constant pressure. The driver pushes the brake and gas with the heel & toe correspondingly. You do not have to do it with modern cars. This is because electric cars shift gears and accelerate automatically.

This is drifting, a technique to maintain the same pressure while changing direction

4. Weight transfer control

By using both pedals simultaneously, racers can better manage the weight distribution of the car during cornering or other maneuvers. Applying the brakes with the left foot helps shift the weight of the vehicle towards the front wheels, which can improve traction and steering response.

5. Stability and control

Left-foot braking can help maintain stability and control of the vehicle, especially in challenging driving conditions or when the car is at its limits of grip. By modulating the brake and throttle inputs independently, racers can make fine adjustments to the car’s behavior, such as adjusting the vehicle’s yaw rate or controlling wheelspin.

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Footnote

Hence, the drivers push brake and gas at the same time to reduce the pressure and maintain the speed of the vehicle. And this is no feat for commoners. To wrap up, It’s important to note that left-foot braking is a specialized technique used by experienced professional drivers in specific motorsport contexts. In regular day-to-day driving, using both pedals simultaneously can be dangerous and is not recommended for most drivers.  Hopefully, the article will be somehow useful for you!

Matsumoto Naoki is senior car blogger at Car From Japan. Having background in mechanical engineering, he has a unique perspective on a lot of new car innovations. Prior to Car From Japan, Matsumoto was Mechanical Design Engineer at Yajima Plant, Subaru Corporation. His articles provide detailed DIY instructions and how-tos to help you get your new car on the road. If you want to save money and feel more confident when working on your cars, you should not ignore Matsumoto’s sharing posts. He presents driving tips and tricks for everyone through easy-following steps and mechanically but friendly writing.

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