The local track owner where I live was trying to explain pushing on the right foot rest when turning right and left when turning left. He’s an old guy but a seasoned driver. I’m having trouble finding more information on this topic. My understanding is that it that it makes little difference but it’s commonly used by experienced drivers. Is there a name for this technique?
There isn’t really a name for it, all you’re doing is amplifying weight transfer by pressing on the heel rest. Your body and posture is a big part of fine tuning the kart’s attitude on-track, but as you said it’s a pretty small little thing for most. But anything that helps can add up and start to change the kart’s behavior.
You’ll find more discussion on pushing the wheel vs pulling. When turning left, push with your right hand rather than pull with your left and see if you feel a difference. Some of this is due to how you load the kart and some is how you stabilize the inputs to the wheel.
It works. Just yesterday, I drove a rental kart for the first time in a couple of years. I was able to get more grip through a fast right sweeper by standing on the gas pedal to push my weight towards the left rear tire.
When I sit in my kart on the scales, pushing or pulling doesn’t change the weight distribution. All those forced are internal to the kart, and are self equilibrating. What you can change is the composite stiffness of the “you + kart” system, and that is likely what you feel the effect of.
That said, leaning forward/back and/or side to side does change weight distribution some.
1 Like
You have your heels backwards. To turn right you push with your left heel and left hand. Using both to load your left hip to torso in to the left side of the seat.
2 Likes
Never heard of it before. Personally I prefer to have the least influence on the chassis when driving. I turn the wheel and let the chassis do the rest
1 Like
I guarantee you that unless you are very, very consciously overriding your nervous system’s natural reflexes that you’re pushing and pulling the kart, and your body weight, all over the place on an average lap whether you realize it or not. Part of performance driving begins when a driver starts purposely manipulating their actions to whatever the moment demands. It is true that some situations favor giving the kart very little input so that it can flex more (curb jumping for instance, sometimes even the exit of certain corners if you’re trying to keep scrub to a minimum), but there are definitely many possible opposite moments (turn-in, mid corner to exit, braking areas). This is happening every lap anyway, it’s a question of how favorably is it happening for each driver.
2 Likes
The driver mass and the driver inputs are the most critical tuning tools available. Leaving them off the table is silly. Free speed - just learn how to use the tools right. Like maximizing track limits, these are non-negotiables to me.
3 Likes
@Terence_Dove makes a good point in his book about using your body and how drivers have different techniques and approaches with it, but the main thing he preaches is to keep consistent, no matter how you use your body.
I agree with Dan that if you’ve got a massive piece of moveable ballast you can control during a race, it’d be silly not to use it to its full potential and alter how the kart is working. If my kart isn’t hiking the inside rear enough, you better believe I’m chucking my shoulder into it at entry and laying my helmet over onto the sidepod if I need to.
3 Likes
I do that, on the wet. But on the dry, I don’t feel like it is necessary