Brakes!
The simple answer, of course, is to plan ahead, use down
shifting, and don't use the brakes. {9->
Seriously, though, I watched Phil Hill race 'his' new Jaguar
C model at Torrey Pines, and the course hadn't been
converted to a Golf Course (what a waste).
This was a very tricky, narrow course with a long straight
by the pits, a sweeping left up the hill (where the
paragliders jump off), then you negotiate a decreasing
radius right turn with a negative camber, and that jump off
edge on your left. Talk about guts!.
He came buy and signaled the pits. I was in there, and
asked the crew what he indicated. "Phil said his brakes
went and was using down-shifting for speed control. You
couldn't tell by lap times. A few more laps, and a few more
signals. His clutch had gone, and he was still engine
braking, but matching engine/road speed to downshift (as we
all should be doing) to compensate for no clutch. The Jag,
by the way, had a soft, rubbery linkage, non-synchro first,
and wasn't to quick. I know, I had one. He finished this
race after lapping the second place Ferrari and came into
the pits. The gearshift knob had broken off, and he was
shifting with the broken thread stub. His driving gloves
were all bloody. Some years later he became the Ferrari
team driver and World Champion, but early on you could see
he had the "Right Stuff"
Thought you'd enjoy this true story, and my fortune at being
there will never be forgotten by me.
--
Steve Laifman < One first kiss, >
B9472289 < one first love, and >
< one first win, is all >
< you get in this life. >
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