SHANE VAN GISBERGEN'S EDGE EXPLAINED - THE HEEL TOE METHOD

The HEEL TOE method + CLUTCH MODULATION combined with constant adjustment of the BRAKE BIAS valve for each turn makes more MECHANICAL GRIP (SPEED).

HEEL TOE - This advanced driving skill involves using the right foot to press the brake pedal with the toe or ball of the foot, and press or blip the throttle with the heel or side of the same foot. And left foot to modulate the clutch.

Almost all Nacscar drivers press the brake with the left foot. At some tracks they hold the thottle to the floor, and use the left foot to brake or slow the car down while keeping the engine at max rpms.

The blipping the throttle / rev-matching is necessary to shift gears and keep from unsettling the car's balance during heavy braking. As Van Gisbergen himself has stated, he uses the clutch "to control the rear locking." (locking up)

CLUTCH MODULATION - By momentarily disengaging the clutch (pressing on the clutch pedal), the rear wheels can free roll during deceleration, allowing the car to turn more effectively without the added drag or potential instability from the engine. Dale Earnhardt Jr mentioned during the 2025 Chicago Street Race on TNT, SVG is also saving his rear tires by doing this.

BRAKE BIAS - This is an adjustment knob / valve controling the distribution of hydraulic braking force between the front and rear brakes. Drivers constantly fine-tune this inside the car, somtime for every turn.

Dale Jr. also explained during the 2025 Prime Mexico broadcast, SVG using the heel-toe method while modulating the clutch provides an almost "valve-like" control over rear braking.

It allows the driver to modulate the amount of front and rear brake not only with the knob in the car, but also with the clutch pedal, live on fly in the turn.

Pushing the clutch pedal takes engine braking pressure off the rear wheels. Parker Kligerman mentioned SVG was using his "third foot" at Sonoma 2025 in the Xfinity Race where he locked the rears and quickly got them rolling again.

Combine that with precise brake pedal control, and he gains unparalleled ability to balance the car on the very limit of adhesion, making it rotate and turn more effectively while minimizing tire lock-up or instability.

MECHANICAL GRIP - The pure adhesive force generated between the tires and the track surface, not including aerodynamic downforce. By maintaining optimal weight transfer and preventing sudden jolts to the chassis this gives him more usable grip to carry speed through corners.

Allowing for smoother, later braking and earlier acceleration, ultimately translating into faster lap times and a competitive advantage.

V8 SUPERCAR / CUP CAR / XFINITY CAR - It is important to note that Van Gisbergen’s heel-toe method has arisen from V8 Supercars, which utilize a locked rear differential (or spool) / solid rear live axle. This forces V8 Supercar drivers to master clutch modulation, a key element within the heel-toe method itself, to help the car turn efficiently.

Current NASCAR Cup cars, by contrast, feature a distinctly different independent rear suspension and employ a torque-biasing limited-slip differential within their transaxle.

The Xfinity car is more similar to a V8 Supercar than a Cup car because it has a solid rear axle, Van Gisbergen has also noted that the Xfinity car feels more like a conventional race car, drives uniquely, with "the rear end doing the steering."

This characteristic makes his precise footwork and clutch usage particularly impactful in the Xfinity Series. This allows the driver to smoothly load the tires and maximize mechanical grip right up to the corner apex.

Trackhouse (his Cup team) did not allow a live camera on his feet during his drive to the Mexico 2025 Cup win or the 2025 Chicago Cup win, but you can see it from his 2023 Chigago win here. >> SVG HEEL TOE

RICKY RUDD - Had 6 road course wins using something similar. >> RICKY RUDD HEEL TOE

2025 - He stepped into a full-time Cup Series role winning at Mexico City and Sweeping Chicago in both the Cup and Xfinity series, he also won the Sonoma pole and race. Three total cup wins in 2025.

2024 - SVG competed full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, running 33 races and securing three wins on road courses - Portland, Sonoma, and the Chicago Street Course. He also made 12 part-tme Cup Series starts that year, with a career-best second-place finish (P2) at Watkins Glen.

2023 - 3 time Australian V8 Supercars Champion SVG burst onto the NASCAR scene, famously winning his Cup Series debut at the Chicago Street Race. V8 Supercars are similar to Cup Cars, but all tracks are street and road courses.

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