Shane van Gisbergen's Road Course Edge and Heel Toe Method

If You're New to NASCAR... SVG'S Road Course Edge and Heel Toe Method.

The Australian V8 Supercars champion burst onto the NASCAR scene in 2023, famously winning his Cup Series debut at the Chicago Street Race. In 2024, van Gisbergen competed full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, running 33 races and securing three wins on road courses – specifically at Portland, Sonoma, and the Chicago Street Course. He also made 12 part-time Cup Series starts that year, with a career-best second-place finish at Watkins Glen. Now in 2025, van Gisbergen has stepped into a full-time Cup Series role, having already secured another Cup win at Mexico City, continuing to showcase the unique driving style he brought from down under and illuminating critical aspects of racing physics.

HEEL TOE - This advanced driving skill involves using the right foot to simultaneously depress the brake pedal with the toe or ball of the foot, while "blipping" the throttle with the heel or side of the same foot. Concurrently, the left foot operates the clutch to facilitate smooth downshifts. This "rev-matching" action prevents engine braking from unsettling the car's balance during heavy braking and rapid gear changes. As van Gisbergen himself has stated, he uses the clutch "to control the rear locking." By momentarily disengaging the clutch, 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. Van Gisbergen has noted that the Xfinity car, unlike the Cup car which 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.

BRAKE BIAS - This is an adjustment that controls the distribution of hydraulic braking force between the front and rear wheels, adjustable via a knob inside the cockpit. Drivers constantly fine-tune this for optimal handling under braking. As Dale Earnhardt Jr. has explained, using the heel-toe method with the clutch provides an almost "valve-like" control. It allows the driver to modulate the forces on the tires more subtly, particularly on the rear, complementing the hydraulic brake bias adjustments. By taking engine braking pressure off the rear wheels with the clutch, combined with precise brake pedal control, a driver 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 and preventing the car from being upset by engine forces.

MECHANICAL GRIP - Van Gisbergen's prowess ultimately stems from how he maximizes this. Mechanical grip is the pure adhesive force generated between the tires and the track surface, independent of aerodynamic downforce. By maintaining optimal weight transfer and preventing sudden jolts to the chassis – precisely what the heel-toe technique and nuanced brake bias adjustments achieve – he ensures the tires are always loaded effectively. This gives him more usable grip to carry speed through corners, allowing for later braking and earlier acceleration, ultimately translating into faster lap times and a competitive advantage on the NASCAR track.

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) and a solid rear axle. This forces drivers to master precise techniques like 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. This fundamental difference in chassis and drivetrain configuration highlights van Gisbergen's exceptional adaptability in applying his refined control methods across diverse racing platforms. Also, Trackhouse (his team) did not allow a live camera on his feet during his drive to the Mexico 2025 Cup win.