# Bare clutch pedal in racing car--why?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bare-clutch-pedal-in-racing-car-why/527168>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 31, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bare-clutch-pedal-in-racing-car-why/527168 "2010-01-31T22:31:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bare-clutch-pedal-in-racing-car-why/527168/21 "2010-02-03T15:13:06Z")

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> [@Dog80](#):
>
> Yep, bare metal with punched holes is just fashion, but I believe they actually did use them back in the day.
> 
> Nowadays real racing pedals have a sandpaper-like surface:
> 
> [http://www.cardwells.co.nz/images/Brands/Tilton/3ped.jpg](http://www.cardwells.co.nz/images/Brands/Tilton/3ped.jpg)  
> [http://www.autoshoppingcenter.com/restoration/pedal/images/Pedal-Box.gif](http://www.autoshoppingcenter.com/restoration/pedal/images/Pedal-Box.gif)  
> [http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/images/PEDALC.jpg](http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/images/PEDALC.jpg)
> 
> Sandpaper doesn’t look as cool as bare metal though

No! Bare metal is not about fashion! Bare metal with punched holes is effective! Metal pedals that are just dressed up with rubber are pretty much fashion (see GTI), although the staggered rubber strips might actually be grippier than all-rubber pedals.

Metal racing pedals, with holes punched out, have serious grip, because the edges of the holes stand proud and bite on the shoe soles.

Numerous cars offer sporty looks, and they might have flashes of metal on the pedals, but true, all-metal pedals that have the holes punched out properly are about function.

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