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As drivers improve over the course of their careers, "always brake in a straight line" becomes less of a mantra, and the goal shifts more towards "brake when I need to brake." Let's examine part of a track that many of us just drove a few weekends ago - CMP, turns 4 and 5.
In every car I've ever driven there (H3 Integra, ITC Civic, ITA Miata, DSP Sentra), T4 is done in 4th gear, and 3rd gear is selected under braking and while turning into T5. Were I to not heel-toe this downshift, the driven wheels would attempt to lock up when initiating this turn-in. I'm sure it can be done without a heel-toe, but it would be a heck of a lot more busy, and more difficult to time right. It becomes several concurrent inputs rather than a couple. Which is more difficult to execute correctly.
I've had at least one THSCC member spin me off track at VIR's south course because he did not heel-toe. This was at the bottom of the "spiral." At the very bottom of that hill, I had asked this person to take 2nd gear. He did not heel-toe the downshift. The car was highly loaded up, and when he released the clutch, even though the rear wheels didn't quite "lock up," the instant "shock" to those rear wheels sent us right around when they exceeded their available grip.
Making the claim that "it's just an HPDE, so you don't need to go as fast as possible," isn't true. We're all trying to go faster than we did the last time. Often, people who claim that it isn't necessary, or that it's a waste of time, are people who can't do it well, or can't do it at all. That doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile thing to do for everyone else.
Malia, my suggestions for learning this technique are like what a lot of other people have said.
1. Get an idea of the basic mechanics of the technique in your garage. The car doesn't even need to be running to get a feel for how your foot likes to be arranged to start doing this.
2. Practice it with a running, parked car. This way you can hear the amount of RPMs you're adding. It might even be helpful to have Dustin look at your feet, to see if you're changing the amount of braking you're doing while giving the throttle a blip. This is a very common problem, and one of the most difficult parts of the technique to master.
3. Now, practice it on the street. I've held for years that heel-toe needs to be a HABIT before it becomes an effective tool for going faster. Also, I maintain that if you can do it successfully driving around town, doing it in a competition setting is a whole lot easier. On a track, since you're (presumably) braking very hard, a slight over- or under-rev blip will hardly be noticable. However, since you've been practicing it on the street, it's also very unlikely to happen. Because you're actually good at it.
There are person/car combinations that render heel-toe next to impossible. The guy who owned the ITC Civic that I used to race couldn't do it due to an old football injury. His right leg just didn't work that way.
Bottom line is that it's a worthwhile technique when done "habitually well." Once it's a habit, all this talk of how complicated it is becomes a non-issue, because you're doing it instinctively. You don't even think about it.
If you want to watch someone with flawless technique, hitch a ride with Matt Nicholson sometime. I've told a lot of folks over the years that he's about the smoothest driver I know, and he could probably heel-toe a lawn tractor. Come to think of it, he probably *does* heel-toe his lawn tractor. If I remember the ride at CMP correctly, Wes Sandler would be another guy to ride with. Mike Whitney is another. These guys have beautiful technique and are a pleasure to watch work.
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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
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) or put something on the gas pedal that widens it (gets it closer to the brake pedal)
thanks for waiting at least a day to point that out VK. 
Thanks again for all the advice (I didn't mean to start such a big discussion). I am gonna keep on practicing.
