Performance Pedals

Manufacturer's Site

Convenience

Installing the Performance Pedals is simply a matter of hook up your existing wheel and pedals, move your old pedals out of the way (but leave them plugged in) put the Performance Pedals in place and plug the USB connector into an available USB port. No software to configure or drivers to load. This is as simple as it gets.

The Feel

These pedals move a long distance from all the way up to all the way pressed. This took a bit to get used to but really helped me go faster. The long pedal travel allows you to be more precise and that really shows up on the flat tracks and road courses where throttle control is critical to turning fast laps.

The brake pedal features the same long travel and increasing resistance as you press on the pedal. The pedal feels great under your foot with good tension in the spring.

The clutch is set off slightly from the other two pedals. This allows you to race with two feet without the clutch getting in the way, but it is still close enough that you can heel-toe and cover both the clutch and the brake with your left foot just like Ricky Rudd!

The unit features little cleats on the bottom that look like golfer's "soft spikes." These really help it grip the carpet and stay in place under pressure.

One side note here, on various sim-racing forums I have heard a few people say that they managed to break their pedals. Either the spring that provides the tension broke or, in a couple cases, the pedal itself broke off. I didn't have a problem at all with my unit. It appears to be solidly built, but you should be aware that some people have had issues.

It is important to note that in all cases those with problems reported that Act-Labs was very helpful and sent out replacement parts very quickly.

Update: I heard back from Act-Labs on the reliability issue. They say "FYI, we have changed the plastic compound on the pedals and have had zero cases of breakage since the adoption. :)"

The Clutch

This is the biggest feature of these new pedals. NASCAR Racing 2002 Season fully supports the analog clutch. The catch is that NASCAR teams use the Jericho transmission which means that even real Winston Cup cars don't actually require the use of the clutch. So if you shift without pressing in the clutch the car will shift just fine. This is not a bug, but actually is perfectly realistic.

I spent a couple of weeks racing with the clutch enabled and I just couldn't get it into my head that I needed to use the clutch. I'd shift and then immediately afterwards remember that I should have pressed the clutch. Fortunately my Jericho transmission kept me running smoothly.

For me, I prefer to race without enabling the clutch. I can shift more quickly by turning on the auto-clutch and just slamming it into gear. This is one of those items that is bound to cause controversy. It's more realistic to use the clutch, but I believe that you'll be slower with it enabled.

Overall

The Act-Labs Performance Pedals are a must for those who demand realism. For people who race NASCAR only, the clutch really serves more as a gimmick than a real racing necessity as I don't believe that it helps your racing performance. However, the rest of the unit is still worthy of consideration as an upgrade to your existing pedal set.

If you like your wheel but aren't thrilled about your existing pedals, then you might consider adding these pedals to your race rig. The look, feel and functionality of the performance pedals are unmatched and would make a great addition to your sim racing setup.

Manufacturer's Site