"...It’s the pedal’s fault anyways."

EAST LOS ANGELES—Local aspiring race car driver Luis “Lil Tiny” Navarro is facing unexpected challenges in his transition from lowriders to competitive racing, primarily due to years of perfecting the “cholo stance” making heel-toe shifting nearly impossible.

“I didn’t think it would be a problem,” Navarro admitted, his posture permanently reclined to an almost horizontal position. “But every time I go for a downshift, my feet don’t do the thing, and they just kind of... don’t bend that way no more, ese. Turns out, having your Cortez-laced feet pointed in complete opposite directions doesn’t really translate to fast driving.”

Navarro, who spent most of his driving career at a relaxed 4 MPH through Sunday boulevard cruises and drive-bys, quickly realized that performance driving required a different approach. His attempts to adapt have not gone smoothly.

“It’s painful to watch,” said racer and fellow vato Javier Martinez. “The dude looks like he needs custom pedals. I keep telling him, ‘Bro, you gotta unfuck your feet,’ but he just says, ‘Nah, foo, you’re trippin.’ I don’t think he understands he's literally trippin'.”

Even professional driving instructors have struggled to help. “I tried to correct his feet, and he just stared at me and then told me I disrespected his set,” said coach Marvin James. “He keeps trying new shoes, but he doesn’t realize they aren’t helping. This man’s feet are fighting for their life against proper pedal position.”

Despite the setbacks, Navarro remains determined. “I’ll get it eventually,” he said. “Or maybe I’ll get one of those electric ranflas. It’s the pedal’s fault anyways.”