I use automatics a lot lately. So in order for my left foot to be active, I use it for braking.

Exactly right.

It's always a good idea to test new drivers with less than ideal cars. All cars during my JPJ test had one problem and everyone was complaining about it; the clutch's biting point is too high. So everyone screwed up their hill starts and 3 point turns. Except me of course, I was the only one who passed that day out of 11 of us of that one driving school.

Because driving is subjective. All inputs are not switches that is just on and off, for every car the input feels different. That's what new drivers need to know first and foremost. Master the concept and you can drive pretty much any car.

All that feeling and judging is tiring for many people. Older people who have been driving manuals all their lives find relief in automatics, while the newer drivers are too lazy to even drive manuals long enough to imprint the muscle memory. The "guesswork" and "judging" is done subconsciously. Much like how race car drivers change gears; they "twitch" everytime they hear the engine is at a certain note. It's not guesswork anymore, it's automatic.

I've seen a footage in that 999 show. They don't even slow down at speed bumps. The car jumped up about a foot, and then lands unsteadily which they correct in an instant. This happens a few more times in the chase. Just shows that they are pretty gutsy and quite skilled.

They will be stiffer, but for a few different reasons.
They may not have hydraulic actuators to assist you disengage the clutch. This increases feel and the direct contact allows racers to precisely control the clutch.
Another reason is that the clutch spring is stiffer, increasing clamping force. This minimizes slip and helps power delivery with aggressive driving style. You don't want the clutch to slip very much at high RPMs. Preferably you'd want to control the slip yourself and have none when the clutch pedal is fully released. Only very useful when you have a very powerful engine with higher torque.

That whine and that satisfying *thud* that the gearbox made. Oh how I am longing to have my hands on one of those.