Nearly all the Fiat V8 drivers give it a blip (or two, or three 
) to synchronise a change up. There are lots of Fiat V8 videos out there, which is nice- it’s not all Scanias.
To ease/speed-up the gearchange I would fit a two-stage return spring, with the detent set at just enough pedal to give, say, 1300rpm. It would then be a simple case of cutting the fuel, to get the revs dropping fast, then rest one’s boot on the “step” between the springs then, as soon as the stick went into mesh, bury the pedal.