You can! Success starts with the proper mindset

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emailBy Jim Kearney | June 29, 2020 5:00 AM

“I’ll complete my car prep when I get to the track; the schedule looks pretty open.”

There is never enough time at the track. Something always comes up to suck away free time. You need to register, setup in the paddock, deal with tires, go through tech, and on and on. The more tasks you can take care of in advance, the more likely you will be able to think about your driving.

Get ahead of the game with car prep so you can work on pre-session mental preparation.

“I start every session slow and gradually come up to speed.”

For beginning drivers or those who have had a long layoff, this is sound thinking. For the rest, the drawback is that when it goes green for the race, everyone else is on it hard – are you mentally prepared?

Perhaps the trickiest thing in high-performance driving is learning to go fast on cold tires. Many will frown at you if you go too hard, too soon, and make sloppy mistakes. But if you let the slow-start habit take hold, you will rarely be qualified well – and even if you pull out a late-session flyer in qualifying, you won’t be ready to hold the pace when the race goes green.
Jumping into practice and qualifying sessions at a quick pace will better prepare you for the start of the race.

Work on pushing harder, sooner, every session. It’s a difficult skill to develop, but it has major benefits.

“I have some killer tweaks up my sleeve this weekend.”

‘Tweaks of the week’ almost never pan out. Set your car up to run reliably and with sufficient compliance to allow you to survive your mistakes as well as those of others. Not only do most tweaks not work out, but they distract you from all the basics.

Stick with the fundamentals — at least until you get near the front of the pack. Until then, tweak your driving, not your car.

“I’ll figure out the track when I get there.”

These days, there is no excuse not to know the track before you arrive. Not everyone has a simulator, but everyone has a computer. I recommend the speedsecrets.com Virtual Track Walks, but there are also countless YouTube videos. You can also talk to friends who have been to that particular track. You should be able to discuss the track layout using the correct corner numbers or names the moment you set foot on the facility.

“I’ve been really busy at work. I haven’t checked the alignment, brakes and shocks in quite a while, but I’m sure everything is OK.”

Your car needs attention. Every driver downplays off-track excursions. Any time the car is off the track surface, there is a chance that something in the setup changed.

Have a system to stay ahead of your car’s needs. It’s not enough to have a checklist; you have to use it.

“If it rains, I’m not going out.”

Perhaps you won’t ever excel in the rain, but you should learn what rain racing is all about. It may even improve your car control.

Speaking in very general terms, most cars will accelerate and decelerate in the wet fairly well, given appropriate tires, of course. What they don’t like to do is turn. Instead of accelerating through the turn, run straight in, stay off the racing line as much as possible, get through the turn carefully, and accelerate out.
Don’t skip wet-weather practice sessions. The experience and confidence you gain from the track time could pay dividends down the road.

Anything you can do to soften the car will help you maximize what limited grip is available.

Try it, you might like it.

“I don’t want to hold anyone up.”

Some drivers are so lacking in confidence that they become focused on not messing anyone else up and become overly fixated on their mirrors. Meanwhile, an overtaking driver’s biggest fear is that the car ahead will try to help them by getting out of the way.

Even if you are not one of the quick cars, look ahead and drive your line. Being mirror-aware is good, but being mirror obsessed is dangerous. Drive your line and give a point-by if someone comes up quickly; but stay with your job: Drive your car and let others drive theirs.
When everything comes together, success will follow. And who doesn’t like winning?

About the author: A racecar driver coach since 2010, my drivers have been on the National Championship Runoffs podium 15 times, scoring six gold medals (two each in FV, FF, FC, FE, HP), two silver (both in FE), and six bronze (four each in FV, FC, P1, FM). I also coached the FRP F2000 champion twice. Ross Bentley also recently noted in his Speed Secrets Weekly that the SCCA Runoffs may be the one of the biggest mental challenges in sport. Ross said: “Guess who I’d get to coach me if I was racing in the Runoffs? Why? Because Jim tunes the helmet.”

 

Part 2High-performance driving and racing are fantastic ideas; just don’t drive yourself crazy in the process.

In a recent article, I focused on subconscious notions that adversely affect a driver’s performance, but barely scratched the surface of a problem so deeply rooted in the sport that everyone thinks it’s normal. As a driver coach, I see it all the time, and have learned that if all those negative thoughts are not deflected, they run the risk of becoming part of a driver’s (subconscious) racing plan or, more accurately stated, the racer’s habit.

I’ve been guilty of most, and you probably are, too. But, as they say, awareness is the first step to recovery. So, read on – and stay positive!

“I work on the car up to the last minute, it keeps me from getting nervous.”

This approach keeps your mind off of driving. Sometimes a last-minute thrash cannot be avoided, but for many drivers, this bad idea seems to be ingrained. Having the car ready an hour early allows you to look inward, assess your performance, and consider your approach to the next session.

Social interaction is a part of any track day, but you need to prioritize your time and allow yourself some introspective time. It takes both commitment and courage to look inward and be honest but fair to yourself. Yet, it’s not all about self-criticism; you should also note the things you are doing well.
All race weekends involve a certain amount of wrenching. Just be sure you’re only dealing with the matters at hand and not deferred maintenance.

Follow your routine (assuming you have one that keeps you calm) and always do it the same way – and get to the grid early. Nothing distracts you from driving more than being late to the grid.

“I’m not all that competitive by nature, so I’m just going to go out there and enjoy myself.”

Do you really feel this way or is this just a way to hedge your bets? Most competitors want to know how good they can become, but if you are playing this game, you will never find out.

Set reasonable goals given your past performances and look to make a small gain. And don’t kid yourself: Everybody wants to go faster.

“I’ll only be happy if I can get under a 1:25.”

The other extreme is the driver who views each session as a dare. It’s good to have goals, but it’s silly to set your sights on a particular lap time when the conditions don’t support it. There are many factors that are totally out of your control: track grip, tires, wind, temperatures, draft, air density, and so on.

Like the ads say, your results may vary, so compare yourself to other drivers running similar cars that day rather than to some past lap time. If the track is not fast, looking to set a new personal best will end in frustration.

“This time I’ll do Turn 3 flat.”

A high-speed turn that can perhaps be taken with the throttle pegged is the racer’s equivalent of the white whale in Moby Dick. Reaching for the ultimate no-lift run through a difficult turn is fraught with danger. Doing the turn consistently and staying within yourself is much more likely to be of benefit.
Exploring the limits is part of racing, but it’s often better to inch toward them rather than leap.

Set reasonable goals and creep up on them. This isn’t a video game; mistakes have repercussions. Other variations of this bad idea include: “I must be in the top 10 or else,” and, “I must get a certain amount of points this weekend or else.”

Focus on driving better rather than a specific outcome and your performance will improve.

“My motor sucks. I’ll drive around it.”

Even in spec classes, complete engine parity is not a guarantee. Maybe you actually are down on power, but what are you going to do about it? Perhaps you are contributing to the problem with demon late braking that doesn’t allow you to go to the gas as early. A cleanly driven car is always going to move away from you on the straight if you are screwing up the preceding corner.

Do the best you can at the event and plan to address your motor deficiency as soon as possible. You may have to sacrifice something else to make those ends meet, but nothing good comes from trundling around down on power. You may try too hard and crash or, worse, you may accept that you belong where you are in the field.

 

Fast Learners Apply Here!

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emailBy RACER Staff | July 23, 2020 5:05 PM
Sponsored by: Spring Mountain Motorsports Ready to go racing? Or just looking to go fast? These performance driving schools are the perfect place to get in and get started.
Ron Fellows Performance Driving School
springmountainmotorsports.com // (800) 391-6891
Pahrump, NV

The Ron Fellows Performance Driving School is the “Official High Performance Driving School of Corvette.” Each program is designed for drivers of all experience levels and includes dynamic car control exercises, visual skill development and proper cornering techniques. Classroom sessions are brief, but informative.

The challenging curriculum and precision focused track time will provide improved driving confidence in yourself and the latest Corvette.
Cadillac V-Performance Academy
springmountainmotorsports.com // (800) 391-6891
Pahrump, NV

The Cadillac V-Performance Academy is an exclusive opportunity to test the motorsports pedigree of the CTS-V and ATS-V on one of the nation’s most demanding race tracks.

The program is designed to assist V-Series owners in mastering their vehicle’s immense power and capabilities, while expanding their driving skillset.
Allen Berg Racing Schools
allenbergracingschools.com // (888 722-3220
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, CA

 

ABRS operates one-, two- and three-day formula car racing programs using authentic Formula racecars at the iconic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Operated by former Formula 1 driver Allen Berg, ABRS utilizes carbon fiber chassis with race slicks and wings, along with use of GoPro cameras and AIM data systems for driver analysis. Programs operate with a ratio of two drivers for each coach. ABRS works with drivers at all experience levels – from experienced racers to novice road drivers.

• At the start of each day, Allen Berg personally conducts an early morning track walk for all participants.• 2- & 3-day programs are SCCA accredited for licensing.
--------------------------------------------AREA 27 / CAMARO DRIVING ACADEMY
area27.ca/camaroacademy // (236) 488-0027
OLIVER, B.C., CANADA

The Camaro Driving Academy, at Area 27, is setting a new standard in high-performance driver education. The Academy’s curriculum is designed to give you the right tools to master every corner.

Motorsports enthusiasts of all experience levels have an opportunity to drive on Canada’s most exclusive and technical circuit.
Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School
frankhawley.com // (866) 480-7223
Multiple Locations

Learn from the best! Novice and experienced drivers will benefit from Frank’s renowned classroom sessions on how to “improve personal performance.” Learn how to mentally prepare, perform at the highest level, improve focus and block out distraction on the track and in your life.

You’ll learn so much more than how to drive in the competition license program. Or experience the excitement and thrill of side-by-side racing in the Dragster Adventure program. Great for individuals, groups or company outings. Classes are held across the country.
Kaizen Autosport
kaizenautosport.com/racing-school // (919) 741-7151
Virginia International Raceway, VA

Kaizen Autosport offers an array of driving options at VIR, including high performance driving experiences, driver development, and a full competition racing school. Our racing school is an excellent place to obtain your full competition SCCA and SVRA racing licenses, or just become a better HPDE track driver. Our racing school is unique in that drivers can choose to bring their own car or select from our wide variety of cars, including formula, prototype and GT. We offer three different programs.

Level 1 Licensing 2-day course focuses on car control, weight transfer techniques, racing protocols, situational awareness drills, and five hours of track time with lots of practice starts and races. Level 2 Advanced 2-day course is for experienced drivers wanting to reduce lap times, with intense focus on overtaking drills, corner entry and exit speed optimization, plus wheel-to-wheel racing with instructors.Level 3 Masters 3-day course combines level 1 and 2 with over nine hours of track time on two different track configurations to challenge even the best. Located in a beautiful facility in the paddock at VIR, we offer the perfect setting to learn and go fast.

 

LevelUp Racing School
levelupracingschool.com // (920) 838-6612
Road America, Road Atlanta, Roebling Road and More

Our instructors have pedigrees from the top levels of motorsport, including the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Twelve Hours of Sebring (class and overall) winners, factory drivers and race team owners with decades of teaching experience, and have been called the best in the world.

Schools are at Road America, Road Atlanta, Roebling Road, and more, using Spec Miatas. SCCA accredited.
MSR Houston
msrhouston.com/schools/competition // (281) 369-0677
Angleton, TX

For over 13 years, the MSR Houston Competition School has trained hundreds of amateur racers. We teach the fundamentals of race craft with on-track experience so that you leave the school ready to race.

Each day of the three-day curriculum mixes interactive instruction with on-track sessions led by our instructors, all competition-licensed active racers. You hone your skills by going wheel to wheel with other drivers in practice races. Graduates are eligible for an SCCA Competition License.

MSR Houston is conveniently located only 35 minutes south of downtown Houston. The rate for the three-day school is $1,750 with your own racecar, or $3,850 for both the school and rental of either a Gen 2 Spec Racer Ford or Spec Miata. Additionally, Gen 3 Spec Racer Fords are also available for $4,200 including the school.
Go 4 It Racing Schools
go4itservices.com // (303) 666-4113
Louisville, CO

The school is open seven days a week, year round. It is an SCCA Full Competition License-issuing school offering driver coaching, corporate events, transportation, vehicle development, and arrive-and-drive solutions. It operates at multiple tracks and uses championship winning racecars – or use your own.

Since 1985, Pettiford’s Go 4 It Racing Schools’ mission has been to be the best in quality private instruction for cars, motorcycles, trucks and RVs. It specializes in basic instruction through full competition, utilizing one-on-one instruction and teaching you “the sequence” and strategy that the world’s top drivers use, at your own speed.
Porsche Track Experience USA
porschedriving.com // (770) 290-7000
Barber Motorsports Park, AL

• The most intensive and comprehensive curriculums available: Participants are exposed to the most refined training methods and technology available. We offer introductory courses up to advanced racing classes.

• Professional Instructors: Learn skills from past and current champions experienced in all aspects of the sport. All PTX instructors are top professional drivers, certified by Porsche and led by racing legend Hurley Haywood.

• A fleet of over 50 new Porsche vehicles: PTX offers the opportunity to experience all currently available Porsche models, including the 911 Turbo S.

• More track time: At PTX, we believe the best place to learn is behind the wheel.• Barber Motorsports Park: The exciting and challenging 2.38-mile race track offers 16 turns and over 80 feet of elevation changes. An excellent classroom!

 

Primal Racing
primal.racing // (770) 573-1010
Atlanta Motorsports Park, GA

Primal Racing is an SCCA-accredited racing school offering beginner and advanced programs showcasing the power and the performance of the Radical SR1.

Based at Atlanta Motorsports Park, the USA’s premier training facility, Primal Racing offers drivers the unique opportunity to hone their craft on the country’s most technical road circuit while enjoying world-class country club hospitality.
Waterford Hills
waterfordhills.com // drschool@waterfordhills.com
Clarkston, MI

Looking for an affordable and proven SCCA accredited racing school? The Waterford Hills Road Racing (WHRRI) competition driving school is designed for drivers wishing to compete in wheel-to-wheel racing.

For more than 60 years, WHRRI has been the launching pad for many SCCA National Champions. Offering a strong focus on safety, communication, car control, passing, starts and more, it is the only SCCA accredited school in SCCA’s Great Lakes Division.

Upon successful completion of the school, you will have earned your SCCA Novice Permit and may race in hundreds of races across the nation. The school’s track is also one of America’s most historic.
Skip Barber Racing School
skipbarber.com // (866) 932-1949
COTA, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, CTMP, World Wide Technology Raceway, Lime Rock Park, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Road Atlanta, Sebring

With international racing experience, celebrated skill, and the strong belief that competitive racecar driving is teachable, Skip Barber founded his legendary racing school in 1975. Since that first class, over 350,000 students have become racers and champions. In fact, Skip Barber graduates made up almost half of the starting grid of the 2019 Indianapolis 500.

Today, we are the world’s largest automotive education and entertainment company. We offer driving and racing schools at nine of the finest tracks in America, create imaginative OEM programs that elevate the finest automotive marques, and produce corporate programs that build teamwork and recognize great achievement.

There is no driving experience that rivals the Skip Barber Racing School. The Skip Barber Racing Series will race at several SRO America events during 2020.
Spring Mountain Motor Resort & Country Club
springmountainmotorsports.com // (800) 391-6891

Spring Mountain Motor Resort & Country Club is a state-of-the-art racing facility and exclusive motorsports country club located just 55 miles west of Las Vegas. With more than six miles of challenging race track and resort-style amenities, it’s the home of the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School, Cadillac V-Performance Academy and SM Racing.

Spring Mountain delivers a world-class experience to driving enthusiasts of all levels.

Driving School, RACER 305, Spring Mountain,

 

APEX Motor Club: No experience necessary

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emailBy RACER Staff | July 23, 2020 9:19 AM

The list of people who have gone from no construction or land development experience to laying down a ribbon of highly-specialized asphalt at a cost of $2 million per linear-mile must be pretty short. Two that definitely make the list are Matt Williams and Jason Plotke, co-founders of APEX Motor Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“My partner Jason and I both come from an automotive background. He worked for a tier-1 parts supplier and I worked in national sales at Barrett-Jackson,” says Williams. “Back around 2014, we had this idea to start our own driving business that would grow into a club. After several failures to get it going, we found this property 30 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. It was once a farm, so the land was laser-flat, with a beautiful view of the mountains and just what we were looking for.”

All along they felt that Phoenix in particular was an ideal place to see their vision through.

“There’s already an established car enthusiast community, plus January Car Week and other auction events happening here throughout the year, not to mention weather that’s conducive to driving events for all but a couple of the hottest months,” Williams goes on. “But neither of us had any experience as developers. It was a lot to take on.”

With the backing of a few founding members, they bought the 300-acre parcel and began making their vision a reality. The track was designed and installed with the help of Motorsports Services International, a global firm with clients including Daytona International Speedway and Phillip Island in Australia.

“The track was laid as one continuous strip of asphalt that has no longitudinal seams anywhere. We also have a number of paved runoff areas,” says Williams.
Construction began in April of 2018 and they were open by the following April. Now a year later, members are experiencing the first phase of the development, which includes the 2.27-mile Phase 1 circuit that will soon link with the Phase 2 circuit to form the 4.2-mile full circuit, all monitored by a state-of-the-art electronic corner flagging system. Forty-eight trackside condominium garages that open right onto pit lane a la Formula 1 will begin construction this year, with a second phase of condominiums and track to be completed within the next 24 months.

As a members-only club, there’s no waiting hours for organized run groups to get on track; just check in and drive, all of which can be booked via a custom phone app. But, APEX Motor Club isn’t just for high performance street cars.

“We have a members-only race series with both Radical classes and GT classes,” says Williams. “Plus we have a number of members that routinely run their historic race cars here including a car that’s twice won at Le Mans as well as some older Indy cars and even one of the cars that Dan Gurney raced in NASCAR. We’ve even had conversations with a few race teams that are considering Apex as a possible place to relocate their race shops to. What’s most gratifying are those members who started out in a street car and got a little faster, then invested in some coaching to improve further and now they are taking part in our Radical spec series.”

Indeed, it’s not only members with no prior racing experience now among the ranks of those chalking up race starts, it’s also the founders who went from an ambitious dream to successful reality that’s best days are still ahead.



ARRIVE AND DRIVE

As a fully private racetrack, membership at APEX Motor Club comes with a lot of perks, starting with as many as 275 days of unlimited track time for Platinum members who can be on track cranking out laps within minutes of arrival.

Just a 30-minute drive from central Phoenix makes it possible to steal away for an hour’s worth of lapping even for those with busy schedules.
The APEX Academy offers members of all skill levels a coaching program designed to allow for getting the most from their cars and the track. Plus there’s the APEX Race Series for some friendly, but intense wheel-to-wheel racing in a Radical, GT car or even Time Attack format.

Members also get access to exclusive events in town during the year and a Barrett-Jackson skybox during January car week. And, thanks to the club’s partnership with Lexus, there’s a fleet of cars available for family and guests as well.

Industry

 

Spring Mountain: House call

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emailBy RACER Staff | 17 hours ago

When Dr. Alain Derzie comes to Spring Mountain, it’s to answer his own addiction to racing.

What are the similarities between racing and performing surgery? There’s a hesitation before Dr. Alain Derzie replies, ”You know, I’ve never really thought about it.”

Derzie is a general and trauma surgeon in New York City and among one of the earliest members at Spring Mountain Motor Resort and Country Club outside of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Soon after completing his medical residency, Derzie bought a Chevrolet Corvette and took it to a club gathering at Englishtown Raceway Park in New Jersey. The plan was walk around the show, but when he saw the autocross course, everything changed.

“I don’t think I ever went to the rest of the show,” says Derzie. “They loaned me a helmet and I just kept going back to run the autocross over and over. I was hooked and signed up for the Corvette school near Las Vegas. It wasn’t even called Spring Mountain then.”

In between the time Derzie signed up for the course and when he arrived, Spring Mountain founders John Morris and Brad Rambo had purchased the facility and renamed it. At the time it was rough ribbon of asphalt without a single amenity beyond a Portajohn and two tents with folding chairs in the middle of the desert.

“That was in 2004 and I’m not sure if it’s an obsession or an addiction, but I have it,” continues Derzie. “I went back as often as I could to take the next level course.”

By 2012, Derzie bought his first Radical SR3 and began competing in Spring Mountain’s Race Series. He’s now on his third Radical and also competes in the Blue Marble Cocktails Radical Cup North America series as well.

“I’m fortunate in that as a surgeon I have flexibility to manage my cases and surgeries around the race schedule,” he continues, adding that it takes him out to Spring Mountain eight to 10 times a year, typically staying Wednesday to Monday.

Like many at Spring Mountain, Derzie will rattle off the bounty of amenities that have been developed since that first visit back in 2004. There’s the club house, the garages, the lake, the swimming pools. karting track, shooting range, off-road trails and now over six miles of race track with 50 different configurations – all of which Derzie routinely takes advantage of. As fabulous as all of that is, Derzie says it’s the people that make it what it is.

“Together with this group of people, we’ve been a part of this community that’s been built just for us around our passion for cars and racing,” says Derzie who now also has his own home on the property overlooking the track. “Many of them are a big deal in their field, but at the track, there’s no pretenses, just enthusiasm.”

Among those that Derzie has become close with is former IndyCar and sports car driver Jeff Bucknum. He coached Derzie early on and now Derzie is helping to return the favor. Bucknum’s son Spencer is beginning his own racing career, debuting this year in the F4 United States Championship. It was in Derzie’s Radical that Spencer had the opportunity to show he could be a third-generation Bucknum racer like his father and grandfather, Ronnie.

Back to the question of racing and surgery, Derzie has an answer.

“I think in both cases it’s easy to say they are both are about the adrenalin rush, but in reality it’s anything but,” he concludes. “Racing and surgery are the same in that whether it’s getting through turn 1 at the start of a race or treating a gunshot wound to the abdomen, the ability to react effectively and under control is the result of both training and experience, knowing that there is always more to learn.”



The ultimate motorsports community

Spring Mountain offers on-property and track-side lots to build the home of your dreams, creating the ultimate community for motorsports enthusiasts.

“I’m super lucky to have been able to build a home in such a beautiful place literally on the race track,” says Dr. Derzie. “On a recent weekend I wasn’t able to attend the race, but invited all the coaches, spotters and spectators to watch from my roof deck as it was the best view for that layout. I got to watch the race from New York via my roof cam!

“I think the super interesting thing about the Spring Mountain Estates is that it’s a place where a bunch of friends and fellow racers got together and built a neighborhood. Usually, you buy a house, move in and then meet your neighbors. We did it the other way around!”

Home sites are going fast. Contact Mike Weeks at (800) 391-6891 for lot pricing and availability.

Industry

 

Years ago a racer tried to use the guardrail to get a faster drive through the turn.
He crashed.
At the after race interview he said: "Well you could do it in the video game!
------------------------------------------
Maybe we have better video games now.

The value of a virtual chicane

iRacing
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emailBy Kelly Crandall | 10 hours ago

Steve Myers and the team at iRacing knew NASCAR was going to have to do something with the Daytona road course. Even before NASCAR entertained the idea of an additional chicane, Myers and company were already playing around with ideas.

How? Why? Simple: Myers jumped on his iRacing sim and drove the track himself, and found that the speeds and braking points were less than ideal.

“When I was driving the Cup car, I was having to start braking at the start/finish line to make it into Turn 1 without being completely out of control,” Myers explained to RACER. “So right off the bat, we knew that something was going to have to change.

“But honestly, we also figured out before we heard they went to the high downforce package that if they had stayed with the low downforce, I think they would have done something coming out back onto NASCAR Turn 4. It was scarier to go into that backstretch chicane than it was Turn 1, in my opinion, because you were over 200 miles per hour going into that chicane with the way it was configured with the low downforce package. When we heard they were doing the high downforce package that immediately was like, OK, we don’t necessarily have to worry about that chicane too much.”

NASCAR announced on July 8 that the three national series will run on the Daytona road course. Initially, the course layout was the same 12 turns used during the Rolex 24 each January. By July 30, officials had decided there would be the addition of a chicane off oval track Turn 4, leading to the start/finish line. And, NASCAR Cup Series teams will use the high downforce aero package.

iRacing had laser-scanned Daytona into its simulator quite some time ago, which helped limit the amount of work needed to add a chicane. For instance, when NASCAR went to running the Roval at Charlotte, iRacing had to scan the track multiple times because it was a new course, and the layout underwent numerous changes before a final design emerged.

With Daytona already on the iRacing platform, all Myers needed to do was get the technical data to add in the chicane. That is where Ben Kennedy came in. Kennedy, NASCAR’s vice president of racing development, has been a big advocate of iRacing and has helped the team many times over the years.

“I said, Ben, the Cup guys, some of them are going to get simulator time, but we know that the Truck and Xfinity guys aren’t going to get any time in simulators, most likely,” said Myers “The only option they’re going to have to practice for this race is iRacing. He immediately got us all the technical data they had come up with to put the chicane together. He gave me that (on a) Sunday, and by Tuesday evening, we had released it onto the member’s site.”

iRacing has the advantage in its ability to iterate different ideas and concepts for what NASCAR needs. Plus, iRacing can immediately create an idea and and jump into a virtual car and drive it, which is what Myers and Greg Hill, the vice president of product development, were doing before an official announcement of the new chicane. But Myers believes that had there been more time, iRacing could have come up with some ideas that might have potentially worked out better.

“I’ll be honest with you, I still think this chicane is going to be a little sketchy when they actually start racing, because they’re so close to that inside wall when they get to the apex of the corner,” said Myers. “Any kind of failure or incident that goes into that braking zone, there’s going to be some impacts with that inside wall.

“Yeah, Ben got us the data, and we immediately got it plotted out because, from our perspective, it was just figuring out where they were going to put the curbs. Since they have that data precisely mapped to give us those measurements, we were able to turn it around very quickly.”

Myers knows drivers have already been using iRacing to practice. They might not be talking about it given the cat and mouse games in NASCAR and no driver wanting to give away what they’re doing, but there have been plenty of laps logged.

 

Kevin Harvick has openly admitted he’ll be wearing out iRacing this week. Harvick planned on using iRacing on Monday and Tuesday, then the Ford simulator on Wednesday before getting back on iRacing “Thursday, Friday, Saturday just to make sure that it’s fresh in your mind, so you know where to shift and things like that. Then it’s just trial and error after that.
Kevin Harvick is very possibly pounding out virtual laps through here as you read this. Image by iRacing

“I’ve watched enough races there that I know the racetrack in my mind, but I don’t know where our cars need to be and what gear I need to be in. I’ll learn that (this) week, and we’ll be ready and hopefully have a good day.”

iRacing and NASCAR will hold a Happy Hour event on Wednesday night. One driver from each series, along with their crew chief and engineer, will give fans a glimpse of going to a track in their first hour of practice and how they’d approach learning the course and developing a setup.

Collaboration – adding the chicane and showing off the track before race weekend – is a continuation of an already strong partnership between the two sides. iRacing and NASCAR are in their 11th season of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, and as Myers pointed out, they’ve worked together much longer; back to when the company was known as Papyrus Racing Games in the 1990s.

Myers isn’t sure there is a longer relationship in the sporting world between a “game developer” (he used air quotations here), and a sporting league. Maybe Madden and the NFL, but it is unique to have a long-term relationship with a company like NASCAR.

Granted, it took time for some within NASCAR to understand what iRacing was and what they could do. But over the last 16 to 18 months, Myers said there had been a dramatic improvement in the two sides working together, and credited some of that to how NASCAR and the world have shifted to using team technology, gaming, and simulation to connect with fans or create new ones.

The momentum and attention carried iRacing into this season. Then when the pandemic hit, iRacing was able to prove themselves well to NASCAR when in about 10 days, they went from getting a call from Fox about doing virtual racing to being live on network television.

“I don’t think there’s anyone else in the world who could have done that,” said Myers. “I think that was just putting a bow on what we’ve accomplished over 16 years with (NASCAR) and letting everyone else in the company understand what we could do, and I think it’s just going to get better from there.

“This road course project is the tip of the iceberg for the things we’re going to be able to do for NASCAR. We’re moving into this era in technology that we can now do things for a fraction of the cost that NASCAR would traditionally need to do in the real world. For this project alone, if done right, we could literally have done all the work for them and handed them the plans to do it. That’s just going to get stronger as the relationship goes on.”

Although real racing is back, iRacing remains relevant, with the Daytona chicane being one example. Still, Myers knew it would be unrealistic to continue growing the momentum and attention it did during the pandemic. During NASCAR’s shutdown, with people at home and watching virtual racing, iRacing added 65,000 new customers. In January, iRacing had 110,000 customers.

“Even now, we’re still generating new member sign-ups about three times as much as we did before the pandemic,” said Myers. “We were doing well. We had a massive spike when the pandemic hit, but even though it’s dropped down a little bit, it’s still three times what it was before the pandemic. From that perspective we’re thrilled, because nobody can bank on the idea that you’re going to be on network TV every Sunday for eight weeks in a row. That’s kind of unheard of in this space.

“Everything we do as a company we view as ‘new member sign-ups,’ so our whole product is based on people signing up and coming in and racing, and by doing that, hopefully, we’re increasing the population of racers as we go. Ideally, our perfect case scenario is you go and have a great time, and you’re having a lot of fun doing it, and you get five of your friends to do it with you. Our best sales force is our members, who go out and recruit to enjoy this thing with them.”

With Daytona road course week upon us, iRacing members will enjoy getting to run the updated course. Speaking from experience, Myers said it’s going to be hard both in the virtual and real world. NASCAR stock cars are heavy machines that don’t have the same braking power as a sports car, and he’s going to be interested to see if the tires and brakes hold up with two significant braking zones.

And Myers is also going to be interested in seeing how those on iRacing handle the course (he’s expecting a lot of protests) as well as the best stock car drivers in NASCAR this weekend.

“These guys who are really not traditionally known to be road course racers trying to get these things slowed down for those slow corners, and it’s going to be the same struggle for our members as well,” said Myers. “And keep in mind, you’ve got fewer senses in the simulated world than the real world – you don’t have that feeling in your butt of the momentum, where the car’s moving and how it’s slowing down or accelerating. So, you’re using your ears and eyes and hands to make up for those sensations that you’re missing, and so it’s harder.

“I think people are going to have a very great appreciation leading up into the real-world race of how difficult it’s going to be for these guys. Especially jumping into these cars with no practice and taking the green flag and going into Turn 1 for the first time understanding the capabilities of their brakes. It’s going to be interesting, and I think our members are going to have a really great appreciation for what’s going to happen because they have the opportunity to do it in the sim.”

Daytona, iRacing, Esports, Insights & Analysis, NASCAR