Images by Philip Royle
share
tweet
emailBy Jim Kearney | 5 hours ago

“I’ve never been any good at _______.”

It could be any piece of the racing puzzle: the starts, braking, high-speed turns, technical corners, strategy, and so on. Condemning yourself to some supposed limitation doesn’t help the learning process, it just gives you a ready-made cop-out. So, do something about it.

The fix: Make a plan to address your shortcomings one at a time and evaluate your progress. Nobody magically gets better just because they are dissatisfied.
When the five-minute board is shown, are you ready to race, or are your mind and nervous system racing on ahead of you?

“I’m afraid I’ll lose focus.”

Some people have a laser focus, others don’t. Everybody loses focus on occasion; the question is how quickly you regain it.

The fix: A good tool is a trigger word or phrase, such as, “back to business,” works wonders. If you feel your focus waning mid-session, quickly utter or think the trigger words. Often, the fact that you have a solution up your sleeve prevents the issues from even arising.

“I’m going to be perfect this time.”

The search for perfection is its own punishment. Every fast lap has a few sloppy moments, and every good race has some messy bits. Shooting for new personal bests inevitably brings you to moments of great pucker, and those may require a deft catch. Ultimately, having perfection as a goal is a recipe for frustration.

The fix: Focus on improving specific skills, and don’t worry about perfection.

“Everyone is outspending me.”

Exactly how does that thought aid in your attempts to improve? Getting fixated on the competition’s race equipment is shooting yourself in the foot. Perhaps they do have more power, a superior aero package, and their car handles better than yours. But tell me, how does fixating on any of that make you faster?

The fix: Your focus should be on driving better and improving your car. Work on you.

“I never catch a break.”

Shed this toxic notion from your head right now, then consider this: You are a racecar driver! Most of the world would love to be in your position. In fact, a younger version of yourself would be so jealous of you as you sit on the grid waiting to hit the racetrack.

The fix: Win or lose, enjoy the race weekend – you have the best hobby in the world! Also remember what Pratt & Miller’s Steve Cole says: “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

“I’m scared.”

If the car is so unstable that you can’t handle it, you must park it. Driving scared in traffic is a non-starter. Your inputs will be stiff and awkward, adding to the bad behavior of a car.

The fix: Your racecar must be sufficiently compliant to allow you to survive the moments of panic that are bound to arise on track. If the car feels dangerous, don’t go out until it’s fixed. Do not ignore this blinking red light.

Take charge

Racing is like life, so sometimes you need to make adjustments. Successful athletes know this, and they have developed routines that enable them to stay in charge of their thoughts and moods. For every negative vibe you catch yourself thinking, pave over it with a positive one. Over time, it will become a constructive habit.

Whatever your level of motorsports, you can change your mindset as you would a shock setting, but you first need to be aware of the need for change. Step one is to recognize the bad thought, and step two is to pitch that thought overboard and replace it with a helpful one. Then just like a racecar setup sheet, keep track of what works for you. Before long, you’ll stop worrying, see on-track improvements, and the next thing you know you’ll be enjoying every moment of your race weekends – just like you should.
Author and driver coach Jim Kearney has learned a number of secrets through the years, and has used that knowledge coaching dozens of drivers who went on to great success, including Spec-Miata-turned-Trans Am TA2 competitor Tyler Kicera.

A note from the author: I clearly remember what it feels like to do poorly and not know why. I was overwhelmed, confused, and frustrated. This memory now serves me well as a driver coach. Racecars are complicated, but driving them a little better is not. I began coaching in 2010 and my drivers have been on the Runoffs podium 15 times, including 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.” Check out kearneykdd.com for more information.