PushinTheLimit

This is for the experienced road racers that have logged a races under their belt. What has been the toughest lesson to learn about road racing? And I'm kinda throwing this more to the T1/ST2 guys since that will be where I race at myself. Something like traffic management, tire management, qualifying etc.

Thanks guys.

Z11409

Money managment

napacruzerc5

davidfarmer

a couple of things come to mind.

1. Consistency. If you aren't turning laps within a few 10th's each and every lap (barring traffic) then you either don't have a good handle on the track, your car, or simply don't have enough experience yet. Even a new track, you should be making steady smooth progress, NOT have lap times jumping all over the place.

2. Manage fatigue... Obviously tires and brakes wear, but many many drivers start fading after a handful of laps. If you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen (or buy a cool suit, helmet blower, water bottle, whatever it takes). If that doesn't help, try running a few miles every day. If you can't mentally and physically turn consistent laps for 30-50minutes, then you cannot be competitive.

3. Tire management etc is really a factor of budget. If you can afford the best of everything, go for it (and send me your used stuff). If you can't afford the best, make good use of your time (free since you are at the track anyway) and get under the car at least once a day and get used to checking every bolt you can reach for problems. Shock bolts, sway bar bolts, sub frame bolts etc can and will work loose, and you can't win if your hardware fails. Invest the time into making the most of the hardware that you can afford.

4. Learn to drive off-line. If you just follow the guy in front of you, you'll likely overheat, you'll NEVER pass anyone, and you'll likely end up hitting them in the brake zone. Take advantage of any opportunity (passing slower cars, being passed by faster cars) to find the fastest way around your tracks OFF-LINE. This goes DOUBLE for driving in the rain....go out and get comfortable on every inch of the track, wet and dry. You'll be glad you did some day!

wallyman424

I believe after my first race (which had 3 spins/off track excursions) david told me that "to finish first, you must first finish."

eogel

Michael,
1. Racing can become all-consuming: your money, your time, your life. If you are not making it your career, manage your involvement within the other priorities in your life, don’t let it become the priority.
2. There will always be someone with more skills, time, and/or money than you have. (In my case it includes Wallyman424 !)
Keep focused on developing your skills.

Ed
NASA ST2, SCCA ITE

mr.beachcomber

I believe that the biggest learning curve is learning to drive in traffic while anticipating what will happen next based upon closing velocities between yourself and the car you're trying to pass, out-brake, block (oops, I meant adjusting your racing line) etc. Keep your eyes moving, check your mirrors, and most of all change your line to fit the situation.

My biggest gripes: Most people aren't comfortable at triple digits speeds just inches apart; or they're stupid and don't check their mirrors. Many think that their engine's HP will give them a 5-10 MPH advantage over their opponents accelerating out of a corner just a their brakes will allow them to consistently go 50' deeper into the corner before braking.

racerbob4

David has it right. But I would add one more thing, learn what it takes to win, the first one is hard but they get easier once you leanr what it takes.

L98Terror

Don't race in the same class as Danny Popp your ego may never recover.

PushinTheLimit

As long as he doesn't run ST2, I can at least avoid him But I'm saying this to the new ST2 national champion (congrats btw)

I realize that I will probably never have the budget to spend at will on this hobby. But I will make the most of my equipment to the fullest extent and within a reasonable budget that I can afford while still having a life outside of racing. Thank you all so far for your words of wisdom... I'm just trying to learn as much as possible before I get into wheel 2 wheel.

WNeal

I would also add, Patience

You can eat an entire cow, just not in one serving.
You can become a very good high performance driver, but not at one event.

It takes Seat Time and lots and lots of it.

Work on the basics and build from there. I always set certain goals for myself at each event so that I have something solid to work on instead of just going out and driving. I have much to learn but I think it has made me a much better driver to date.

Falcon

Learn to be patient when necessary.

Learn to be aggressive when necessary.

Don't let cars racing out of your class ruin your day.

The start is vital. If you get behind and marred up in traffic, your class competitor/s is/are getting a big lead, so focus on that green flag.

To be within striking distance, qualifying well is extremely important. Fighting through 5 cars that want the piece of asphalt as you isn't easy. No one will pull over for you, so get in front with a qualifying postition, it's easier.

And as David said, learn to drive off line since that's where we all spend a good deal of time.

L98Terror

Thanks,

Dave had some very good tips, read and follow.

Pick your friends wisely, have very good manners on and off track, race clean, race in your class only, stay focused, and don't **** anyone off that can hurt your performance you never know when you will need someone to help you out there. Watch what you say to people you never know what secrets you may be giving away (and that's coming from me mister open book, I have to work on that), track time, track time, track time I learn something new everytime I start a race.

I would say the most important things that most people won't tell you is to stay at the track, hang out with me and Matt, expect to drink a lot, stay away from Jim Avery if you don't want to do shots of Tequila, seriously some of the best race strategies are figured out at about midnight over a few beers.

oh yah!!! Have Fun

davidfarmer

learning to drive in the dirt (without crashing, spinning, etc) doesn't hurt either.

Wayne O

Some excellent advice from David Farmer and others.

Red9

Hasten slowly!

mikahb

A lot of good words of wisdom here already from guys who know what they're talking about.

For me, the toughest adjustment to W2W from autoX and track days was that it takes SO much more situational awareness. You catch slower cars and have to sort out who you're racing, who else is racing each other (and therefore less likely to give you extra room to get by), who's catching you from behind (faster classes, of course), etc. And you do that while you're doing what David mentioned - pushing your car to the limit within a few tenths over and over, getting hotter and hotter, and tires and brakes fading fast. Meanwhile you're watching every flagstand every lap so you don't end up as a YouTube hit for all the wrong reasons.

Man, what a blast!

rustyguns

so true!

varkwso

Lots of great advice and tips here. You can have a great car, have the pole in your class, can manage the track from any position, be on the fastest lines like you are glued there - but will blow it if you do not maintain SA. You need to be able to know the position of your car, the condition of your car, the position of the cars around you, the geometry of the most likely furball ahead and have a plan for three turns ahead as a minimum. This is the key factor and encompasses all the building block skills. Complacency kills SA.

And racing out of class is dumb - but sometimes needed when you lose SA and have to get back up to your class leader to start racing in class. If possible put out of class cars between you and the rest of your class

AU N EGL

Lots of HP or perfectly built car doesn't mean Crap unless you follow the advice above.


Patience
&
Dont hit Chit