It’s January and us here in the great white north that means it is about 3.5months before track season starts. It also means that is has been about 3.5months since the last season ended. Funny things happened when a driver is equidistant for their seasons we live for. We get cocky. That’s right you know you do. Last season you took of XX 10ths of a second a lap/section/run/stage and you KNOW you can do way better this coming year once you bolt on those parts you convinced your significant other where ‘Christmas presents’. Those parts are worth easily a second or 8… right?!?!?
In the depths of January, it’s easy to state goals. All your friends have set, and likely broken, their new year resolutions and that sounds fun. Years ago we made ludicrous lap time goals while a bunch of us were huddled up around and excessively large plater of nachos on a snowy January night. The smack talk was thick with ‘well, next season bro’ and ‘just wait until I get the corner weights figured out’ which was easy to say. The old dogs sat there, laughed and egged us on. 10 months later there was a lot of crow to eat and thoughts of ‘well, maybe next year’.
But we learned a few things. Here are the top 5 goal setting technics for your next track season
1) Be SMART
- Be Specific
- Measurable
- Make it Achievable
- Make it Relevant
- Set a Timeline
2) Build the speed one corner at a time
3) Team up!
4) It’s science! use telemetry
5) A fit driver is a fast driver
These are all catchy phrases but what do they really mean? Let’s dig deeper.
SMART
If you’ve been around the business world for a hot moment you’ve probably heard this one. Typically throw out in management presentations the SMART acronym is actually very fitting for motorsports. By setting up Specific goals we can Measure our progress against them. Want to smash a 2min lap time and your 5 secs off? Well, that’s pretty specific and measurable. Hey, that’s two down.
Although, is that 2min lap time Achievable? Well, you are already struggling for grip in every corner and the 22hp engine you call a monster hasn’t gained any power over the winter. Perhaps you need to reconsider that goal.
What if your racing wheel to wheel. Is a lap time really that Relevant? Sure setting a hot qualifying time is an ego boost but if you are not able to do that at race pace does it matter?
Finally timelines. This is the bummer side of setting goals, holding yourself to them in a certain timeline. Without setting a timeline you could easily end up taking longer than expected for each improvement and ultimately falling behind the competition.
Building Speed
It the first day of the season. The track is clear and that new flux capacitor is purring under the bonnet. Green flag drop and the pink mist fog’s your vision. Your on full attack and …. you’re screwing up every corner. Understeer, oversteer, apexes in a different area code then your line! What the hell! It’s happened to us all. The art of building speed over the course of a year is something that takes patience and a bit of humility. We recommend building the speed up and focusing on one corner at a time to perfect. As the speed build and the corners get worked out so does confidence. More confidence, less second-guessing, more focus in the moment.
Team Up
Motorsports is an interesting dichotomy. On one hand, it’s a team sport with mechanics, engineers, and drivers. On the other hand, only the driver is operating the car. In the amateur ranks were the mechanic, Engineer, and driver is one person it can be confusing and lonely. RTPT started with the idea of two guys working together to be faster. Same cars, same mods, different driving styles. If everything else is the same and one guy is fast is sector 1 what can the other guy learn? Teaming up to solve complex problems is a great way to move both parties ahead.
It’s Science!
Driving is something that the driver feels and it’s often hard to put that into words. Telling how the car ‘feel’ to your mechanic can be a frustrating experience. Sometimes what you feel may mean something different to the mechanic. The use of data acquisition software or telemetry can help back up your comments on feeling with hard data.
Another benefit of running a telemetry system is going back to the SMART goals of measuring your progress. Did you try something new that season? How does that compare to the last time? Better yet, how does that compare to your teammate? We’ve been using the VBox and Cuiruit Tools for years to compare data. It’s an invaluable tool.
Fit driver, mind and body
So you want to shave 5lbs off the car? That carbon fibre hood would do just the trick but it’s $2000. Argh, that’s not in the budget! Do you know where else you can shave 5lbs off for nearly free? Time to get your butt to the gym. We all focus so much on the car that we tend to forget about that 200lb sack of potatoes that sits in the driver seat. Fitness for the driver is a major competitive advantage not only in terms of weight but also in strength and stamina. Uh, for driving that is. We’ve all had the argument with the armchair jock that doesn’t think that race car drivers are athletes until you take him for his first hot lap. The stresses and strains applied to a driver's body are incredible lap after lap after lap. So having a strong cardiovascular system and core strength are key to spending a lot of time in the car.
There is a side benefit to working on your physical health outside of the car and that is mental health. Face it, motorsports are inherently dangerous and humans aren’t programmed to deal with danger well. We have to modes; fight or flight. Pile on top of that worrying about what place your in, what that car next to you is going to do, and what’s that clunk in the right rear(?) and you have a stressful situation.
However, studies show that when an individual engages in a physical exercise regiment there is a corresponding improvement in mental health. A clear mind can give you a MEGA advantage over the competition. So win in the gym before you win on track.
In the end, every driver wants to achieve their goals. For some that’s standing on the top step of the podium, others it’s smashing their personal best or cutting that perfect ET. Whatever YOUR goal is this coming season we hope this tip has helped you get one step closure to it.
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