Distraction
Jan 27, 2021
Being distracted is something that comes naturally. It’s easy to get 70-80% done with something that you put out. The last 20% gets extremely difficult. All of the sudden something else comes up that looks like it’ll be the solution to your problem, so you jump into the next thing without finishing the current one all the way through.
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For me this is one of my biggest challenges out of the car. In the seat of the car I have put in the time to get the last 20% out of my driving. It’s taken a long time at that! I intuitively know that the best results come in those last 20% however I still fall into the pitfall of thinking that the next best thing is going to be the shortcut, the cure all, the solution that will be painless.
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Unfortunately there’s no easy recipe for success. Anything that’s worth doing has to be done to the fullest to get the desired outcome. This is a challenge, but just like anything the big results come from the 20% of the effort that most people aren'
...Mixed Condition Driving
Jan 25, 2021
Driving in mixed and wet conditions is one of the times in Motorsport when the driver has the most influence in the overall performance.
On a track that is drying, or getting damp it’s up to the person behind the wheel to make the assessment of grip level. In entering a turn all you have to assess how fast you can go is the visual coming up to the turn. You’ve got to decide whether the track can handle the speed you’re entering with based on a few tenths of a second glimpse of the dampness level of the pavement.
There’s a huge amount of information to process and make a decision, and get it right! Of course the tendency is to err on the side of caution, however when you’re pushing for a win or position this isn’t always possible.
The decision making process when you’re on the limit of grip, and sometimes having to recover when you’re over it is so fast it’s gotta be instinctual to truly get the max out of the track. This is why practicing and driving in wet conditions
...Adapting to different cars
Jan 20, 2021
When jumping into a new car for the first time you’re able to have a learning experience! Figuring out the nuances of each car is exciting to me, like a new problem to solve. These show up in making small errors that you correct in some way to maximize the car.
My first time in a Super Trofeo, I was out at VIR working with a coaching client. I wasn’t entirely used to the brakes just yet and found myself missing the apex in Turn 4 twice.
For me, I found that I wasn’t using the full power of the brakes on the initial hit to the brake pedal. When jumping from gas to brake you want to have your “peak” pressure be early in the brake zone. With an early peak pressure you can manage the speed of the car more effectively by “trailing” the brake into the turn.
When the brake pressure is too high at turn in, the tire becomes overloaded which can cause the front of the car to understeer resulting in missing the apex.
With the Lamborghini I found it to have good braking force
...Competition fuels me...
Jan 18, 2021
I love driving and I'm competitive as hell. There have been a number of times when I ask myself what is it that keeps bringing me back to racing. These are the two things that I keep returning to.
I keep going back to it because I love the challenge that we're given in driving in a race. I know if it were any other sport it'd be the same way, I just happen to have the most experience and therefore talent for sports car racing.
Each pass, any progression towards the front, especially a podium or win fuels that fire ever so slightly more. There's a feeling of accomplishment that is hard to rival in performing these things well on track.
Having that outlet to unleash the inner fire is important in life. Whatever that may be, there's something that you get serious about, finding that and being able to foster a healthy way to unleash it to me is extremely important.
How do you eat an elephant?
Jan 13, 2021
One bite at a time.
It can be challenging to continue pursuing a goal when that goal feels far off from where you are at this moment.
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Setting large goals is innately a great thing, we wouldn't be where we are today as a society unless people dreamed big. I think it's important to have large goals - I do of course as well, especially in motorsport.
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A large goal/task/project though can seem unsurmountable if all that's focused on is the end product. In this time it's important to focus on what's the next small improvement that can be made to move towards that goal.
Flow State
Jan 11, 2021
Running has been a part of my life for a long time! It’s been the background training for the racing that I’ve done. In a way the two compliment each other very well.
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The “runner’s high” is something I experience fairly often. I’ve been working hard to develop an online platform for people to learn about driving. Spending a lot of time looking at computer screens can drive you a bit nuts. Getting out into the open and having a break from over thinking is exactly what helps me get into a “flow state.”
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Similarly breaking up the weeks when I get to go to the race track and drive, it’s awesome getting out and into that same flow state. I have a tendency to jump from one thing to the next. Both of these actions - driving and running - require you be present in order to complete them to their fullest.
Building a Personal Brand
Jan 06, 2021
A lot of people when getting into motorsports for the first time want to jump in and create a whole different persona for their driving career through another social media presence. I fell into this at the beginning of my time running in cars as well. The idea is smart on the surface: you create a more professional image and hide anything that might rub someone the wrong way. This has been the common trend in sports in general over the last decade - basically showing the best parts of you.
The problem is, by doing this you easily water down your personality and become less relatable. With social media, we have a direct look into the lives of people we're interested in. People want to feel that they know you, and feel connected with the person they see in the car. I see this as well in the people I follow on social media that run businesses, play other sports, streamers etc.
In anything now more than ever your personal brand is what sets you apart from the competition. Anyth
...One Turn Ahead
Jan 04, 2021
Be one turn ahead, look through the next turn. This concept has been drilled into my mind for driving so much so that now it is less a thought and more an instinct.
Being one turn ahead of where you are mentally helps in slowing down the relative speed that things approach you at. Similar to how when you fly in a plane the ground appears to move much more slowly below you. When you change your reference points, you are able to process the information better as it appears to be coming to you at a slower rate.
I find that it can be hard to pull this instinct that I've developed in driving over to my daily life. There's things that I want to complete, writing a post, working on my online trainings, finishing up a slideshow, that I get caught looking right at the task at hand. Doing this often gets me mentally "spun out" and I don't end up where I want to be. The information is coming too quickly at me, and the end product (i.e. a well driven turn) doesn't happen quickly.
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How Fitness Affects your Driving
Oct 29, 2020
An entirely important aspect to driving is physical fitness. As the cars continue to get faster there’s more physical and mental stress being put on your body while driving.
While driving a GT3 car for example you can experience upwards of 2.5G’s. Consistently doing this for 45 to 90 minutes takes a toll on the body!
From one of the last events I drove in here is the breakdown from my stint. An hour of drive time with and average heart rate of 132 and peak of 175. Comparing this to one of my 5 mi training runs you can see how physical driving a race car can be!
The other aspect in physical fitness comes to the mental fatigue that can be experienced in the car. Mental fatigue leads to mistakes, yielding inconsistent lap times or at worst wrecks. The mental sharpness required to drive the cars at averages of nearly 100 mph is no small task!
Preparing yourself outside of the car is extremely important to ensuring success and consistency on the race track.
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My Family in Racing
Oct 26, 2020
Racing is oftentimes looked at as a solo challenge. For me, it has been a family endeavor from the beginning. Starting at a young age, my grandfather thought it'd be great to get me into a go-kart. My dad being the car enthusiast he was jumped on it and got us going in a little blue go-kart. My sister joined in as well for a number of years racing, we'd all be up at the race track, that was our weekend fun for a couple of years.
Through the years we turned racing into a family outing. When we owned the race shop and ran the mustangs, my mom would cook for the team, my grandfather drove the truck and when we were close to home for the rest of the family in PA, they'd make a weekend out of coming to the race track to cheer us on! It's one of those sports that while everyone might not get it, there's always something that draws interest. I'm ever grateful for the support from family through the years.
I had to have a difficult discussion on this topic a few years ago
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