hustler

iTrader: (6)

I think "fear of something happening that requires more money." This could be a mechanical failure or wrecking the car, I feel powerless to reliability problems that have never really happened in the last 3-years.

chpmnsws6

iTrader: (12)

This song ALWAYS loosened me up before an autocross run.



If your freighting about finances every time you hit the track, maybe you should hold off on racing. Its just a part of the game.

Efini~FC3S

iTrader: (4)

I say a prayer while on the grid, before almost every session. I stretch before I get in the car and after I'm all strapped in. Also some breathing exercises while on the grid.

I don't own the cars I race so I am lucky to not have to worry about having to pay for broken sh*t. When I was tracking my own turbo miata, for some reason I was never really concerned about breaking stuff / wrecking / having to replace expensive stuff.

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

Exactly what I was about to post. I just go out there with the mindset that I am here to have fun first and foremost.

Have fun
Drive safe
and learn something new

the 3 objects of any HPDE driver.

Don't watch the gauges with the expectation that everything will blow up. If anything write yourself a "comfort" checklist. take it with and check it in the morning (oil, coolant, tire pressure, lug nuts, and whatever else you tend to worry about). hopefully knowing that your car won't just explode and kill you or lose a tire and spin into a wall at 100 mph should be comforting enough to allow you to drive.

Lastly, If I drove my car into a wall, I would shed a tear on the spot and never look back. If you can't walk away from it, then don't race it.

BTW, even the new guys say you worry too much:

y8s

iTrader: (8)

Transcendental Meditation

Bond

iTrader: (6)

I get nervous before a race, but once the flag drops, nothing can break my concentration. I don't give a ---- about anything other than me and the car/kart on track, and people driving in front and behind me. I drive best with my mouth open, and I'll catch myself becoming very cotton mouthed after a few laps and remind myself to salivate.

Lapping for extended periods of time, however, can have me thinking about what I'm having for dinner, who I'm ------- that night, is she pregnate? etc. then I'm off in the weeds.

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

Hustler, you need a warcry.

curly

iTrader: (25)

"stop being a -----"

Love,

Curly's girlfriend

jboogie

I'm just the opposite, in my daily life my mind is constantly going, work problems, house and car projects, bills. But, then I get on track and the only thing on my mind is the next braking and turn in points and wondering if I can carry more speed through the next corner this time ect?

So, I ask you this: why do you do it if it worries you like that?

samnavy

iTrader: (7)

There should be only 2 distractions:

#1: I can't afford to wreck this car.
#2: If I wreck, I'm gonna get hurt bad.

Solutions:
#1: Race a car that you can afford to load onto flatbed, take to junkyard, and sell for scrap if wrecked.
#2: Cage/seats/restraints/fuel-cel/halon/suit-helmet-gloves-shoes.

If your car is disposable and you know you'll live through just about any wreck, that's where the fun begins.

Also, if everybody else on the track with their DD Evo's and M3's knows you could give a ---- less about getting hit, you'll get waved by a lot more.

tomiboy

iTrader: (3)

That last line is some funny $hit

hustler

iTrader: (6)

gearhead_318

iTrader: (1)

This, seriously.

Like I said, get a cheap ---- 1.6, cage it, do other stuff and have fun.

Seefo

iTrader: (5)

---- that, he needs to man up and drive the ---- out of the green car. The whole point of it was to track it, he can't just puss out and be like "I like my car too much". ---- you, this forum is depending on you to represent turbo miatas with a fury.

GeneSplicer

iTrader: (14)

I certainly have more worries about scratching the paint on my car than it puking rods out the bottom end... honestly though - if I worried about the paint, I wouldn't be driving it like I do.
My respect/fear of speed comes from screaming down the back straight with a novice student at Road Atlanta at 150 (and I was holding him back for my sake) in an uncaged 911S with nothing but the OEM 3pt lap belt with no Hanz - and all that concrete.
If I get hurt and can't work for 3 months - I'm screwed financially/business wise, which has reprocutions when providing for a family of 5. So yeah, I'm on edge until I loosen up and get into the groove. I don't worry about the car as it can be easily replaced... but at 40, my health is more important than it was when I was in my 20's, single, and no kids...
My relaxation 'attempts' is like Efini - say a quick prayer, take nice steady breaths, and creep into the power once the tires are nice and warm.
If I ever get to w2w, I'll certainly have a disability insurance policy 'incase' I get fubar'd... hell, I need it now, but broke - so....

hustler

iTrader: (6)

For some reason I've identified more with this post than the rest, and you and I could not be further apart in regard to family considerations.

Torkel

Getting into the mental state before a race makes a huge difference for me. I always do the best when I can zone out and just focus on the driving.

I have a thing I do (this is going to sounds nuts) when I am under pressure or nervous. I use it both at work to get rid of stress or pressure and at the track. I picture myself as a machine. (I know. Nuts). When I’m in the car at line up before the race, I mentally “switch” to machine-mode. I close my eyes and tell myself that from now, until I pass the checkered, Machine-Torkel is driving. A machine has no feelings, no fear, no nervous butterflys in the belly, no buddies with cars you mustn’t bump, no bank account to take the hit if something breaks and so on. It just does its job. Naturally, for reasons one doesn’t need a doctors degree to figure out, the mental process is helped by sitting in a stripped out race car, covered with layer after layer of fireproof materials, helmet, shoes, gloves and a 6-point harness.

Works for me at least. Best of luck!

y8s

iTrader: (8)

Sounds like you need to set up a living trust and god parents for your kitty cat. Maybe that'll set your mind at ease on the track.

Sentic

iTrader: (1)

The old truth of "if you can't afford crashing it, don't race it" is stressing you out.

Go 90% and have fun, when you trust the car, go faster.

Asx

iTrader: (1)

I just get high off the RX-7s I'm gridded next to.