Last month we discussed being properly prepared for the race and using your pre-race checklist. It is equally important to understand that no amount of pre-race car preparation can prepare you for what happens on the track. If the goal is to make the most amount of laps in a race then coming off even once takes away from the total lap count. You cannot make up laps! A lap lost is a lap lost...period. Earlier this week I got tangled up in a pile of cars in the second lap of a race and even though I was first into the corner, a car inside of me by four lanes came off and took out me a three other cars. We were racing on an 85-foot tri-oval and since my car was the last car to be put back in the slot and I lost 2.5 laps. Later in the race, I made a mistake during an intermission that cost me a half of a lap and came off once on my own during the entire race. Overall, not a bad race by my standards, but the result was not a win for me. Since the class of cars we were racing use sealed motors and they were very close in speed, no matter how hard I pushed to make up sections, I ended up 2 laps down to the first and second place car.

Sometimes you can't help what others do on the track, but you can definitely drive within or own limitations during the race. I am not suggesting to drive slow and overly cautious, but I am saying don't press so hard that you cost yourself lost laps...because you can't make them up!

Don't forget to practice! Practice on your own time pressing your car deeper into the corners and getting the feeling of how hard you can press your equipment if you really need to. Practice with a buddy before the race and take turns chasing and being chased. This kind of practice develops the feeling and timing you need to stay in the slot under pressure.

Until next time have fun and keep it in the slot...Speed Racer