Patrick Long answers your questions!
People tell me that cars are a lot more physical to drive than karts, and that they are much harder than even just a few years ago. I haven’t had any problems so far. When should I start working on my fitness and how should I do that?
-- Eric Masters

Eric, without knowing what type of karting and cars you are referring to, it is difficult to compare. For instance, an Indy Lights car versus a Spec Miata could not be further apart in what type of physical demands each car requires. It's the same when referring to the difference between an indoor rental kart versus a modern shifter kart.

Either way, if your goal is to be a professional racing driver I recommend you start working on your fitness with a specific program tailored toward you and car racing.

Just the length of an INDYCAR, NASCAR or sports car race will test your body in new ways. Also, the muscles you use in karting are likely to differ when your driving position changes and you are all of a sudden harnessed in by a set of six-point seat belts. I do believe karting is a great source of training, but I recommend a cardio program and some gym work to go along with it.

I always heard that Porsches required a completely different style of driving when compared to most other sports cars, but that the newer 911 models are much better in that regard. Is that true?
-- Peter Bold

I would say that Porsche 911s do require a different driving style than front-engine cars and many mid-engine cars. There are a lot of parallels between different era 911s; there are also a lot of differences. Specifically, later model 996 and 997 models from the past decade can be pretty tricky in high-speed corners. The main difference is with the rear engine you have a lot of mass moving around at the back of the car and this can certainly test a driver’s car control. On the flip side, the rear weight really helps with regards to heavy trail-braking and great traction. Specific to your question about the newest model 991 series: it has a much longer wheelbase and this has really helped in the stability department, especially at high speed.
In sports car racing, it seems that one of the keys to success is tire management during a stint. What kind of things can you do as a driver to make your tires last longer?
-- Steve Large

Indeed, sports car racing often tests your ability to manage tires; there have been circumstances in my career where I have to make a set of tires last for over three hours. The most basic principle is not over-driving the car – understanding how to get to the limit of your tires but not drive past them. The most common mistake I’ve made in tire management is spinning the tires in low-speed corners as I accelerate out. Another large factor is how you bring your tires up to temperature and pressure when they are cold and/or new. Many times the way a tire is treated in its first few laps translates into how a stint will unfold.

As much as the driver plays a factor, your car's setup is every bit as important. A basic but often overlooked element is tire pressure. Also, in almost every type of motor racing, camber is a huge factor in tire wear and longevity.

Sometimes I have a hard time keeping my focus, especially when I’m out in front of a race. I tend to make mistakes. How can I overcome that problem?
-- Colin Bend

Sports psychology is one of the best-kept secrets in motorsports. Dr. Jacques Dallaire is the best in the business and he's recently written a book called “Performance Thinking.” He also has a lot of great content here on SAFEisFAST including being a previous on-line coach.

Personally, my single biggest bit of advice is: your dominant thought in the race car should be processing the next set of corners that are coming toward you. I think most mistakes are made when a driver's mind starts to wander into random thought rather than what is happening right in front of their car or kart.

There are some great focus drills and programs out there that will help you practice staying in that “zone.”

Since almost all race cars these days are equipped with paddle-shift gear systems and many don’t even require to lift off the gas while changing gears, is there any point in driving “old style” race cars with H-pattern gearboxes and learning how to heel-and-toe?
-- Marcus Newbold

The art of traditional shifting and heel-toe downshifts is still a very important skill. Depending on what type of racing you're aspiring to, it may or may not be relevant to the cars you’ll be driving. As a sports car guy it's still important as some GT cars such as the Continental Challenge Series require the knowledge of how to properly shift an H-pattern gearbox. I still right-foot brake, use the clutch and blip a lot of modern products including cars with sequential gearboxes in endurance races. Even if you are a single-seater guy, you never know when you may be given the chance to sample an iconic historic F1 or Indy car!

How much did you know about the technical aspects of a race car when you first started out? Did your knowledge develop simply as a result of experience or did you work on that specifically?
-- Stephen Ghost

Great question! Everybody learns in a different style, but for me it was a 50/50 combination of practical and theoretical study. A basic understanding of mechanical engineering is a great foundation to apply your on-track experiences. Ultimately, as a driver, your most critical job, technically, is to provide quality feedback to your engineers and team, rather than engineering from behind the steering wheel. In saying that, the more you understand how a race car operates technically, the better you can describe and articulate what's going on, on-track. Read lots of books, take lots of notes and, most importantly, ask for advice from experienced and professional engineers.

Who did you look up to when you first started out in the sport? Do you think it’s important to have a hero or role model?
-- Eric

Growing up, I had so many riders and drivers that I looked up to, that it would be hard to peg just one. What's important in having a role model is identifying what makes them so successful, or what stands out about them that makes you idolize them. Those attributes can give you something to aim for.

As a kid, I watched every type of motorsport there was, and grew up attending the short dirt ovals of California, watching open wheel drivers like Stan Fox, Sleepy Tripp and Robby Flock. These were guys who had real jobs during the week, but put it all on the line on the weekends, running wheel to wheel in midgets and sprint cars on the dirt for their share of the prize money. They were some of the hardest racers, and they always had time for us young fans after the races.
I love racing and would give just about anything to get into it. I would especially like to make it to the big league street circuits in something like the American Le Mans Series. But how can I gain exposure?
-- Drew

Hey Drew, indoor karting is a great place to get your start. I feel it's a great chance to learn about car control and race craft with a very limited investment. Ultimately if you are fast and win races, that will provide as much exposure as anything!!
Do you get a little “crazy” going from one series (ALMS) to the other series (Rolex) in your Porsches? How similar are the cars and is it difficult to make the transition between them? (I'll be glad when it's one series next year!) Thank you.
-- Nancy Ariola

No, transitioning between different series is something that's been pretty normal and constant for me over the past decade. The conflict weekends where you're racing in multiple series in different cities are the ones that put you on the edge of craziness. In 2006, I had a wild weekend where I raced three different series in two different states on the same weekend. I'll always remember going from Houston in ALMS to Phoenix and jumping into a Continental Challenge car in the afternoon, then having the Rolex race in a DP car that same evening. Those are certainly weekends to both remember and forget all in one. These days, having a full-time ride in ALMS and Grand-Am is more of an honor than anything -- it's really cool to get to compete in both series, but I think everyone's looking forward to the unification next year.
In today's world of buying rides in ladder series to reach a paid ride it can be hard for many racers to even be seen by professional teams. So, what is your advice for a 16-year-old Formula Vee racer who wants to try to race professionally? I am running Formula Vee on a shoe-string budget, so buying a ride is not an option for me.
-- Andrew Pinkerton

My advice would be to push forward in Formula Vee and try to rack up the win tally. I respect how competitive of a class Formula Vee is and anyone with a championship in that class has a lot to be proud of. I think that winning at each level you compete at is very important. Aim for the run-offs!

I would be studying up on the scholarships that are out there and up for the taking. Make your next step to a new series a place that can qualify you to be selected into one of these programs. As I mentioned in one of my previous answers, I didn't have the money to transition into cars from karting without scholarships, so fight hard to position yourself. Buying a ride is not the only option to climb the racing ladder, so don't dwell too hard on that subject.

Hey Patrick! Thanks for answering questions. Looking back, would you have done anything differently in your career progression following the Skip Barber scholarship prize opportunity? Also, do you prefer racing in Europe or the States?
-- Jack Mitchell Jr

The most important part is that you try to race against the best, to help raise your game. In the early 2000s, I really believed the best were in Europe and I wanted to continue to measure myself against drivers in British Formula Ford. Making the decision whether to move home to race in the Barber Dodge Pro Series or staying in Europe to join the Factory Van Diemen squad was a tough and complicated process. In the end I had to follow my gut and the advice of my advisers and that was to continue racing and living overseas.

My goal in racing is to win the Le Mans 24 Hours. I have noticed that the majority of drivers at Le Mans – at least at the top level – have a background in open-wheel racing. Why is that and do you think it’s important to race in formula cars at some stage?
-- Mark Davids

I think the most important part is to put yourself up against the best drivers as you learn your craft. Junior formula single-seater racing has huge amounts of competition in North America and Europe, and I think that connection is that so many of the best karters are striving to get to F1 and INDYCAR and, therefore, the talent pool is deep.

High-downforce single-seater experience is pretty important if your goal is to drive in LMP cars at Le Mans; from a GT perspective much less. Most drivers are quick in anything they drive, so focus more being in competitive equipment and running in a quality race series.
My son is going to be 8. He has been kart racing for almost three years and has wanted to be a racer since 3 years old. He has met you at Lime Rock Park (we will see you again in July) and follows all forms of racing, writes about racing, draws tracks, lives and breathes racing. The what and how to plan his future in motorsports eludes me to some degree. We have been doing what we can to network with local race teams and drivers just in creating an exchange of his love of racing. What was the path you followed, how did it evolve, and what steps are most important to develop my son’s life in motorsports?
-- C.E. Ruehl

Sounds like your son is on a great path!

Ultimately, it's about finding the golden opportunity. To me, it's a two-part equation: first nurturing and gaining the proper race and business experience as a youngster in karts. Second, finding the funding to progress from karts to cars. For most, the toughest challenge in motorsport is acquiring the sponsorship to be able to display your talent and put yourself in front of the right people.

Looking back on my path, the programs that provided scholarships for young drivers were really the only way to pave my progression from karts to cars. I was initially given the opportunity through karting scholarships from Skip Barber Racing School and the ELF La Filière program (in Le Mans, France) to transition and begin racing cars.

The step that is most important to develop your son's life in motorsports? Help mold him into the front man of his career! He is lucky to have you, as I was to have my father. Teach him and guide him. In the end though, race teams and sponsors want to hear directly from your son.

What is the best tactic to putting a successful partnership together while coming up through the ranks?
-- Adrian Starrantino

I think Townsend Bell said it best: You have to go into a partnership with the perspective of what YOU can provide to a company, rather than what they can provide for you or what you need from them. Also, I feel it's about a personal connection with the decision-maker who has the capability, the interest and/or the access to approve funding and a sponsorship for you or your team.

Once you land some support, it's all about over-delivering with ROI (Return On Investment) in hopes that when it's time to renew the partnership it's a no brainier for them.

Patrick, you are a fine role model for anyone who wants to get involved in the sport. I know you started out in open-wheel racing. When and why did you switch your attention to sports cars?
-- Gerald Austin

I moved full-time to sports car racing at the end of 2002 when I joined the UPS Porsche Junior team over in Germany. Porsche had offered me the chance to race in their development team and looking back it was the break I was dreaming about.

I had attended the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999 as a spectator and I thought that was the craziest and coolest race I'd ever seen.

Honestly, changing disciplines was something I thought long and hard about. Before I signed my contract with Porsche's Junior program, I called some of my racing mentors to ask for their advice. Their answers were all very similar, and along the lines of what I tell young, aspiring drivers: Unless you have millions of dollars in your bank account, where you end up racing will be down to opportunity. So keep your options open and be quick to act when you get a call from a team or manufacture that is willing to give you a shot in race-winning equipment.