BostonDMD

Just curious.......

I have been fortunate enough to hang out with podium winners (D boys) and I have the outmost respect for them.....

I figure if I hang out enough with them, my skills will improve by osmosis......

But seriously...... what makes a winner in any amateurial racing class?.....

SG_M3

money!

Larry Herman

So you're home tonight too, huh. Anyway, a consistent winner has great racing skills, is a fast driver as well, can either properly setup a car or can feel and communicate what is needed to their mechanic, and has some luck. It takes all of these to win over drivers and cars that are equally as fast.

PogueMoHone

^
Spends more time working on his car and driving skills, than on the internet!

Brian P

Sprint races or enduro races? I believe it's a different answer depending on the type of race.

multi21

Rule #1: Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money



Rule #2: If you pick a class where there are 3 or less... forget about rule #1 ; - )

multi21

Give yourself a couple of years to get the hang of it Paolo. You just started racing. The hardest thing is to get that first win. Sometimes you think it'll never come. But once it does, you then know what it takes to win.

tsheehan

If you can qualify in P1,2,3 then you will start to see the podium. Racing is about preparation. You are prepared(skills) the car is prepared(money). Then you are giving yourself a shot at winning. Race craft is learned over years. Getting by a car in class is a lot of work and must be planned and executed. Luck can cut both ways so you have to factor that out as a wash. Race craft can be learned in mid pack. It is harder to experience from DFL. Stay out racing and learning.
In time the P2,P3 become just at bitter sweet . P-1 is what you start to race . People have this tendency to want what they don't have. Lets be honest what else would you rather be doing ? If the answer is anything other than getting yourself faster(lap times) so that you can be better as a racer, then winning is not forecast in your experience. However, Rain, Big wrecks and other unknowns lurk around every corner so, you cant win if you don't play. Keep driving fast keep taking chances. Keep working on making yourself and your car better. The results you achieve are a by-product of your inputs.

Regards
TSheehan

Sean F

Here's what I have observed:

1) Change your name to Fred
2) pass people in the grass - often
3) pass people on the outside of T2 in the grass at the Glen
4) put your car in places that corner workers have never seen before - often
5) ignore physics - often
6) cringe when the announcer tries to pronounce your last name at the awards dinner

Veloce Raptor

Grid girls.





Professional Racing and Driving Coach

TraqGear

It's very simple. Desire! If in your mind you must win, you'll find a way to win. You'll keep perfecting your car, your skills, your line, your health and you'll develop the agression it takes. There are always faster cars and better drivers in just about every race. If you really really want to win, you'll take it serioiusly, watch your competition from test day to race and have a strategy to win before you hit the grid. Man, I'm pumped just thinking about it! But, no doubt, desire is above all else...everything can be achieved or fixed or obtained. Time after time we see athletes who are at a disadvantage rise to the top...it's about desire and passion! If you think 2nd or 3rd or midpack it ok and you have fun for the weekend, then guess what you'll achieve. And, for me, God is the source of all things good!

Crazy Canuck

[QUOTE=Veloce Raptor;6798251]Grid girls.

FTW!!!

Chads996

I replied with great skills...but I have seen a lot of racers with average skills do well. As with everything, there are some out there with above average skills. Nothing can be taken away from a racer with a God-given gift of natural ability. I have seen someone like that before. Watching a driver drive with that kind of gift is like watching poetry in motion.

The local PCA group here had a kid like that about 10-12 years ago. Just natural talent. He had a teal green Mazda Protegé POS that he would bring to events. That kid could make that car dance. It was amazing to watch. New drivers to the PCA would go to the Lead Instructor and complain about being passed by a POS Mazda. The instructor would simply laugh and say, "...that's just TJ." We used to get many photos of him passing 911's on the front straight after he would carry crazy speed through T12. Shame is he never did anything with it. No pro-racing, etc.

I love watching driver's like that. Awesome stuff.

C.

Glen

You forgot "Didn't wreck"...

FredC

Blah blah blah ;-)

You forgot:

Crashing in the armco during the test and tune to shape the body of the car so to optimize air flow over the body... Gee that's how I ended up with a legal double deck diffuser at limerock...