Racing sports cars involves a lot more than jumping behind the wheel and putting the pedal to the metal. It involves being fit both physically and mentally.
Some people lose the race before it even starts — does this resonate with you? When you begin your supercar racing journey in a high-performance driving school the stakes are very low, but as you begin to hone your skills and take your racing to the next level, having your mental game on point is crucial to your success.
Develop your supercar racing potential with Racing Adventures. We provide the supercar — from the Audi R8 and Mclaren to the Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 — for drivers to learn valuable skills while having the experience of a lifetime. Learn more about how to develop mental grit behind the wheel in today’s post.
Supercar Racing and Metal Grit
A large piece of race car driving is mental toughness — it differs a bit from sports like golf and soccer in that there is a much smaller window of error, any mistake can result in an accident and injury. Developing mental grit is critical for staying safe behind the wheel and your car racing success. Let’s dive in to ways you can improve your mental game.
Get comfortable with discomfort.
There are many parts to race car driving that are not necessarily pretty or fun — temperatures on the track and inside the car are grueling and your body is often in contorted positions as you guide the car around every corner at accelerated speeds. The best way to get used to the discomfort and build grit, is to lean into it. When you are outside of your car train in the heat and familiarize yourself with these types of conditions.
Push past the discomfort of your contorted body while driving and try driving that way a little longer each time. At times it just takes everything to stop thinking, but if you can quiet your mind, get in the moment, and just drive, this may make you better on the track.
Ignore everything except the task at hand.
Whether you are on the track for the first time in a high-performance driving school or are in a race, it is best to keep focused on what you are doing. Don’t pay attention to the spectators or the cars surrounding you — just do what you’ve been taught and relax into shifting the gears and adjusting your speed with each lap.
Learn from your mistakes.
Mistakes are just teaching tools, sure they can creep in as a failure, but if you take the time to examine them and get curious they can provide valuable feedback for your next racing experience. What are you doing? Are you worried about your instructor’s judgments or accelerating too fast around corners? Dive into what you are doing and get advice on how to correct it.
Mental grit comes with diving into the uncomfortable, getting focused, and learning from your mistakes. There are many more aspects to explore, so stay tuned for part two!