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10 COMMON HIGH PERFORMANCE DRIVING ERRORS
1. NOT ENOUGH MENTAL PRACTICE
The more complex the task, the more improvement is likely to result from mental practice; and motor racing would surely qualify as sufficiently complex. Mental practice is the most important part of any driving exercise. Stretching the mind prior to competition prevents mental cramps. Imagery can be used to create intensely realistic pre-experiences that give the feeling of having been there before, with the confidence and competence that comes with it. Arrange the course into a mental slide show. With your eyes closed replay the course exactly as you intend to drive it. Mentally rotate the steering wheel, shift gears and brake at appropriate locations. Repeat these images until they become fluid. Since the brain makes little distinction between a visual image and a thought image, by practicing purely within your mind, imagery can create, modify or strengthen pathways important to the co-ordination of your muscles. Fine skills or complex techniques can be slowed down, analyzed, and on-track driving scenes and actions can become familiar. Familiar scenes are important in order to process the abundance of real-time information created by increasing speed.
2. NOT SCANNING
Keeping the eyes in constant motion helps maintain a little better sensory connection with the environment. Movement is necessary for sensory input. If you stare too fixedly at a single point your eye develops a momentary blind spot. To maintain visual contact you have to keep your eye moving, sweeping the target area in a searching behavior. Wherever you are, take a quick visual scan of the area in front of you. Start at the horizon on your left and scan across it to the horizon on your far right. Do not concern yourself with breaking the scan down, just scan the area in front of you left to right as you would normally. Use the horizon as an outward limit, but concentrate on seeing everything between you and it. Close your eyes and take a mental inventory of what was perceived. Repeat the scan. This time, break the visualization into six or eight mental snapshots as your eyes move. Compare the first mental picture to the second. It is amazing and fun to perceive detail that was not noticed before. Try it again, this time behind the wheel of the car at speed. Breaking the scan picture into mental snap shots of familiar scenes radically improves the odds of doing the right thing at the right time.
3. NOT LOOKING FAR ENOUGH AHEAD
Vision is our overwhelming dominant sense: the “king of the senses”. Eyesight is so intimately involved in almost every athletic task that superstars often are credited with what amounts to an unfair visual advantage. Scanning familiar scenes at the point of emerging information provides a necessary perspective for increasing speed. Your eyes lead the way and control smoothness. Without proper visual perspective “High Speed” can be like driving in a bank of fog where planning ahead is unthinkable, but critical. Looking ahead not only gets a racer where he needs to be, it focuses concentration. However, scanning the point of emerging information is not enough. Learn to project ahead. As objects in your scan become closer, anticipate a shift to objects even further ahead. Anticipation is crucial because everything happens very quickly at high speed. The ability to look ahead immunizes against accidents.
4. SCARING OR SURPRISING THE BRAIN
The brain allows the driver to anticipate and, therefore, is his best ally. Overload, scare or misuse that ally and response becomes involuntary (emotional). One example: ground rush — many objects flying by quicker than can be mentally sorted. Ground rush is caused by failing to continually adjust vision further ahead, particularly as speed increases. Escalating speed magnifies anxiety. As visual depths of field get shorter with increasing speed, anxiety progressively grows. If this cascade of events continues, once eye placement is inside reaction distance and speed continues to mount, eye movement becomes fixed and scanning for crucial information stops. Fear is the result of progressively increasing anxiety. Fear brings panic inputs, and involuntary panic input is always wrong. A brain that has been scared sends off commands like: “Lift!” “Look over here, instead of where you are going!” “BRAKE!! in the middle of this turn”.
5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
The quickest indication of an unskilled driver is the hurried move. The hurried move does not come from starting a skill to soon but from neglecting to finish the skill that preceded it, cutting it off short. Just as a wide receiver must “put the ball away” before he starts to run with it, so must any driver put away the movement at hand before starting the next. It’s a paradox: taking time to finish one move gives you more time to get the next one started right. Skill is simply performing in a higher gear where there is less of the grinding inefficiency of a lower gear to multiply task difficulty. Skill allows you not to rush and lets you have time to choose when to rush. You have to have confidence to take time to control the car. Next time you’re having trouble, try telling yourself you have more time than you think you have. You’ll find another several inches of incoming trajectory to work with, during which you can focus on finishing the skill at hand. That few inches is enough; it is a few inches in time, if you have confidence enough to take it. The result, another racing paradox: You must slow down in order to go fast.
6. CARRYING TOO MUCH SPEED INTO A TURN
How much speed is too much? When it keeps you from going precisely where you planned it is too much. Carrying too much speed into a turn can be thrilling and may feel fast, but it keeps you from your planned positions. The primary purpose of braking is to slow the vehicle to target turn-in speed. A car can be slowed faster than it can be accelerated. Over equal distances brakes are capable of producing greater changes in speed than acceleration. Speed is not the issue though, CONTROL is. Control of speed and control of self. Driving is all about making good judgments. “Judgment” is not a sensation. Judgment and experience take the form of thought. Motions generate thoughts too, but feelings of going fast can also be attached to motions. These “feel-fast” sensations are distractions and can be quite unrelated to speed. Carrying demon amounts of speed into a turn might “feel” fast or gain a few hundredths of a second initially, but overall speed is sacrificed and entire seconds can be lost.
7. OVERDRIVING
Technical proficiency requires little physical effort because the performances are always controlled, balanced. Less technically perfected efforts require as much physical and emotional strength as necessary to continually snatch oneself back from disaster time after time. To do something inefficiently (badly) requires more effort, like driving a car with an out-of-balance wheel. “Natural talent” is no substitute for careful learning and diligent practice. Beginners should not expect to post times that would champions would be proud to claim. Experienced drivers who have been idle should expect to spend practice time to find and refine old skills. Approaching perfection that’s when the pro-athlete most recognizes the need for his coach. To extract that last 10% to 15% is inordinately more difficult.
8. MOTIVATION
Once you perform a skill to your own satisfaction you tend to stop looking for improvement. Yet the physiological limits to your performance of the skill may be a great deal higher the upper reaches are virtually limitless, provided there is sufficient motivation to reach them. Have we forgotten the effort required to “get it right?” There is such an emphasis today on instant gratification and being a winner that we often forget the valuable lessons we learn from losing. Remember that the fact of trying something, even if it does not work, often opens doors that would have otherwise remained closed. Small failures lead to incremental improvements. More than any film, bench-racing session or ride a long, not being able to make it through a turn will sear into your brain the importance of doing it right. Discipline yourself to concentrate on what it takes to be where you need to be. On track, focus on the present and save analysis for the paddock. It is the driver’s job to learn to do the hard thing easily, gracefully, efficiently. Improvement is there for the taking only if the effort is invested.
9. OUT OF “ZONE” PERFORMANCE
A large part of any sport comes from the compelling sensation of getting it right. A coming together of “Art” and “Science” is where magic happens. The feeling is almost mystical. When timing is right: motion is smooth; skill levels are elevated; driving actions are quicker, more forceful and more accurate. In the “zone,” effort is optimized, not over stressed, and endurance is increased; a driver is performing “within” himself. Concentration slows time to allow for confidence, the ultimate tool for getting control of the time sequence. More interesting is what control of the time sequence within the movement does for skill. Different arcs or portions of arcs within a sequence of motion can be moved with brilliant results. Today’s technology is capable of designing a machine to replicate perfect driving, but the rhythm it produces will always be identifiable, instantly, as machine produced. It is “cold”. To warm it up, put a hand on it. Change the time sequence, introduce human control. It is not the gizmo, not the tool, it is the tool-user that makes the real difference.
10. NOT RECOGNIZING FATIGUE
Everything in racing is dynamic: temperature, tire wear, track conditions, excitement, passing opportunities, FATIGUE. When you become physically tired, the first thing to go is your sense of judgment. Fatigue causes lines to get sloppy, crisp turn-in suffers, throttle action becomes more abrupt and driving no longer flows from one action to another. To grow increasingly numb to the “sensation” of speed with each successive lap is normal. Increasing speed to “chase” this seductive sensation can have disastrous results no matter the cause of deteriorating conditions.
Failure to recognize mistakes, failure to anticipate and adjust are all indications of lost concentration FATIGUE. Why driving suffers is no mystery. We are poised for flight, our muscle systems are cocked for emergencies — and release — that never come. We get tired of being poised, but we can’t willfully let go. Fatigue itself is a snowballing mechanism: tired muscles contract themselves involuntarily and thus use still more energy, generating more fatigue in the uncontrolled effort. Fatigue has focused concentration on your body. If your attention is on your body, it is not on your driving. Adhere to the Three Mistake Rule: Three mental and/or physical mistakes in a row — slow down, go into the pits; REGROUP.
Sources:
www.globalracingschools.com
www.motorsports.sae.org
Ontario FF: Rzadzinski Scores First Mosport Win
June 16, 2010
EDMONTON, ALB. (June 15, 2010) – A successful start to the season continued for up and coming Edmonton racing talent Stefan Rzadzinski this weekend with a dominant win followed with a second place finish at Mosport International Raceway in Ontario. With three podiums in four races so far this year, Rzadzinski completed the first half to his season in the Ontario Formula Ford Championship in near-perfect fashion.
Starting off red-hot out of the gate, Rzadzinski led the field in practice on Friday in Formula Ford practice with the top lap time of 1:28.2 in the BGR Team Grote car. This was quickly followed by qualifying on the pole on Saturday afternoon, ahead of four-time CanAm Cup champion Shane Jantzi.
After a heated battle with BGR Team Grote teammate Mikhail Goikhberg for the lead over the opening laps, Rzadzinski was able to pull clear ahead for good when Mikhail spun trying to stay with Rzadzinski in turn eight. Comfortably ahead at this point, Rzadzinski was still able to press his advantage by dropping in lap after lap at the top of the charts, including the day’s top time of 1:29.1 on his way to his first win of the season.
"Overall it was a great time at the track for me on CanAm Cup weekend," stated Rzadzinski. "The ABL Group/Supertint BGR Team Grote car felt fantastic on Friday and Saturday, and it was amazing to get my first-ever win on the challenging and prestigious Mosport circuit! On CanAm Cup Sunday"
It’s quite uncommon to find a true racing talent in the heart of hockey country and Rzadzinski certainly has a unique path that has led him to where he is today. In a story that parallels that of some of today’s premiere athletes, as Rzadzinski was born with the sport in his blood through his father Andy’s passion for racing. Growing up with F1 races as a constant source of background noise, Rzadzinski first jumped into karts at the age of three years old.
Starting young has more than paid for itself so far in Rzadzinski’s career, as he has quickly grown into being one of the most accomplished drivers his age in all of Canada. The 2009 race season elevated Rzadzinski another level still, as he was able to come in as a rookie to the Ontario Formula Ford Challenge Series. Not only did he win a race in his first season, he was able to claim second in the championship overall, earning Rookie of the Year honors and the prestigious Brian Stewart Racing Award. All of this has been accomplished before Rzadzinski has even graduated high school, and earned his regular drivers license.
ABRS is pleased to announce an alliance with Legends Cars of Alberta where ABRS will operate the Legends Racing Schools programs. Formerly known as Renegade Racing School, ABRS will continue to offer Legends Cars of Alberta sanctioned race driver training programs for the most popular and cost effective oval track racing series in Western Canada, providing a new element in these already popular and successful programs.”
Blair Robertshaw, graduate of the ABRS 2 day Formula Car program wins WCMA Provincial title for the second straight year Unlike 2008 where Blair won both the Provincial and Regional WCMA Championships, this year participating in only three of the four series events in Calgary at Race City resulting in eligibility only for the Provincial Championship. Racing in three race weekends versus other competitors four and five race weekends still managed to score the most points in the overall series championships.
Our congratulations to Blair and the Robertshaw Racing Team
Rexall Edmonton Indy Corporate Challenge - Official Results
| Position |
Name |
Car Number |
Time |
| 1 |
Cameron McLeod |
22A |
1:40.301 |
| 2 |
Tom Pearce |
22B |
1:46.732 |
| 3 |
Sheldon Dyck |
17B |
1:47.742 |
| 4 |
Fil Maiorana |
77B |
1:49.702 |
| 5 |
Greg Christenson |
68A |
1:50.398 |
| 6 |
Greg Burns |
68B |
1:52.681 |
| 7 |
Bill Swanson |
86A |
1:54.039 |
| 8 |
Chris LaChance |
17A |
1:54.360 |
| 9 |
Lynda Steele |
86B |
2:11.521 |
| 10 |
Bruce Urban |
77A |
DNS |
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ABRS is pleased to announce the support of Nitrolube Performance Lubricants as official supplier of lubricants for ABRS Formula Cars and Race Karts.
Nitrolube’s unique Nitro-2000 Friction Modifier formula is blended into all of their lubricant products and their Friction Modifier Concentrate can also be added to any type of oil; reducing friction, temperature and wear, with the benefit of maximizing engine life.
Nitrolube has a longstanding history of Motorsports involvement and support, simply because their products have improved engine performance in all applications, including high performance and racing engines.
Nitrolube CEO Jason Rite adds “Nitrolube is delighted to be in partnership with one of the top racing entities in North America.”
The support of Nitrolube ensures the reliability of ABRS race vehicles and provides an increase of performance resulting in an enhanced experience for all ABRS drivers.
To view a feature of ABRS Formula Car school in European Car Magazine CLICK HERE
ABRS is pleased to announce an alliance with Chasecam Product Development of San Diego, CA Chasecam is widely known in the Motorsports industry as world leader in onboard camera technology.
ChaseCam is a division of Chase Product Development, Inc (CPD). CPD started business in 1981 as a product design company, providing engineering development to the military, telecomm, and biomed technology companies. CPD’s background in helping to develop military video equipment for the MX Missile Program and years of work in the security video field served as the motivation to start ChaseCam.
CPD develops, build and sells solid state digital recording (data and video) systems, cameras, mounts and accessories for motor racing of all forms and countless other applications.
Chasecam can be on your car, your person or on your equipment, filming you or the environment around you; capturing in detail all the action as it happens.
Chasecam equipment is currently in use at the highest levels of Motorsports, including Formula 1, IRL, Nascar, ALMS, Grand Am, V8 Supercars and World Challenge. CPD also outfits some of the best Power Boat teams in many different classes as well as many of the leading Off Road Teams participating in races such as the Baja 1000 and Dakar Rally.
CDP’s reach into the market has also led to aircraft, ranging from single prop stunt planes all the way up to airforce jets. Chasecams are used on many television programs from Discovery or SPEED channel, shows such as Gillette Young Guns, Two Roads to Taupo, Deathrace movie, and more. Chasecam equipment can also be found in extreme sports, karting and motorcycles.
ABRS proudly joins Chasecam as regional distributor for the Western Canadian market.
ABRS Featured in Road & Track Magazine
Be sure to pick up a copy of the March issue of Road & Track Magazine, which features Allen Berg Racing Schools. To view the article on the Road & Track website click here.
ABRS is pleased to announce a technical alliance with Motec Systems, recognized world leader in racecar data acquisition technology for professional racing teams worldwide. The addition of cutting edge data acquisition computers synchronized with on-board video cameras installed in all of our Formula Cars will provide a record of all driving inputs, which allow us to critique driving performance in debriefing sessions regularly throughout the day in our 1 and 2 day Formula Car courses. Further, drivers in our 1 and 2 day Formula car courses a complimentary DVD video of lapping sessions as recorded by our on board cameras. By offering this unique service as a standard component of our curriculum sets ABRS apart from all other racing and driving schools.
ABRS featured on Discovery Channel
Allen Berg Racing Schools and its unique use of cutting edge racing technology has been featured on Discovery Channels Science and Technologies program The Daily Planet. To view this feature Click Here
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