Someone skilfully said
that “winning is not important, all that matters is participation”. But in a
kart race, winning is everything and preparing for the race prior to the race
is very important. If you are well prepared for the race day, you won’t get any
surprises on the track. You can be calm and composed and overall have an
excellent race day. Sometimes the situation is so tight that finishing the race
becomes a priority and not winning and knowing that you drove the fastest race
you could have in the end. Consider the steps listed below before every race
weekend to ensure that you have a smooth race day.
Make sure that everything is in place before you visit
the track. Change your oil, tighten up and double check all the nuts and bolts,
etc. Nothing is worse than showing up on a race day and having to make changes
on your kart while you are on the paddock.
A good eight hours sleep is recommended on the day
prior to the race. As breakfast is the most important meal of the day, make
sure to have a great breakfast before you go on the race track. Although we
have to get up early and travel a lot, trust me on performing on a full stomach
rather than otherwise as it will be beneficial to you in many ways. If you
want, try out a day of practice session without breakfast and on the
consecutive day with a full stomach. You will notice the difference in your
performance for sure.
Be attentive on the track. You wouldn’t like
to be the last on the grid or have people waiting for you because you missed
the call from the race officials. So try to resist the cute girl from the next
pit or the commercial on the pit television or anything distracting. So try to
resist such distractions and be attentive! Your race day will be much better if
you’re on time and attentive throughout the race day.
Study the track before you race on it. Surveying the track before
the race is always the best idea. Before getting on the grid, sit down quietly
and take a look at the entire track. Try to get a mental image of the track so
that when you are on it, it will prove fruitful for your attempts. This tactic
is as good as taking a hundred laps on the track. This kind of “homework” is
recommended if you are at a never-before-visited track. You should actually
take time to learn the track and calculate mentally the speed for every turn on
the track.
Once on the track, be attentive towards the marshal and flags.
Get a good start at the beginning as this will be a crucial step in you winning
the race.
Once on the grid, stay calm and focused. The only thing on your
mind should be to overtake the kart in front of you and hold off an opposing
kart. Taking advantage on the opponent’s mistake can and will help you climb
the ladder of success in each race. This will be your key to finish ahead of
those you’ve been racing with throughout the year or even winning the race.
Following these points might get you a better place on the grid but as
you drive, you will come up with your own pointers for success. And always
remember that a kart driver’s success mantra is to stay calm and focused.
