I had some weird mechanical issues this year (cracked 2 expansion chambers, for example as well as a motor mount clamp). Don’t panic, someone in the pits will help.
Eyes and ears open, mouth shut when getting advice.
But…
Vet who is giving you that advice. Some folks love to pontificate.
Some days, it just goes poorly. Chin up, learn and move on.
Its not a cheap sport, but be loyal to trackside vendors because when the chips are down (like when a mechanical put a hole in my carb bowl right before the final), they’ll help you (like disassemble a new-in-the-box carb to sell you just the bowl).
You had an incredible first season. Seeing your progression has been awesome! It’s not an easy sport, despite what the best drivers make it look like. I’ll be around for a good part of next season too and happy to help wherever I can.
Vet who is giving you that advice. Some folks love to pontificate.
Indeed. Some people think they are better than they actually are too
For sure it’s a good idea to run advice though a lens of skepticism. Also consider if the answer is helping you move forward on your program, or just seems to be some sort of “knowledge drop” which I think us racers are often guilty of.
While well intentioned, these “knowledge drops” do not always help the person looking to solve the problem at hand.
A lot of keen takeaways for it being your first season! That and you’ve made great progress on your lap times! I’m sure you’re now finding that progress gets exponentially more difficult to attain as you get closer to the theoretical best lap.
I would revise the piece about not driving a shifter gently, and instead keep these points in mind:
Always keep the limit of the tire in mind, i.e. threshold brake, and corner at the limit, but be careful not to exceed the max grip/slip angle of the tire.
Most time will be found by maximizing corner exit, while not excessively compromising the entry and mid phases of the corner. More specifically, the fastest drivers may be 1mph slower at the center of a hairpin, but they’re 3mph faster at exit and that translates all the way down the straightaway.
Always keep the kart under control. Driving brutally fast does not and should not look out of control. Watch guys like Musgrave, Formal, Myers…they make it look effortless, and this is what you should strive towards while again getting the max from the tire.
first season. Now to dominate the podium and get all the trophies.
