How to Improve Off-Track

One can say that the biggest gains and most notable of improvements are made off the circuit. The actual race itself is just the platform to showcase this growth. With that in mind, how exactly can a driver improve after a race? Well, in this article, we are here to discuss the myriad of things you can do to take your driving to the next level. Be it physical or mental, there is always something to improve on.

1. Physical Fitness & Nutrition

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As with any athletic sport, or through simple everyday life, having a well-conditioned body and a fit physique helps the body withstand the intense nature of karting. In motorsports, there are specific exercises that only apply to this high-speed niche, with the most notable one being those that condition the neck (as seen in the photo). Training the neck helps prevent the head from swaying when the driver is turning into a corner. Aside from the eventual pain that will follow, preparing the neck for such circumstances helps keep the driver in the center of the kart which promotes balance and more performance.

There are other body parts that when trained, give the driver an edge. Parts such as the forearms, biceps, triceps, core, and the entire lower body need to be trained as much. However, one major difference separates driver training from the traditional body sculpting form of exercise. It is the fact that the goal of driver training is to keep the driver ready for driving instead of looking good.

One more aspect to look into is a driver’s nutrition. A balanced diet supports physical and mental performance. Opt for nutritious foods that provide sustained energy and promote recovery. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy, so consuming bread and rice are great options, especially when paired with high protein foods such as meat and eggs. This will help focus throughout a race, maintaining consistent driving.

2. Mental Training

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It goes without saying that both physical and mental well-being go hand in hand. The most obvious and most important to address is your mindset. If you are a driver who is easily fazed and cracks under the pressure, change must be done. Find tactics that can help calm pre-race nerves and avoid you getting out of the groove. One technique that you can use is known as the 5-4-3-2-1 method. Here, the goal is to find five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This is just one way that can help, so be sure to find the method that is most effective for you.

Now let us look at the other side of mental training, the one that helps you in actual racing condition. Believe it or not, things such as reaction time and hand-eye coordination are things that can be worked on. Drills such as the Tennis Ball drop, or a fun hobby like juggling are some of the activities you can invest time in to get drivers ready, and in the zone before jumping in the kart.

3. Simulator Racing

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Even in the lack of a race weekend, nothing should stop you from finding time to gain that actual driving experience. There are a lot of ways to do this, and we can start with sim racing. In what is perhaps a growing trend over the last few years, sim racing has become not just a place to sharpen skills, but where careers can be forged as well. We will focus on the former however. If you happen to invest in a simulator, it is always an available training apparatus at your disposal, and saves you time and expenses that you would otherwise get from having to actually travel to a kart track.

But if you are on a budget, this does not mean that you should completely shun sim racing. There are affordable options out there that can still keep your racing skills and instincts sharp. Having a basic Playseat driving seat combined with a Logitech G29 steering wheel is a good option for sim racing. All in all, this form of training is a more cost-effective way to improve while also eliminating the dangerous risks that come with real life racing.

4. Review and Analyze

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Aside from the actual driving itself, the true improvement that can be quantified can be seen through the data you collect during a foregone race weekend. So what exactly are some perks and benefits of reviewing and analyzing data?

One, it helps map out if there were any notable takeaways from a race weekend, both good and bad. For example, if a certain tyre pressure resulted in a slower lap time/delta, that may be a sign to test out a new psi and experiment to see the theoretical improvements that can be made.

With these takeaways, these lead us to our second reason, which is to prevent mistakes from happening. This is not limited to quantifiable data as shown in the photo above, for it can apply to onboard racing footage as well. If taking too much kerb in one corner unsettles the kart, the time off the circuit can help you devise other ways to tackle that certain corner.

These are all situational examples that drive home the exact same point. Watch your film and read the data. You never know what you may have missed out on.

5. Networking

Perhaps an often overlooked aspect of motorsport, it is important to never forget to strengthen your current connections and also find new ones that can potentially elevate your racing career. Let’s face it, there is more to racing than pure ability and raw skill. Ultimately, if you are unable to be given the grounds to show it, then it is all for naught.

Always remember to keep your friends close. From your teammates to the mechanics and team managers, all of them play a crucial part in getting yourself out there, so make sure to cherish them. Don’t forget to also find those people that can take you to the next level. As the saying goes, “I have a friend who knows a friend.” Now, unless you have a manager who can do all this, it is your job to find someone who matches that criteria. Someone who can back you financially and in other aspects as well. Because at the end of the day, Racing is always a team game.

CONCLUSION

As we have seen today, the true growth and progress of a driver happens when they are off the circuit. Through these five aspects, improving on these can take a driver to new heights while also cultivating one that can take the heat and pressure of the competitive karting scene. Lastly, what matters the most is consistency. Similar to the weekly on-track skirmish that is grassroots motorsport, working on every detail day-by-day is what separates good drivers from the greats.

To elevate your go-kart racing career to the next level, Kart Class has your back! Under the tutelage of a multi-time race winner and Australian kart champion David Sera, a variety of training programs are in store for you. For beginners and champions alike, and even track guides on the most notorious race tracks out there, Kart Class will be sure to take you from the back of the pack and all the way to the winner’s circle!