Age penalty, driver not car

After a near 18 year lay off I'll be crawling back in a race car soon and I'm wondering what sort of mental adjustment I'll need to make for my age. (73)

     Now  some skills will be rusty from that long a lay off but some will just be age. The rust I can work with but how much is going to be age? 

Mental?  I would only suggest stay hydrated.  (dehydration makes thinking slow).

Physical?   Work the core, do some yoga or stretching exercises.

Take lots of pictures?

Stampie - can you help please ? 

In reply to frenchyd :

My thought is if it's a track you've run before then not much adjustment beyond any change in your vision.  Obviously reactions are slower but that should only be a factor if something unexpected happens.

Tom1200 said:

In reply to frenchyd :

My thought is if it's a track you've run before then not much adjustment beyond any change in your vision.  Obviously reactions are slower but that should only be a factor if something unexpected happens.

And nothing unexpected ever happens on a race track. 

I would suggest a thorough physical from your doctor. And whatever organization you're going to race with will likely require it. 

I was pretty proud of myself for lapping a generally quick Civic several times in my overnight 2 hour stint...until I realized later that Bob ...whazhizname.. was in the car, and he was 82 at that time.

Start slow, work your way up, and let age and treachery pass youth and enthusiasm.  You'll be fine.

Edit: Stokowski.  He had a picture on Facebook receiving honors for his 60 years of service to NASCC. 

mr2s2000elise said:

Stampie - can you help please ? 

I'm always willing to help.  I think the physical will be harder than the mental.  I would do as 914Driver suggested and start working out.  The mental shouldn't be that difficult in a slow Jaguar.  Now if it had a more powerful engine maybe ... say a BBC. 

Te only thing I found specific to age happened around age 40. That was the abliity to get fast on a track that was new to me took far more laps. Instead of fast lap on lap 4 of qually 1, it was lap 14 of qually 2. Or longer.

In reply to z31maniac :

My comment was meant in relation to his slower reaction may not make it quite as easy to save the car.

Team Geritol  (PJN and Fitzie) were fast at the end.ss

As Clint saud, "A manis got to know his limitations"

Go, enjoy

z31maniac said:

Tom1200 said:

In reply to frenchyd :

My thought is if it's a track you've run before then not much adjustment beyond any change in your vision.  Obviously reactions are slower but that should only be a factor if something unexpected happens.

And nothing unexpected ever happens on a race track. 

I would suggest a thorough physical from your doctor. And whatever organization you're going to race with will likely require it. 

Not a problem. Annual physicals are a requirement to retain the CDL .  Plus once over 65 they are free under medicare. 

A guy at our local track is still racing hard and winning at 82. In a very competitive class.

https://www.merrittherald.com/merritt-speedway-plays-host-to-a-racing-legend/

Might be worthwhile looking into reflex training to work reaction times. Training up can help. 

Hell, I'm 35 and it's on my to do list.

Tom1200 said:

In reply to z31maniac :

My comment was meant in relation to his slower reaction may not make it quite as easy to save the car.

That's why instead of a 2000 pound car with an 88 inch wheelbase, 50 inch track, 300 horsepower  
I'm driving a 3000 pound car with a 102 inch wheelbase, 58 inch track, 400? Hp 
In other words a bigger slower version of what I've raced. 

bearmtnmartin (Forum Supporter) said:

A guy at our local track is still racing hard and winning at 82. In a very competitive class.

https://www.merrittherald.com/merritt-speedway-plays-host-to-a-racing-legend/

That's an interesting article. Paul Newman was racing at LeMans in his 80's  There was a guy in my class racing at 86 in the Bahama's 

TurnerX19 said:

Te only thing I found specific to age happened around age 40. That was the abliity to get fast on a track that was new to me took far more laps. Instead of fast lap on lap 4 of qually 1, it was lap 14 of qually 2. Or longer.

In my youth my fast laps were always towards the end of practice.  

Tom1200 said:

In reply to frenchyd :

My thought is if it's a track you've run before then not much adjustment beyond any change in your vision.  Obviously reactions are slower but that should only be a factor if something unexpected happens.

Yeh, my vision in my youth I could tell if the dime at the end of the straight was heads or tails. Now with my bifocals on I can tell if it's heads or tails when it lands in my hand. 

In reply to frenchyd :

Do tell, what are to you driving.

I took a 5 year hiatus in my racing and when I came back again, I was within 1/2 second of my old fastest lap time in the first practice session and beat that time in the race.  I'm betting that the reflexes will come back to you faster than you think.

Tom1200 said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Do tell, what are to you driving.

This is the Black Jack special.  

In reply to frenchyd :

This is it's replacement. 

Colonel Sanders started KFC at age 65.  

I'm not sure how that comment relates to this thread but I bring it up a lot to feel younger and to remind myself I have a whole life in front of me.  

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

Just thinking that a bigger slower car should make driving at the limit a lot easier. 
       Driving my Black Jack was like driving a sprint car, locked rear, short wheelbase, narrow track,  my arms were constantly catching the car darting, sliding, snapping back and forth. 
      A big sedan like that will be a whole lot more civilized ( even has power steering and a positraction rear end. Without the cart springs or twitchyness )