Mantras and Words of Wisdom

What are your big ones for on-track? Any particular gems that an instructor or mentor has told you that you've really taken to heart? (We all know "In a spin, both feet in!")

My favorite was an instructor who kept telling me: "Set it and forget it."

Basically, at turn in, set up for the apex and then don't think about it anymore. You're not going to change where the car is headed. So as soon as you've forgotten the apex, set up the track-out point. Once the track-out point is set, forget it, and start thinking about your next turn-in.

"That which you manifest is before you."

You really need to read The Art of Racing in the Rain to understand that one.

"The only thing that should handle 'like it's on rails' is a train."

It's better to brake 6 feet too early than 6 inches too late.

"Breathe."

'Don't hit anything you can't afford to buy'.

Second place is the first loser.

Two from the best instructor I ever had:

If a meteor hits your car, that's an accident. Anything else is driver error.

The blue flag means there's a race--and you're not in it.

"In a spin, one foot in. That engine will stop all by itself."

The words that forever changed the way I do a course-walk:

"Ideally, you'd like to be right about here. In reality, you'll probably be way the berkeley out there."

"Understeer is when your face hits the wall, oversteer is when your ass hits the wall."

Horsepower is how fast you hit the wall.

Torque is how much of the wall you take with you.

shake and bake

"eyes up, eyes up eyes up!!!!"

(apex) "GAS HARD!!!!"

"brake late!!!"

Then I wonder why I go through the (auto-x) timers and deflate whole my heart is pounding

Look ahead, Motherberkeleyer.

Don't race anything you can't afford to break.

And along those lines, don't break anything you can't afford to have lying around broken for the next 6 months.

Per Schroeder wrote: Look ahead, Motherberkeleyer.

I like the word 'Motherberkleyer', if only because everybody on this board KNOWS what it means and nobody else has a clue.

At the first SVTOA event I ever went to, we had it beat into our heads that an HPDE was about learning how to drive and how it was NOT a race. So, I always remember this little bit of advice.

"If someone rapidly shows up in your rearview mirror, they probably are faster than you. You should let them pass and then see if it's technique or the car that's making the difference."

Don't say "That was awesome!" until AFTER you've recovered from the spin.

"In this sport, first place and last place pay the same, so there's no need to be a shiny happy person."

smooth, smooth, smooth

car lasts longer, and you go faster

(not that I always follow this....but I try!)

From the other side of the equation, a Tony Kester quote I heard second-hand with regard to getting into a student's car for the first time:

"Don't try to impress because you won't; don't try to scare me because I already am."

Comes in handy, especially after being told something profound along the lines of "Don't worry, I'm really good at Gran Turismo!"

At my first SCCA Drivers' School in 1975, my instructor gave me lots of timely advice, but this one observation endures...

We were trackside watching other drivers' lines when a 911 approached. He yelled "RUG!" as the driver clipped the apex. I had no clue what he meant, and asked him if it was a critique on the driver's approach.

He said, "No. It's just a rich ugly girl driving the 911."

Xceler8x wrote: Don't say "That was awesome!" until AFTER you've recovered from the spin.

Just perfect.....and somehow familiar

"Slow in, fast out...Fast in, backwards out"