Losing Races? 5 Ways To Help You Gain An Advantage

Race car

Race car If you’re taking part in races of any kind, then it’s likely that you’re quite a competitive person. Which means you get really frustrated at losing.

There’s plenty of things you can do to help win, even if you’re driving is already top tier. Take the frustration you get from losing and use it for something positive, don’t let it affect your mentality.

Learn The Track
As non-professional racers, sometimes the only time you get on the track is on race day. This means you have to learn the ins and outs of the track each race. What people sometimes don’t know is that a lot of venues are happy for you to take track time in your own time, usually for a small fee.

This means you can spend time without other racers getting in your way, to know how to treat each corner and straight, get a proper feel for the track. A good technique if you get the track to yourself is to walk it. This gives you more time to see the track and appreciate each turn that will pay off when you’re in the car.

If you’re seeing a track for the very first time then there’s plenty of techniques you can pick up to learn a track before setting foot in the car.

Some tracks will even have seasoned former racers working there in some capacity, so you can always get advice from them about the track. You could even ask them to get in your passenger seat to give you advice as you go outside of race times. If there is no one like that then try and make connections within the sport, racing is not an individual event and you’ll need help to climb to the top.

Study Your Competitors
If you’re racing the same set of circuits then it’s likely that you’ll be with the same group of drivers during your racing. You’ll of course get the odd one-timer showing up or touring but in general you’ll get used to seeing the same drivers and the same cars.

It’s easy when you’re racing to only focus on what you’re doing and not look at the competition, but it is recommended to watch them closely. You may notice driver #2 always takes the third corner on the outside so if you’re approaching to overtake then this could be the time to make your move.

Similarly, you may notice he’s the only one who does that, so you’ll know when to back up when cars are coming together on this corner to avoid potential collision or chaos. Leading you to come out of the corner speeding ahead of the competition. Bottom line is, know who’s around you and when to take your moment.

Invest In Quality Car Mats
At first, you may not think car mats are important for race day, but they are. Drivers at all levels from amateur all the way to the big leagues will attest to that. When you’re in the Race car moment, driving at your best ability, you don’t want anything to distract you and if you’ve got car mats slipping all over the place it could be disastrous for your focus.You can browse a range of car mats through Mr Car Mats online and see what would fit your racer. If you’re wanting to take racing more seriously and boost your ego and professionalism, then you can even use their site to customise names and add logos.Having sturdy car mats will keep you focused and having more personalisation will help ease your mind that you know what you’re doing.

Learn How To Work With Engines
If you’re racing cars then you might have a basic idea of how engines work and how to get the best of them. If you don’t then I would spend some time learning the basics of modifying engines to help give you an advantage. However, I would spend some time talking to your race officials to make sure you’re not altering anything against the rules. Some tracks and race organisers only allow small modifications to make it fair for everyone.But in general, a bit of tweaking here or there is perfectly fine and can change your race pace drastically.

Practice, Practice And Practice
This is great general advice but it’s worth reinforcing the point. No racer has ever been a winner after a few races, even if they’re won a couple. To stay at the top of your game make sure you stick at it even during your low points. Not even the Lewis Hamilton’s of this world are without mistakes in their game.Don’t be disheartened if this advice doesn’t pay off for you straight away, it’ll take time. It’s worth remembering not to push yourself beyond what is safe, both when you’re in the car and mentally outside of it.

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