How to Use Sports to Change Your Life

How a sporting incident at Sebring International Speedway helped a driver examine his life.

Spinning around and around in his MX5 Spec Miata race car, George tried to hold his ar’s line through turn 17 at Sebring International Speedway.  Hit in the driver's rear fender at the apex of the turn he tried to make the best of his situation.

Collecting his wits, George made a full recovery continued on to complete the race with dents in all four corners of his MX-5 Miata.

Days later, reflecting on his ride into the fast turn and the crash, George began to see shades of ordinary life in his driving experience.  Reality can often turn on lights of enlightenment.

Future planning and past experience play a big part of successful racing, however once strapped in and launched into a race, all focus is on the present.  What is happening right now is all important.  

Warm the tires, seat the breaks, settle into the driver's seat, feel the straps holding you secure.  On the pace lap, heat the tires, and warm the breaks, approach each corner with the other cars but add power in the corner adding to tire heat and mental awareness of the experience.  

Like Michael Jordan taking a 3 point jumper, necessary facilities take over your participation in the present.  Now is all that matters.  If other thoughts enter your awareness, they detract from your performance in the NOW.   Drivers call it the “Zone”, and at the moment, time slows, awareness increases, and Newtonian Physics seem to flow.

Back to George and his life questioning vision at high speed in Sebring’s quick turn #17.  Reality sets in quickly on a racetrack.  Looking out ahead, George charged into the apex and conserved momentum for the upcoming straight away.  BooM! Hit by a passing car, the whole world began to spin, boom, boom, hitting other cars and the wall, George coped with the situation.  

Some of the issues were microsecond periods of time, both feet in, breaks and clutch to recover direction steering, improved acceleration and George was on his way, able to drive but with damage.  

How to apply misfortune to help clarify everyday issues.  Learn about Limits.

Weeks later, George evaluated his overall speed along with situational awareness as the key issues causing the issues in turn 17.  Getting older was happening to every human on earth, but George had to admit that his was the oldest driver on the track when the race began, and so, perhaps he was nearing his limit for effective performance in a race car.  

3 Mistakes to Avoid as a Driver and in Life.

1. Don’t make the mistake of fundamental overwhelm.  Set healthy limits. If it is money and the car is not properly prepared, or the tires and brake pads are used up, admit it and park the car until the problem can be corrected.  Develop healthy judgment.  Limit yourself.
 
2.  Stop while you still can.   Recognize the creeping implications of growing old.  You are not getting any younger.  With enough time, you can come back with a better bank role but with true age, it may be time to hang up the keys, helmet and uniform and go on to other activities.  Use this analogy with other areas of your life.  Set healthy limits.  

3. Avoid the mistake of fatigue.  Sometimes we think we can just push through, but when racing at high speed, pushing the limits, an honest assessment is called for and may bring about the best result in the long run.  Rest, take in plenty of water, eat lightly a little while ahead of the event and you will benefit with your best performance.  Giving yourself the best chance is wise.  In life have a plan for the start, the middle and endgame.  Keep the fun alive.

Learn how to pace yourself, your assets and involvements.  Become an observer of your own activity.
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I remember a race at Palm Beach International Speedway when I was just plain exhausted.  After many qualifying and sprint races and there I was in an endurance race.  My times were coming down lap after lap, and it felt as though I couldn’t perform.  I came in early for a mandatory 5 minutes stop in the pits and just sat in a daze drinking water and relaxing.  My body and mind got a second wind, and my driving improved, but I learned a lesson about pushing myself too much, on the track.  In later races, I incorporated a nap in my trailer before going to the racetrack.  Maybe not sleeping but letting my mind and body organize for the future job at hand.  In life and racing avoiding fatigue can add about 10% to your performance.

George began to see life through the prism of Racing Lessons.  Accumulated wealth, advanced age prompt more buying, especially shopping that seems to be a good deal.  George now has enough money, and more opportunity to practice his favorite activity, accumulating fun cars and bringing them home.  

Where to put all the cars?
Living in an upscale neighborhood, George always felt he could find room for one more car outside his one car garage.  His home is very upscale but on a rather small lot.  George has over ten cars under tarps parked between his home and a sidewalk just a few feet from his home.  Blaming the problem on his small front and side yards, worked for decades but is wearing thin even with himself.  Excess activity and extreme fatigue have set in.  George is beyond reason when it comes to his “Jay Leno” garage without walls.  Now, considering healthy limits, George must admit he has too many cars, and it is time to retire as “an active accumulator”.  

George and I both love to give advice and help, but often we try to fix things that are not broken.  Sometimes I am convinced that nothing meaningful in this world can take place without my input and help.  George and I are learning to set limits and give the other humans on the planet a chance to live their own lives.

George loves to teach his children, and it was appropriate in the 1960’s, but now it is time to let it go.  Let the youngsters live their lives, retire to a new stage of the relationship.  Retire while you still can.  All of these lessons apply to me a little more than they do to George.

Pushing limits to the point of failure is sometimes difficult to grasp, but take the time to evaluate your life and fun, and be kind to yourself.  Your life is yours to live so don’t push limits until an unfortunate result like a “four corner crash” at Sebring International Speedway forces you to make the obvious decision.

When is it time to start a racing career?  When is it the best time to end a racing career? You decide, don’t let bad results decide for you!


Make an Outstanding 'Start and you may achieve your desired result.

Let’s start at the beginning.  The best reason to get into racing is the fun, built around safety.  Learning how to drive fast on a track is a great way to becoming a safer driver on the street.  Safe is fast because wrecked cars do not finish very high in the rankings.

Preparation:  Each track favors a setup that will maximize the driving experience and results.  Alignment and suspension adjustments are first, along with tire selection.  Weather and desired outcomes are paramount in setting up your auto.

Old Dogs Racing mechanic crew is highly regarded in setting up cars for all SCCA and NASA race courses.  Racing is a relatively expensive sport. However, trained technicians on call as you launch to the track and upon recovery after a session is critical to a safe and desirable result.  

 When it no longer is fun, it becomes too expensive to continue racing,  It may be time to retire when other cars are going routinely faster than your lap times.  
 
Recently a 75-year-old driver was involved in a wreck going through the high-speed #17 turn at Sebring International Speedway.  We’ll call him George, and I received a note from George, where he explained how instructive the wreck was to him as a means to focus his life.

George lives well, his wealth comes from a long successful legal career, and now he is involved in more activities than even he can keep track of, on any given day.  He and I both learned to make our way with perseverance and drive.  Now it is time to learn from Turn #17.  Go back to the basics, and limit everything to reasonable.  It is just as much fun and perhaps more fun to stay within your limits on the track and in life.

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