In racing, I think we can all agree that there are two distinct sets of attributes that the most successful competitors have in spades, and deploy with more efficiency than others: skill set and mind set. To be fair, these attribute sets almost certainly apply to and are critical for success in seemingly any other pursuit (this idea isn’t unique to racing by any means) – but for our purposes here, we’ll veer away from the existential and esoteric, and limit the discussion to on-track competition.
Developing our physical skill set is key. I think we can all identify, and on some level quantify that truth. In our world, optimal driver skill sets include the obvious on-track skills: The ability to physically react to the bulb(s) on the Christmas tree with consistency – whether that means releasing (or pressing) a button by hand, releasing a brake or clutch pedal by foot, or any other means of launching our machines is certainly a critical skill. If we break down finish line execution to its core, another important (and often overlooked) skill set is simply the ability to drive the car in a straight line, while looking elsewhere (across the track at an opponent, back behind you, or into a mirror). Once that skill set is developed, the ability to judge a rate of closure, process that information in a short period of time, and then physically work the pedals of your machine to position it just in front of (or perhaps well behind) the machine of your opponent – all in fractions of a second… These are important skills for success in our world.
These skills can be learned, taught, and practiced. Execution on the starting line, for example, can be improved by constant work on a practice tree. It’s no different than Steph Curry putting up 500 3-point shots a day. I can guarantee you that if you make 50 practice hits each day- particularly if you take that practice time seriously (as an exercise more so than a game), and do what you can to make those hits as much like real-world competition as possible, that your starting line game will improve (perhaps exponentially). Down-track and finish line skill sets are a little bit trickier, as there’s little opportunity to truly practice outside of real-world competition. In that case, there’s really no substitute for seat time. I will add, however, that all the seat time in the world is not particularly helpful if it’s not rooted in right practices, or if you refuse to step outside of your comfort zone. In other words, simply making runs down the race track has limited value. What has immense value are things like 1.) Challenging yourself to determine who crossed the finish line first and the finish margin on every run (whether you lifted or not, whether you crossed first or not), 2.) At least occasionally challenging yourself by dialing up and “forcing” yourself to drive the finish line (whether this actually increases your odds of winning that specific round or not).
I could dedicate multiple columns to the various skills that make up the ultimate racer’s skill set, and the ways in which we can genuinely work to cultivate them; the point is these physical skills can be practiced, can be improved, and our ability to do so is critical to our success.
The other set of attributes critical to our success is less physical, and more mental. While mindset is harder to quantify and typically requires a bit more imagination to cultivate, mindset is also something that can be trained and is similarly linked to success.
Much like physical skills, the tools of the mind that are applicable to our form of competition are seemingly endless. Let’s focus on some of the obvious ones: I’ve talked about confidence, and optimism before. Resiliency is a big one. Belief. Hope. The fact of the matter is that no matter how hard you train, how well you plan, how prepared you are for a day at the race track… it’s rare (perhaps even unheard of) that everything falls into place EXACTLY the way you planned. That’s where strength of mind takes over. To date, there have been 28 winners of the Million Dollar Race (Well, 25 separate winners: Dave Triplett, Kenny Underwood, and Gary Williams have each won it twice!). Not once in the 28-year history of the event has the winner been .000 every round of competition. In fact, not one has even been .00x in every round of competition! Their ultimate day was not a perfect day – far from it. And yet, each and every one of those champions was able to return to the starting line following a round (or rounds) that they felt showcased less than their best performance, and put forth their best performance. That’s a strength of mind. And, much like skill set, mindset is a learned trait. The trick? It’s not as cut and dry as sitting down at the practice tree and making hits until you can’t see straight. It’s more subtle: whether it’s reading, podcasts, meditation, therapy, etc. – there is no shortage of resources to help cultivate the mind. If you’re searching for specific recommendations, I share several that have helped me personally in a recent episode of the Daily Driver Podcast.
What’s more important? Skill set or mindset? Could it be 50/50? It’s possible. I think you could actually make an argument for 80/20… in EITHER direction!
The truth of the matter is that cultivating both a strong skill set and a strong mindset are imperative to success. If you take a look at the top performers in our sport – regardless of the category – you’ll inevitably find plenty of both. It’s worth noting that either set of attributes: strong skills or a strong mind, is essentially useless without the other. We can develop all the confidence in the world, but if that confidence isn’t based on a strong skill set, then it’s false confidence – and that won’t get us far. Similarly (and frankly, what I see far more often in my work with racers), we can possess all the skills – all the physical tools to succeed – but if we don’t believe in ourselves, if we haven’t taken the time to develop the resilience, the optimism, the tenacity required to apply those skills consistently…Well those skills are often rendered useless, or worse yet never fully realized.
What’s more? These two attribute sets feed one another. At our best, they create a virtuous cycle. As we build skills, we build confidence; and over time that builds fortitude. And that fortitude empowers us to work even harder, building even more skills. As those skills improve, our resolve steels, and the cycle continues. I think it goes without saying that the cycle can work counterproductively as well. As our mindset and confidence dwindles, so too can our performance. Over time, that lack of belief in our own skills can actually diminish them. The good news is that the cycle can be reversed, often simply through mindfulness of it. Our last race does not impact our next race (unless we allow it to). So if you’re rolling – just keep rolling! If you’re struggling, take a moment to reset. Commit to improving one set of attributes – in small, measurable ways – whether that’s a focus on increasing skill set or improving mind set – and allow the momentum built from doing so to spill over into the other domain.
