Whether you’re a budding racer or a seasonal driver with trophies to show for, there’s always room for improvement. In the world of motorsport, the competition is fierce, and the game is incredibly fast-paced meaning you have to be on your A-game when it comes to using the leading technologies and keeping yourself, as the driver, physically and mentally fit. Yet motorsport is a community, where the driver isn’t the sole star of the show. While they may be driving the car and getting it over the finishing line, it’s also the help of their pit crew and their sponsors who can provide them with guidance, which turns a motorsport team into winners.
If you’re hoping to get into the motorsport industry, whether it be becoming a driver or part of the crew, here are ways to do so and some pointers on how to develop your skills.
Research
Everything starts with research, and when it comes to the motorsport industry, you need to ensure that you’re able to know what it is that interests you and how to start your career. For instance, if you want to become a driver, then you should look for courses. You should also try your hand at go-karting and look for a professional to give you a helping hand. However, if you want to be part of the crew, you’ll need to improve your knowledge on how cars work, etc. There are many different roles, and whether you’re part of the team that changes the tires or holds the lollipop sign, it’s imperative to know that all roles are just as important.
Get the Practice in
If you’re a new driver, then you need years and years of practice before becoming a professional. Once you’ve got some experience under your belt, you can then start competing in races and continue moving towards the class you wish to drive in. Even if you’re a professional driver already, practice is essential if you wish to stay on top of your game. Like anything, continuing to improve your knowledge is needed, otherwise you’ll fall behind and be overtaken by the better drivers, hurting your credibility and overall position on the results table.
Update Your Car
You could be the most experienced and impressive driver in the world, but if your car fails to be up to code or lacks any power, you’re going to suffer and have a tough time keeping your number one spot. Look for ways to improve your car; try out new tires, use an innovative Cummins ECM, and look for more lightweight materials. Your car is your bread and butter to motorsports, and without it, you wouldn’t be able to drive in the first place. Keep it clean, change the oil, and always consider better ways of running it. This is true for both the driver and the pit crew.
Improve Your Fitness
Proper posture is important and is the building blocks of any training for any athlete. Not only can it stop any injuries from appearing, but it can also help your general performance. Without a good posture, your body can become unbalanced – weaker and stronger in certain places. Once your posture is correct, you can continue to build upon it with strength training, making yourself stronger and more resilient.
Motorsports is an enduring sport, therefore, you need to continue to improve your endurance levels. Some sports are longer than others, so you need first to determine how long your races are going to be before you create a cardiovascular routine. For example, motocross drivers only need to go for 30 minutes, three times in one day, whereas rally drivers need to go for six hours over the course of six or seven days. The training for these two different sports requires different amounts of cardio.
The term motorsports is broad – it can mean both car and bike. Therefore, you need to determine whether you want to ride the bike or drive a car. While some people may be interested in both, this isn’t wise. You need, instead, select one or the other. This is because a motocross’s body has different requirements, so training is vastly different. For those who ride bikes, they need to be more dynamic than those who drive a car. For instance, motocross riders need to have a greater body awareness, and they also need to have a great amount of balance and control. Rather than have too many fingers in the pie, select one and ace that, rather than have yourself be okay at two sports. In the long run, you’ll be thankful.
Do Not Neglect Psychology
Many people only consider the physical endurance of motorsports, or sports in general, however, you also need to understand that psychology also plays a massive role in your successes.
You need to learn how to control nerves and pre-race tensions; you cannot worry too much, otherwise this can greatly impact your overall performance. While your nerves may lift as you race more, you need to learn how to get these under control.
A greater focus is needed, and you need to stop yourself from getting distracted. Focus on the race, how you drive, and how you’re going to come out on top. You need to keep all excessive details and irrelevant factors out of mind.
Learn to manage your emotions such as stress, frustrations and worries. Competition can make even the best of us nervous, but try not to act out. Doing so can greatly hinder your successes. You need to maintain confidence in your capabilities and how you’re going to achieve your goals. While you may experience setbacks, you shouldn’t let such worries plague your mind. If you do, then you’re only going to limit your racing capabilities.
Most importantly, you need to manage your reactions to poor performances. You cannot win 100% of the time, so rather than implode, you need to learn how to evaluate your performance and improve yourself.
