To go faster, first eliminate distractions behind the wheel

I’ve seen it many times when working with novices: A loose object in the car–loose change, tube of sunblock, whatever–often leads to a momentary lapse in concentration. 

In reply to David S. Wallens :

I can't seem to get rid of the loose nut behind the wheel. 

This is why my race bucket has a massage function.

When I was just starting out, the passenger seat belt buckle used to bang against the B-pillar through slaloms and distract me. So, before my runs, I’d buckle that belt, too. 

I only have one thing I do and that's show up early so I'm not rushing around. When I say show up early I also mean to grid as well as the event.

I say this often but I am the ADD poster child; this is a bit of a double edge sword.

On one hand those of us with ADD are totally at home at speed. Additionally we can be bouncing around being Chatty Cathy and then switch on in an instant. A friend once said that the instant I put a helmet on you could see a complete personality change in my eyes.

On the other hand we are prone to distractions so if a race settles down into a mundane affair it's easy for us to lose focus. My solution has always been to push every inch of every lap. For time trials if I do make a bobble or have to deal with traffic I take a breather lap wherein I drive 90% for a lap.

We ADD poster kids are the Jack Russel Terriers of people; if you don't give us a job (something to do) we will find something and it won't be good.  I bring this up because I give myself goals; whether it's be tight on every gate at autocross (even if my line is not the best I'm not wasting time travelling further than I need to) or hitting my marks every lap of a race or time trial. 

I'd like to throw in one final thought. If your times are all over the place then it's very likely so is your focus.

And all it takes is a momentary lapse in concentration to miss the braking point for the next turn, or to lose track of the exit of the turn you’re in!

nickydh said:

And all it takes is a momentary lapse in concentration to miss the braking point for the next turn, or to lose track of the exit of the turn you’re in!

I was once accelerating out of a sweeping right-hand corner  uphill to  a tight, off camber left when i noticed a shapely corner worker silhouetted against the setting sun.  That was indeed a momentary laps in concentration.  I didn't wreck but I used a very unconventional line through the left hander!

In reply to Colin Wood :

You just need to tighten it with that big wrench in the trunk.

Maybe a dab of LocTite behind the ears. 

Buddy had a 5th tire/rim as a spare that he took to track days, but his tire shelf in his trailer just had room for 4 rain tires, so he usually dropped it in spare tire well (stripped/caged car) for transport and then just set it in trailer or paddock spot once he arrived. 

Got in late one time and forgot. Did a full weekend at VIR with it in the spare tire well, secured only by gravity and friction. 

Didn't realize it until we were packing up for the weekend. His first comment: "man, I knew I had an extra 'clunk' at times, but I was trying to ignore it!"

I don't know, maybe don't ignore that? Could have been ugly in a wreck. 

In reply to Spearfishin :

I did a race with the torque wrench stuffed under the drivers seat of my showroom stock Miata. There'd be an occasional clunk under the seat that I just ignored. I drove the car to the track so I'd have things stuffed in various places.

Also I once left an empty 2 gallon fuel can in the trunk of the Datsun. It was bungy corded to the left side of the trunk so it didn't bounce around a lot.