On this week’s Speed Secrets Podcast, Samir Abid and I get into how best to use data to help you become an even better driver, managing the driver’s mind when it’s too analytical and focused on data, and how to use the data from another driver to improve your own driving. We also talk about what Samir learned from having Scott Mansell of Driver61 drive his car, and what makes Lewis Hamilton so special. Samir shares about his involvement in Nike’s Breaking2 and the Ineos 1:59 Challenge projects (...
Sep 03, 2020•53 min•Season 4Ep. 157
On this week’s Speed Secret Podcast, Jonatan Jorge joins me to discuss what’s made him so successful as a coach, when a coach needs their own coach, and looking outside motorsport (at other sports) to learn how to be a better coach and driver. We also get into the misconception of looking way ahead and through the corner, the value of checkpoints, different references for different drivers, and visual pattern matching. As a bonus, Ross shares his “vision process.” Jonatan’s speed secret: Know yo...
Aug 27, 2020•50 min•Season 4Ep. 156
On this week’s Speed Secrets Podcast, Rob Krider joins me to talk about his writing career; his novel, Cadet Blues ; his “other” job as a California Highway Patrol officer; and his experience when his car caught fire. Ever wonder the similarities between racing and police driving? We get into that, too! Rob’s speed secret: Drive fast enough to scare yourself once a lap; make micro-improvements; be consistent. Rob Krider is a National Champion racecar driver from the NASA Honda Challenge series a...
Aug 20, 2020•55 min•Season 4Ep. 155
On this week’s Speed Secret Podcast, John joins me to discuss some very important things in driving: self reflection, awareness, accountability, ego, and being okay saying “I don’t know.” John breaks down philosophy and teaching, and how “Aha!” moments are rare, but that’s ok because learning is a process! We break down the traits of the best and worst drivers, and explain how having a fixed vs. growth mindset will determine your success.John Santiago: Learn How to Learn John’s speed secret: Kno...
Aug 13, 2020•52 min•Season 4Ep. 154
On this week’s Speed Secrets Podcast, Jeff and I discuss how to improve your race strategy decisions – what to know, what to ask, what to understand, and having patience. We also dig into his hobby business, Mesa Vista Coffee, and his love of coffee roasting! Jeff is one of the very best race car engineers in the world. He’s engineered cars at every level, and every type: NASCAR, karts, club racing cars, Indy, GT and Prototypes, and even Top Fuel dragsters. But what sets Jeff apart from many eng...
Aug 06, 2020•56 min•Season 4Ep. 153
On this week’s episode, Danny and I discuss his background as a driver and his motorsport business, Hankook Motorsports. We talk everything tires and tackle how to find the right tire pressure for your car, how to use tire temperature, whether tires are directional or not, heat cycles, and how driving styles affect tires! Danny van Dongen is a Dutch racing driver and entrepreneur, currently competing in the MW-V6 Pickup Series. Danny’s speed secret: Feel what the tires are doing and adapt your d...
Jul 30, 2020•47 min•Season 4Ep. 152
On this week’s episode, Chris Andrews joins me to discuss how driving styles impact the handling of a car, different car setups for oval and road racing, the best passing zones at Watkins Glen, and the best books to read to learn about the best car setup and engineering. Also, a special treat, Chris shares hilarious stories about Dale Earnhardt (including what he says at a urinal). Chris's speed secret: Never stop learning. Check these out to follow Chris: Web: www.tcaellc.com Facebook: https://...
Jul 23, 2020•58 min•Season 4Ep. 151
On this week’s episode, David Williams joins me to talk about how sim racing can make you a better track day driver or racer. We dive deep to discuss Virtual Racing School, how being a pro sim racer works (where does the money come from?!), dealing with a lack of sensory input from the sim, sensing the limit in a sim, the accuracy of car setups in the sim, brain neuroplasticity and adapting to sims and real cars. Oh, and David offers sim coaching services. David’s speed secret: Be deliberately w...
Jul 09, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 149
On this week’s episode, Adam Jabaay joins me to discuss the best stories from the Slip Angle podcast, everything Gridlife, and eSports and sim racing. He also shares how he manages time between racing, family, and business – and where to sneak sleep in! Adam is a club racer in SCCA, NASA and Lemons, a HPDE instructor, and one of the organizers of the Gridlife events. He’s also a co-host, along with Austin Cabot, on the Slip Angle podcast; in addition, they have the TrackTuned.com blog. Adam’s sp...
Jul 09, 2020•50 min•Season 4Ep. 150
Rob Wilson joins us on this week’s episode to share stories about coaching F1 drivers, the importance of weight transfer, why confidence matters, and the perfect technique to turning a steering wheel. He also shares his aha! moment as a driver and a coach. Rob’s speed secret: Always tell the car what’s coming next. Rob Wilson is well-known as a driver coach to many current and past Formula One drivers (Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Rosberg, Valtteri Bottas), as well as working as an instructor with the S...
Jul 02, 2020•51 min•Season 4Ep. 148
On this week’s episode, James Chartres joins me to talk about how he built his confidence and became one of “the oast Ones” in the competitive world of SCCA, finding the balance between being analytical and just letting go to have fun, making track notes, and turn 5 at Laguna Seca. We also dive into racing sponsorships/partnerships at the grassroots level. James races a Spec Racer Ford in the SCCA San Francisco region, runs his own team – Kanga Motorsport – and in his spare time is an aerospace ...
Jun 25, 2020•50 min•Season 4Ep. 147
In this week’s episode, Tom O’Gorman joins me to talk about autocross (how it helps and hurts road course driving), simulators and eSports, the ideal corning line, and making a career in racing! We also discuss why driving a bad car in bad conditions can actually be a really good thing! O’Gorman’s Speed Secret: Start with well-known limits, and then push each of them by adapting references. Follow O’Gorman here: Instagram Facebook (racing) Facebook (personal)...
Jun 18, 2020•48 min•Season 4Ep. 146
On this week’s episode, Scot Elkins joins me to discuss being COO of IMSA/ALMS and managing the merge with Grand-Am. He dishes all about the Motorsport Safety Foundation – the what and why of the HPDE instructor certification program “CERTIFIED,” how the safety standards are set, and why all driving instructors should get CERTIFIED. Scot is the COO of the Motorsport Safety Foundation, as well as the race director for the Formula E series. Having spent years as a race engineer, as well as a senio...
Jun 11, 2020•51 min•Season 4Ep. 145
On this week’s Speed Secrets Podcast, Dane Cameron joins me to discuss building confidence as a race driver, how to drive a car with aerodynamic down force – how to learn to trust it and manage its traction, and the difference in driving styles between open wheel and sports cars. He also shares what it was like to get the call to drive for Roger Penske! Dane Cameron is the reigning IMSA WeatherTech champion, alongside his co-driver at Team Penske Acura, Juan Montoya. And that’s a title he’s won ...
Jun 04, 2020•56 min•Season 4Ep. 144
Andrew Rains joins me on this week's episode to discuss all about data systems. We tackle how to best use your data system, the importance of understanding the "why" behind what you see on data, what data can and can't do, and more... Andrew Rains has been going to the track since he was five, has raced in Pirelli World Challenge and club racing, is the marketing director for APEX Pro, races as often as he can, and instructs/coaches drivers of all levels. Andrew's Speed Secret? If you have a dat...
May 28, 2020•48 min•Season 4Ep. 143
Colin Braun joins me to talk about traveling for races, getting the balance between overthinking and not thinking enough when driving, trusting your subconscious programming to drive, and getting into the zone. We also discuss the important of always learning and never getting complacent, and what to do when you can’t do what you want with your driving technique. Colin has raced and won in everything from NASCAR to IMSA. He currently drives in the Weather Tech IMSA series, as well as for CrowdSt...
May 19, 2020•52 min•Season 4Ep. 142
Dave Peters joins me to talk about the world of HPDE, driving Miatas, and where driving confidence comes from. Dave founded and runs HPDEjunkie.com, a website devoted to listing HPDE events in the U.S. (and Canada soon). It’s a great resource – and it’s free to event organizers. They just need to contact Dave and let them know of their events. So if you know of an event, or an organizer who needs more participants, make sure it’s listed on HPDEjunkie.com. Dave’s Speed Secret: Build confidence in...
Sep 12, 2019•54 min•Season 3Ep. 141
Travis Okulski joins me to talk about where Road & Track is headed, his racing experience and how that’s contributed to where he is today, what makes drivers like Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal, and Colin Braun so great, and the future of motorsport – including Formula E. Travis is the Editor-in-Chief for Road & Track magazine. He started racing karts when he was 12, but realized that a career in motorsport – something he was committed to – was best achieved from behind the keyboard rather...
Sep 05, 2019•54 min•Season 3Ep. 140
Jim Kearney joins me to talk about what it takes to win more races, and we discuss the importance of car prep, mental prep, having triggers to get you in the right state of mind/mood, and track notes. Jim is a super-successful driver coach who raced Formula Vee himself for years before turning his attention to helping other drivers. His drivers have won multiple SCCA Runoffs championships, so he definitely knows how to help drivers win more. Jim’s Speed Secret: It’s all about self-belief. Trust ...
Aug 29, 2019•47 min•Season 3Ep. 139
Ryan Yard joins me to talk about everything from using motorsport to motivate you in other areas of your life to the creative puzzle that is driving faster. In our conversation, we talk about getting in flow, car setup, using music to trigger performance, dealing with problems, focus, discipline, and the benefits of journaling and note-taking. Ryan started in HPDE, quickly moved to wheel-to-wheel racing, and currently competes in SCCA and PCA events. He also leads a national championship. He’s t...
Aug 22, 2019•48 min•Season 3Ep. 138
CJ Wilson joins me to talk about his transition from pro baseball player to race driver. We talk about the superstitions & routines baseball players rely on and how they apply to motorsport; what he learned from being a Major League Baseball pitcher that he uses in racing; how to practice with intensity; the different techniques required for an aero downforce car versus one without aero; and the overall mindset one needs to succeed. You’ll love this episode – especially his description of fe...
Aug 15, 2019•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 137
Ryan Staub is back, and we’re talking about the stuff many drivers don’t want to talk about. You know, the stuff about risk, responsibility, waivers, liability, insurance and so on – for both drivers and instructors. But since Ryan is a racer and chief instructor for his BMW CCA chapter, we also talk about driving. Ryan is serious car/driving geek first, but also an insurance expert, as he runs the Lockton Motorsports insurance program. So, he understands the risks and legal issues associated wi...
Aug 08, 2019•45 min•Season 3Ep. 136
Garth Stein joins me to talk about his wildly successful bestselling book, The Art of Racing in the Rain – and how it’s now a major motion picture (premiers August 9th). You’ll love Garth’s stories, and the behind-the-scene look at why the book has become so popular, as well as how he was able to describe so accurately what racing is really like (hint: Garth raced Spec Miata). In addition to The Art of Racing in the Rain , Garth has authored three other novels— A Sudden Light , How Evan Broke Hi...
Aug 01, 2019•39 min•Season 3Ep. 135
Preston Lerner joins me to talk about what he’s noticed that the best drivers – such as Colin Braun – do that make them so great. As a journalist, that’s what he does – observe things that most people miss. We also talk about his own racing in a Spec Miata (and what you can learn from his strengths and weaknesses), the Ford GTs at Le Mans, and the dreaded Driver Ratings system that is used sports car racing. Preston writes for Road & Track magazine, amongst others, and has written a number o...
Jul 25, 2019•53 min•Season 3Ep. 134
Dr. Barry Seiller and Ryan Warkins join me to talk all about a huge topic - vision. We all know that how we use our eyes is critical in performance and race driving, and yet, we mostly take it for granted – we either have it or not. But it can be trained – it can be improved. I’ve been testing and using the Vizual Edge app that Doc Barry developed, and he, Ryan, and I talk about what “vision” is, and how best to train your vision skills. If you’re interested in using the Vizual Edge training app...
Jul 18, 2019•47 min•Season 3Ep. 133
Brian Bonner joins me to talk about motorsport sponsorship. Specifically, we talk about new trends in how motorsport marketing deals are put together, even if you’re not a big pro racing team. Brian shares a couple of great examples, in James Chartres and Kanga Motorsport, and Steve Smith and Big Mission Motorsport, and then gives tips that you can use to land a sponsor. Brian is a former Indy car and IMSA driver who specializes in motorsport marketing. He’s done it all, from prospecting potenti...
Jul 11, 2019•53 min•Season 3Ep. 132
Dr. Steve Olsen joins me to talk about the Corvette Challenge Club, the importance of managing one’s state of mind – particularly being calm – and the NuCalm system ( www.nucalm.com ). Steve purchased a Corvette when he turned 50 (the first time that ever happened!), and has been tracking ever since. In fact, he has more open track day laps at High Plains Raceway in Denver than anyone else. Recently, he and a partner founded the Corvette Challenge Club, and as a dentist he worked with using NuCa...
Jul 04, 2019•49 min•Season 3Ep. 131
My friend, fellow coach, and co-conspirator in the Virtual Track Walk videos, Peter Krause and I take time after a couple of days of coaching at VIR to catch up and talk about driving (what else?!). We share thoughts on the “accelerate to” and “EoB” points, the differences between “fast” and “slow” corners, what the “racing line” truly is, what the “best execution of fundamentals” really means, and how to use your data systems “g-Sum,” as well as “references and indexes.” Ultimately, it’s a fun ...
Jun 27, 2019•59 min•Season 3Ep. 130
After driving the Dallara simulator at their Indy facility, I talk with sim engineer Davide Tarsitano, and Bryce Moore about how you can use it. We talk about the differences between the typical home sim rig and this multimillion-dollar driver- and car-development tool, as well as how it’s not as expensive as one would think when compared to what you can accomplish with no chance of damaging one’s car. Easily, this is the most realistic sim I’ve ever driven, and I’ve had the chance to drive a lo...
Jun 20, 2019•43 min•Season 3Ep. 129
Andy Hollis joins me to talk about everything to do with the One Lap of America. It’s an event that I’m dying to do, so I pick his brain to learn as much as I can. If it’s not on your list of motorsport events to do yet, it will be after listening to Andy. As he says, it’s “the ultimate motorsport vacation of a lifetime,” or “summer camp for gearheads.” Andy is a 13-time SCCA national autocross champ, 20-year SCCA rules-maker, track day junkie, 35 years autocross and track day instructor, Race E...
Jun 13, 2019•51 min•Season 3Ep. 128
