josserman

1. For new track I used iracing, YouTube and trackpedia to learn line

2. I use Iracing and street driving to practice looking out as far as possible and easing off the brake

3. I sometime say a quick prayer on first session before taking off

4. If use some sort of nicotine at some point in the day be it a cigar or bumming a cig from someone

5. Stay hydrated and properly nourished

ViperASR

ROFL
Guess you will be in the 20s at Sebring in October

SlowTeg

For regular HPDE folks it really doesn't matter that much. For whatever reason I always seem to get sick before events. I was sick as a dog the night before my first event w/ the flu, and I had to swap brakes/bleed brakes/check things and ended up sleeping late anyway. Got up early, was coughing up a storm and had a little fever/felt like shit the entire day, but as soon as I got on track, the adrenaline kicked in and it didn't matter. I felt 100% focused on track, but as soon as I got off I felt terrible.

Bottom line, HPDE's are to have fun and improve as a driver. Sure you can try and get an idea of the track/layout/line you should take before the day, but I find there's always so much going on it probably doesn't make a big difference. The day before I'm usually more concerned about prepping the car/bringing tools/parts/etc. than I am about the event.

Also, as someone else said.. I like doing all the wrenching myself because it gives me peace of mind. I can double check things and know when I'm out on track that the car won't have a failure due to some minor error.

s2000ellier

Yeah well the best way to improve as a driver is to be prepared lol

SlowTeg

Best way to improve I think is seat time, and a plan of how to improve. There's a fine line between having fun and getting better. If you're just doing laps for the sake of doing laps without setting goals/etc, you may be having fun, but you might not be improving as a driver.

From a previous instructor:
http://winhpde.com/win-hpde/

slowd16

You win HPDE by not letting any one pass....

End005

Thanks for all of the comments. Recently, I have been taking all of the “fun” out of the whole experience. So much so, that I am letting all of the small things get to me and I get down on myself. Whereas some folks like to experiment with their cars before an event, I’m trying to experiment with the different mindsets going into an event.

My first & second events, I went in with the mindset of “I want to learn as much as possible AND HAVE FUN.” My third event I went in with the same mindset I do when playing sports – very competitively with very little emphasis of ‘getting better.’ As such, I dwelled on all of the small things and in turn I did worse off than anything. The valuable lesson I learned is that I’m still learning, and will be learning for a long time. Being competitive will come in time, but for now, I need to remember that this is ALL FOR FUN.

How I usually prepare myself prior to an event is “bonding” time with my car. I detail the car inside and out. Vacuum, wash, seal, wax the car, and put the numbers on. I’m usually well spent by the time I’m done but I don’t get to bed till after midnight most times.

This week, I have been practicing(???) on looking ahead and keeping my eyes moving while driving. Whether it helps or not doesn’t quite matter to me, I just want to try to make it a habit while on course. I have also been trying to use the whole lane when turning (safe and legally) with an emphasis of smooth steering inputs, which I have practicing(???) for a while now.

Whether or not this will actually help, I do not know. I just want to make it a habit. But I think for me personally, is to remind myself that I’m just HAVING FUN and LEARNING. As someone mentioned in a thread of mine (a local forum)…. at the end of the day, we are just racing around in a parking lot.

s2000ellier

Only if you are driving Flat Out can you hope to achieve this.

ViperASR

HPDE 1 Champion

Mahjik

His message was more about breathing and how that affects your brain's ability to process information properly. i.e. holding your breath during a hairy situation on the track. The concept was to try and kept your body calm and relaxed while driving. I will say most of the fastest drivers always appear to be having a Sunday drive. They are typically very calm and relaxed and don't appear to be going as fast as they really are... There is something said for that...

I've always called it "The DE Cup".