Successful Driver Traits - The Look Of Success

By simply never quitting, you can become one of the best drivers in whatever series you are racing. Some less determined drivers will pull the car in and park it as soon as there is any type of adversity. But if you salvage what you can when adversity strikes, the position or two you pick up as a result will go a long way. For instance, let's say you're involved in an accident where you and four other cars are torn up. A less determined driver might hang up his helmet, but a determined driver will get the car where it can make it around the track at a decent pace and make sure he finishes as high as he can, realizing that every position counts.

Patience
Patience is a virtue, especially in racing. This trait can also be grouped with another virtue that is hard to find in racing-forgiveness. Let's say you're running in a 50-lap race and you have the pole for the event. Right after the green flag drops, you have a lot of pressure from behind from a driver who is really over-driving the vehicle. A patient driver will pull over and let the pursuing driver go because they understand what it takes to finish the race. Well, right before you let him go, the other driver punts you out of the way.

This type of situation occurs many times at all tracks, and I am amazed at how many drivers will catch the offending driver and return the favor. Unfortunately, though, both drivers often get taken out in the process. This is where patience and forgiveness will benefit you. Why do we all feel the need to pay back the driver who moved us out of the way? I am not saying you need to be a pushover and each time someone gets into you to simply wave them by. You might have to push someone out of the way at some point, just so they know that you won't stand for that type of driving. But just be warned, the next time it might not just be a push that moves you; it could very well be a slam that puts you in the wall with a torn-up racecar. Showing a little forgiveness and choosing not to return the favor will benefit you as a driver.

They say the way you tell a great poker player is the ability to fold good hands. Well, in racing it isn't much different. During the course of the race you will have the opportunities to make moves that might be a little tight. You might be able to clear the competitor, or you might not. Early in the race it is a good idea to not put yourself in these situations. Later in the race, moves that are a little more risky might be beneficial to help advance your position. You've simply got to know when to push the limits.

Looking Ahead
One thing that always puzzles me is how certain drivers will run at tracks that are known for killing cars and having a ton of cautions, but yet these drivers always seem to be avoiding the wrecks. The reason for this is that these drivers are always glancing into the corners before they enter the turn. Sometimes this can be difficult if you are in heavy traffic. If it is early in the race and you are surrounded by cars, do everything in your power to get out of that situation.

The reason most people get torn up during those situations is because something put them in that situation and now they are upset about it. The best thing you can do if you are right in the thick of everything is, as you are entering the corner, glance to the left for any type of smoke or out of shape cars. Then you will know what you are heading into.

Good Qualifying Efforts
It doesn't necessarily take a good qualifying effort to have success in series that run longer races. But if you are running 20- to 50-lap races where there will be no pit stops, then it is going to take a good qualifying run to have a better chance at winning. If you are qualifying 20th, the chances of you winning are slim to none. You might have to rent the track one day and simply do qualifying runs over and over again to improve your efforts in this area.