Christian Maloof and I have a fun, casual conversation about what momentum cars really are, how they differ from non-momentum cars (if at all), and how to get the most out of them. We dig into the skills and techniques (braking, steering, throttle), as well as the mindset that these “roll speed” cars reward.
Christian is a super-fast racer, an instructor/coach, and all-round good guy. He’s the chief instructor for the Rally Sport Region of the PCA, and races a Spec Miata.
Christian’s Speed Secret: Have fun! You need rewards! (I think you’ve heard that before, but it’s always worth reminding why we do what we do)
Follow Christian on Instagram @thecarcouple.
Peter Krause returns on this podcast to discuss driver etiquette. Our topics include shared responsibility, trust, precision, respect, and learning control, not just bettering your lap time.
Peter is a driver coach, data coach, data analysis expert, and he sells and services all your data needs. He is also a friend, colleague, and collaborator on the Virtual Track Walk video series.
Peter’s Speed Secret: At the start of a race, pack closely. Mind the gap – keep it.
Follow Peter at:
Website: www.PeterKrause.net; http://www.gofasternow.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/peter.krause
Twitter: @VintageProCoach
Instagram: @VintageProCoach
Andrew Rains is back on the podcast (was also on #56), and we talk about the squiggly lines that data systems of all levels produce, and how you can use them understand what’s going on inside a driver’s mind – or your mind. The subtle shape of these lines tell us a lot, but it takes just a bit of knowledge before you can really use it. And that’s what this show is all about – giving you that knowledge.
Andrew is a driver/racer and coach. He also works for APEX Pro, the very cool device that gives instant feedback to you while driving, letting you know whether you’re driving at, near and nowhere near close to the limit of your car.
Andrew’s Speed Secret: Find your why. Understand why it is you’re doing what you’re doing, know what your goals are.
For information about APEX Pro:
Web: https://apextrackcoach.com
Apex Pro User’s Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/163259564447950/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/apexdigitaldrivingcoach/
Instagram:@apexdigitaldrivingcoach
Paul Tracy joins me to talk about his TV commentating skills, what made the difference when he won his Indy Car championship, the importance of adapting to the car, and about his comeback to racing this year in a Trans-Am car – what’s worked, and his desire to do more.
Paul really needs no introduction because he was one of the fastest Indy car drivers ever, and won the 2003 CART Champ Car championship. Throughout his Indy car career, Paul drove for the best teams: Penske, Newman-Haas, Team Green, and Player’s/Forsythe. Paul is now part of the NBC Indy car TV coverage team.
Follow:
After an unforgettable week with 20 guest drivers at the Nurburgring and Spa, as well as spectacular dinners and socializing, my co-hosts, Tom Roberts & Ron Simons, and I sit down and debrief on what we all learned – the drivers and the three of us.
Ron Simons is the RS of RSRNurburg, the leading provider of cars and instruction at the Nurburgring (as well as Spa and other European circuits). He’s been helping drivers experience The Green Hell for over 20 years, and has driven over 20,000 laps of what most drivers agree is the most challenging circuit in the world. Tom Roberts founded Euro Track Adventures a couple of years, when we partnered on our first experience of hosting a group of drivers going to the Nurburgring.
Follow:
Web: https://www.rsrnurburg.com
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/rsrnurburg
Instagram:@rsrnurburg
Billy Johnson joins me so we can dig deeper into the topic of what makes the best drivers better than everyone else. As one of the winningest drivers in sports car racing, we talk about what makes him fast, but he also shares what he’s learned from some of his co-drivers.
Billy drives for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Ford GT in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). He made his NASCAR Cup series debut last year driving the #43 Richard Petty car, and is tied for being the winningest driver in the Continental Sports Car Challenge series.
You can follow Billy at:
Facebook: facebook.com/BillyJRacing
Twitter & Instagram: @BillyJRacing
Chuck Davies joins me to talk about the future of safety in motorsport, head and neck restraints, helmets, harnesses, and racing and track day events. We touch on the effect Dale Earnhardt’s crash had on the sport, as well as SFI, Snell and FIA standards.
Chuck is the CEO of Simpson Performance Products, a company that is synonymous with safety in motorsport. Their Hybrid S is the only head and neck restraint device that is certified effective for use with 3-point seatbelts.
Chuck’s Speed Secret: “If you use good safety equipment, and you know it makes you safe, you’ll be confident and you’ll go faster.”
To take advantage of the 10% discount that Simpson is offering between now and September 15th, 2018, go to www.TeamSimpson.com, or call 1-800-654-7223 (RACE) and use the code “SECRETS.”
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/SimpsonRaceProducts
Twitter: @SimpsonRacing
Kevin Madsen joins me to talk about the one technique that’ll make the biggest difference to your driving. This show is all about helping you be an even better driver, with lots of great tips and advice – things you can use right now to improve your driving. We dig in deep on vision – more than just saying look far ahead and that vision is important. Then Kevin shares his thoughts on the biggest mistake that drivers make, and send with his Speed Secret: Be prepared.
Kevin is a very experienced and accomplished driver, having won 7 NASA and SCCA championships in 4 years. He’s also one of the best driver coaches around, with experience with people from those who have never driven on a track before to novice HPDE drivers, and pro racers to very experienced track day drivers. As an instructor for Exotics Racing, Porsche Driving Experience, Hooked on Driving, and many more, Kevin has seen a lot, and loves to share what he’s learned with others.
Follow Kevin on Instagram and Facebook @madsenmotorsports, and contact him through his website at www.madsenmotorsports.com.
Matt Farah joins me to talk about becoming better at anything, whether making YouTube videos or driving fast cars. Since he drives a couple of hundred different cars each year, we also talk about whether to adapt to the car, or let the car adapt to us. Then we dig into the fancy footwork of the best drivers, which corners really are the most important ones, and finish up with Matt’s Speed Secrets (two of them!).
Matt’s Speed Secret #1: Learn to heel & toe – and adapt it to any car you drive.
Matt’s Speed Secret #2 : To manage the art of weight transfer, ride a motorcycle.
Matt Farah is the man behind The Smoking Tire YouTube channel and podcast, as well as a contributor to The Drive. With over 200 million views of his videos… if you’re not watching them, you’re missing out on something that all of us love.
Follow Matt at TheSmokingTire.com, as well as @TheSmokingTire on all the social media channels.
Toni Calderon joins me to talk about managing one’s career, no matter what type or level of the sport you’re involved in. We discuss what he’s seen that works, and what doesn’t work, from sponsorship to working with teams. Toni then talks about gentleman drivers – the subject of a documentary that he’s produced (it will be released in a few months), and the importance of being marketable.
Toni’s Speed Secret is: Don’t think you can do it alone – surround yourself with the right people, and be humble enough to listen to them.
Toni and his business partners James Hinchcliff and David Martinez founded and run Speed Group, a “one-stop shop” company that helps drivers with coaching, management and marketing. Learn more about them by going to www.Speed-Group.us, and follow them @speedgroup1.
Mike Smith, Josh Herbert & Chris Graham join me to talk about their experience moving from HPDE to Time Trials and now to wheel-to-wheel racing in NASA Spec Miata. They share thoughts on the highs and lows, costs, and what they’ve learned. Mike talks about how he’s striving to improve his vision skills, they tell us about how they’re finding and working with sponsors, and Josh shares a great Speed Secret: Just go to a track day and drive!
Mike Smith, Josh Herbert & Chris Graham started and run Spec13 Motorsports, and have fun learning and helping others. You can follow them and their team through their website at www.spec13.com, and on social media at www.facebook.com/spec13motorsports and @spec13motorsports.
To register for the Self-Coaching for Drivers webinar, go to SpeedSecrets.com/Self-Coaching.
Loren Elmer joins me to talk about his book, Stay Alive While Driving, The Secrets of a Race Car Driver. Obviously, there are many skills & techniques that we learn driving on the track that lead to us being better drivers on the street – Loren shares a few of his secrets. We also talk about how you can help others be better drivers on the street.
Loren has instructed drivers from teens to race drivers, and everyone in between, having taught at the major racing schools and teen driving programs. His book, Stay Alive While Driving, The Secrets of a Race Car Driver, is a fun, easy read combining common sense (to us, maybe!) advice and fun stories. Pick up a copy of the book… and then share it with a teen driver or fellow everyday motorist. You’ll be doing the driving world a favor!
Loren’s “speed secret” is: “Take your eyes out of the job that the seat of your pants should be doing.”
Contact Loren through email at whrthspdis@gmail.com (be sure to put “Stay Alive” in the subject line), and be sure to get a copy of his book through Amazon (paperback or Kindle versions).
Steve Welk joins me to talk about why so many racers and performance drivers make such good entrepreneurs. What is it about them? Of course, since Steve is a great driver coach, we have to dive into some driving topics, too. In fact, Steve shares his thoughts on the techniques and skills that the best drivers use.
Steve is a former driver, a very successful driver coach, and an entrepreneur. He founded and runs Styled Aesthetic, a clothing company that specializes in motorsport gear. In fact, walk around just about any race track paddock and you’ll see shirts, t-shirts, jackets and hats that Steve’s company have sourced and printed.
Follow Steve and Styled Aesthetic online at www.styledaesthetic.com, on Twitter @StyledAesthetic, @swelk57 on Instagram and Twitter, and www.facebook.com/steve.welk.1 on Facebook.
To learn more and sign up for the Self-Coaching for Drivers webinar I mentioned, go to SpeedSecrets.com/Self-Coaching.
Brian Maksejoins me to talk about the differences and similarities between a few production cars and the factory-built race versions of the same car, the new TCR race platform, a book he’s just completing all about Rolex Daytona 24-Hour race winners (and their watches), and what you can do to get the most out of a coach/instructor.
Brian is first a race driver, and second an automotive author and presenter (he’s quick to point out that he’s not an automotive journalist).
Follow Brian on Instagram and Twitter @brianmakse, and on YouTube at BrianMakse.
Colin & Melissa Braun, as well as Sean Rayhall join me as I drive a Kia Ceed to the Le Mans circuit, and then from there to Paris after the race. We share stories about our not-so-beautiful chateau in the French countryside (cold showers, cats, flea bites), our best and worst air travel experiences, how to pass on the outside of a corner, what it takes to make a career in racing, and what to do with the brake and gas pedal!
Follow Colin and Sean:
@colinbraun on Twitter and Instagram
@seanrayhall on Twitter and Instagram
Mark Lutes, Scott Refert, and Ron Gale join me to talk about driving simulators, from different perspectives: a sim chassis builder, a race car engineer, and a sim racer. Of course, I throw in my own thoughts from a driver training viewpoint. We talk about the importance of the types of controls, VR glasses, and how big the sim racing community is.
Mark Lutes is the man behind Fast Track Sims in Canton, Georgia, and has been building high-end sim units for seven years. Scott Refert has been engineering race cars for decades, but he’s also a sim racer himself. And Ron Gale, my oldest best friend (was with me when I drove my first race forty years ago), is an active sim racer.
Fast Track Sims: www.fasttracksims.com
www.Facebook.com/fasttracksims
@fasttracksims on Instagram
Jordan Taylor joins me to talk about the driving styles of the best drivers, but before we do we also talk about nature vs. nurture. In other words, did he inherit his driving abilities from his dad, Wayne, or was it something he learned. And then… we have a surprise cameo appearance from Rodney Sandstorm!
Jordan’s Speed Secret is: “Keep your eyes and ears open – keep learning.” And no, we didn’t plan him saying that, even though I’ve been preaching that for years!
Jordan Taylor has done a lot in his young racing career: won the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Sebring 12-hour, Le Mans, and the Grand-Am, IMSA and Pirelli World Challenge Championships. His perspective on driving style is interesting, since he’s co-driven with his dad Wayne Taylor, brother Ricky Taylor, Max Angelelli, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Renger van der Zande, and the Corvette Racing team with Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner, Jan Magnussen, and Antonio Garcia. Oh, and even Jeff Gordon.
Follow Jordan @jordan10taylor on Twitter and Instagram; and @rodneysandstorm on Instragram for the funny stuff!
Danna Van Noy joins me to talk about how to get your spouse involved and be supportive of your driving addiction! Part marital advice, part motivator, it’s a fun conversation about a “tricky” topic. We also talk about why so many drivers are also entrepreneurs, adrenaline sports, expanding your comfort zone, and how to protect your car’s finish when on track.
Danna and her husband Brian have recently launched a very cool product called Protect N Peel. It’s a simple product that you paint on your car before going to the track, and then peel it off afterward – and it’s protected the paint in the meantime. They developed the product out of necessity, having started tracking their Porsches a few years ago, primarily with the PCA.
Danna is offering a 50% discount off of an order of Protect n Peel. Go to www.ProtectnPeel.com, and use the code “speedsecrets” to get the discount.
Jack Baruth joins me to talk about whatever is bugging him. Amongst other things, we talk about funding to help young drivers make a career in racing, the mental game of driving, track day safety, HPDE instruction, and how to make the most of a race start.
Jack’s Speed Secret #1: “At the start of spring races, push hard until there’s no reason to – for at least the first few laps.” Speed Secret #2: “Ask yourself what people around you know that you don’t.”
Jack is one of the most prolific automotive journalists, but more importantly, he’s a brilliant writer who digs deeper into every subject he tackles than most. He writes for Road & Track, both in the print magazine and online. Follow him at:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/author/2556/jack-baruth/
For more information about the 5 Ways to Drive Faster webinar that I’m doing on June 5th, go to SpeedSecrets.com/5-Ways-Drive-Faster.
Chris Wehrheimjoins me to talk about karting, and how you can use it to improve your driving, no matter what you drive. We also talk about why some young drivers make it, and some don’t, but mostly discuss ways you can use a kart to make you a better driver.
Chris has won a lot in racing (see below), but it’s what he’s done outside of the car/kart that I think is most impressive. From coaching and managing drivers, to creating driving gloves, the same drive that made him win on the track is helping him be successful off the track (a common trait amongst other drivers, as we discuss in this episode).
Instragram:@cwehrheim and @minus_273
And for information about my upcoming 5 Ways to Drive Faster webinar, go to SpeedSecrets.com/5-Ways-Drive-Faster
Cameron Norsworthy joins me to talk about flow, or getting into the zone. There are many factors that contribute to triggering a “flow performance,” and we talk about the most important ones. What’s very cool in this episode is that he actually takes a few minutes to lead listeners through a short visualization session, and helps you identify what will help you get into the zone more often.
Cameron is the founder and Performance Director for The Flow Centre, and is an athlete, author, entrepreneur, ICF coach, sports psychologist in training, and speaker surrounding topics on flow, performance, creativity, decision-making and innovation. He’s coached numerous World Champions, executives, entrepreneurs, and high profile military personnel. He is passionate about disseminating information on flow and coaching people to find their flow.
Go tohttp://theflowcentre.com for more information about flow, and what Cameron and his team are doing at The Flow Centre. There are some great resources there, too.
And be sure to check out Learn.SpeedSecrets.com for the Inner Speed Secrets 201 eCourse.
Jamie Stiehr joins me to talk about vintage and club racing, how to grow participation in our sport, how to help charities through racing, and the Race Against Kids’ Cancer (RAKC). Many individuals and teams have used motorsport as a platform for raising funds for a good cause, and the RAKC, which supports the Morgan Adams Foundation is a great example. The event has been successful in raising over three-quarters of a million dollars, and has now branched out into a separate event in Texas.
Jamie has raced with the Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing club for years, as well as in the SCCA – both in Formula Ford. He also races a BMW 2002 in vintage racing, and has served as the club’s chief instructor for their annual driving school.
Learn more about the Race Against Kids’ Cancer by going to www.raceagainstkidscancer.org
If you’d like to contact Jamie for more information, he can be reached at jstiehr@gmail.com
Marshall Pruettjoins me to talk about what the best drivers do, and don’t do, that make them the best. His insights on Scott Dixon, Alexander Rossi, Simon Pagenaud, Sebastian Bourdais, Robert Wickens, Josef Newgarden, and others are fascinating – and educational. And the stories he uses to illustrate these insights are hugely fun!
Marshall is best known these days for his Marshall Pruett Podcast and his writing for Racer magazine and Racer.com, Road & Track, and elsewhere. But what makes his perspective so interesting is that he spent many years as a mechanic in all levels of racing, he’s engineered cars, been team manager, driven, and coached drivers. Marshall has seen drivers and what they do from more angles than most!
Listen to the Marshall Pruett Podcast on any of the podcast platforms, or by going to MarshallPruett.com.
Follow Marshall on social media:
Or email him at marshall@marshallpruett.com
Dave Pratte joins me to talk about, well… mistakes. Okay, and some things that are not mistakes, too, but Dave and I talk about how valuable mistakes are from a learning perspective. We have fun discussing the judgment one needs when passing, and how ego can make a difference; the most common mistakes drivers make with their cars; the differences between autocross and time attack, and road racing; and what one learns from testing tons of different cars.
Dave and his business partner Peter Tarach run Speed Academy, a performance tuning and car-building shop in Hamilton, Ontario – but they do business online, too. And they have some very cool and helpful videos on their YouTube channel – be sure to check them out. Dave has also been an automotive journalist for AutoGuide.com and Modified magazine, where he’s had the opportunity to trash… err, test hundreds of cars.
Learn more about Dave and Speed Academy at www.Speed.Academy, and follow them at:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/gofastwithclass
Instagram:@speedacademy
YouTube:www.youtube.com/user/spdacademy
Scott Mann joins me to talk about High Performance Driver Education (HPDE) instructing, and particularly what are the traits that the best instructor have. We share stories and thoughts about the importance of an open/growth mindset, dealing with Type A personalities, how to practice instructing, and what the best focus on.
Scott is the Chief Driving Instructor for the Las Vegas Region of the Porsche Club of America (PCA), the Zone 8 Chief Instructor for PCA, and one of the PCA’s national instructor trainers. When asked to choose between driving and instructing, his response is “Instructing!” In other words, he’s passionate about the art and science of helping other people how to drive better.
The websites that Scott mentioned in the show are:
http://www.renegadehybrids.com
Email: xlr82win@yahoo.com