Three of my coaching clients were at Circuit of the Americas recently for a PCA race weekend. It was a lot of fun to be back with this group of guys, all of whom I’ve worked with before. They were all excited about the first event of the season, and for most of them, it was their first time at COTA, too.
A big piece to the start of the weekend for each of them was to thoroughly learn the circuit. We broke the track down into sections to learn the nuances of each one. It was also a good chance for the drivers to reactivate their brains after the off-season and to get back into a driving rhythm.
After a smooth first day, as practice turned into qualifying and then racing, the goal shifted from learning the track to trying to identify opportunities where they could gain time. Everything came together during the races, and the hard work and focus by my three clients paid off: all three of them walked away with podium finishes! It’s a testament to the Goldcrest Motorsports team, who did a phenomenal job prepping the cars, but also to the drivers themselves.
Although it was the first event of the season for these drivers, they arrived very focused, so they didn’t have any mental “rust” from the off-season break. That was due in large part to their preparation work prior to the event, which included some discussions to review track notes, photos, and video. They also practiced on the iRacing simulator. Those things combined were a big factor in the drivers immediately getting started in the right direction on the first day, and that forward momentum set them up for success on the following days.