With the race season in full swing, a short summer break can be hugely beneficial as a mental reset going into a busy couple of weeks. I just got back from my own quick break, and now, this coming week, I’ll be heading to Road America for the next IMSA round. I’ll be there with the TR3 Lamborghini Super Trofeo team, working with Dean Neuls. That will be followed by a trip out West to Laguna Seca for the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion.
A short break can be a healthy and helpful reset to allow yourself to refocus. You rest your body after a busy race weekend, but it’s important to rest your brain sometimes, too.
This practice can be helpful in more than one aspect: looking at something with a fresh set of eyes and a clear mind can improve how you approach your performance on-track, but it can also help in the business side of racing. For example, if you’re working on something like a sponsorship proposal, it can be beneficial to take a step back after you’ve written the draft, then revisit it later for a fresh take on it.
As a racer, there are so many times when I have immediate feedback from an on-track session—like the setup direction or things to address—and after cooling down, changing, and getting rehydrated, I’ll come back to it. Then, by the time I meet with the team, I have a clearer direction about what needs to be accomplished.
Now that I’m refreshed from my own break, I’m excited to get up to one of my favorite parts of the country later this week, and I know that even though it will be a busy few weeks of traveling, I’m going into it feeling mentally recharged and ready to go.