SECRETS TO WINNING RACES
- Practice - You cannot win without practicing, period. No secret to
that.
- Proper car setup - Your car must be setup correctly to suit the
track, the climate, and your driving style. It is recommended that a
lot of time be spent getting a good handling car by testing
different types of tires. This is 90% of the tuning part. The rest
of the 10% of your car’s performance are achieved by tuning the
shocks, shock positioning, motor, batteries etc. Basically if your
car keeps spinning out, use a softer / stickier rear tires or use
harder / less stickier front tires. If your car does not want to
turn, use softer / stickier front tires or use harder / less
stickier rear tires. Spending your money on tires gives the best
value for your money if performance is what you desire.
- Drive within your and your car's capability - I have seen drivers
who drive smoothly during practice but when it comes to racing with
several other racers they drive like a beginner. If you are crashing
or making too many mistakes, you are driving beyond you capability,
so slow down, compose yourself and drive the same way you do in
practice. Also know the limits of your car. There will be many
instances when you know you have the wrong car setup during the
race, just do the best that the car can and do not overdrive it. Use
the race as a tuning session to improve your car's setup in the next
heat.
- Control the jitters - During a competition, it is normal to get
nervous, the hands will shake, sometimes violently, causing you to
drive poorly. When this happens, slow down, take a deep breath, and
just try to drive smoothly focusing your attention on your car and
NOT on the competition or marshals.
- Practice - Notice I again mentioned practice. Practicing will
increase your confidence in your car’s capability and also
minimize your susceptibility to the jitters.
Caution: The goal of racing should still be to have fun, winning is
just the icing on the cake. One must understand that it is not easy to
win, especially against experienced racers. It is unrealistic for a
novice to expect to win, and should not be discouraged if beaten by
experienced racers. If you are a novice, have fun while racing, whether
you win or lose.
If you really want to win, accept the fact that it will take time,
practice, and to a large extent money. Racing nowadays being taken too
seriously, and those that win consistently do spend money on good racing
equipment.
Disclaimer: I try to race for fun, although I try my best to
win. Some of my better races:
1999 Neo 1/10th Gas Touring Car (Champion)
1999 Futaba OS 1/10th Gas Open Class (Champion)
1999 Honda R/C Slalom (3rd Place)
1986 Boyels Open Class (6th Place out of 150 entries)
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