Dec 03 2008
The New York Times Reports Scott Speed will race with Red Bull in the Nascar series full time next year. The team will change the Toyota to No. 82 from No. 84 to accommodate Speed, who has been training for Nascar since his release from Red Bull’s Formula One team in the summer of 2007. Jimmy Elledge will be his crew chief.
Oct 28 2008
The athletes themselves along with their fans claim that car racers are the fittest and healthiest on earth. How can this be when the only thing they do is grip the stick and steering wheel?
In a race, the driver must stay composed and focused. There should be a continuous contact with technical team while in control of the race car driving around the track. On top of that, the driver has with him dozen of competitors that with unwise decision, he can collide and lost life with. And who on earth can manage decision-making in split of seconds on a speed of 300 kilometers per hour? Only guys at the peak of their physical and mental stability can do that.
Car racers spend a lot of time in the gym. They know better when it comes to taking care of themselves; physical health including the heart, neck, and diet, and the mental health.
Normal heart rate of a human being is 60 beats per minute, rising to more than 100 depending on the activity he is doing. A car racer’s heartbeat could reach more than 150 per minute during a race, the same of that of runners on field. Mental stress causes the difference. Car racing requires extreme concentration, pumping tremendous amount of adrenalin, same way the physical stress causes the high heartbeat rate.
To be able to deal with such extremities, drivers should indulge to intense cardiovascular workout for up to few hours a day. Doing so helps in weight maintenance as well.
Car racing is one of the sports that greatly demands neck strength. The neck has to support a head with helmet heavier than regular, combined with G-Force during a race: a total of more than 20 kilograms, making it the most important muscle in a driver.
Large elastic bands are used to simulate the demands of high G-Force during training. Drivers also incorporate resistance work into their exercise regime – rowing and weight lifting. But since Formula One cockpits are very small, no racer is allowed to weigh like a lifter.
Like track and field athletes, F1 drivers should carefully regulate their carbohydrate and protein intake. Pasta and bread are what they eat, for carbohydrates.
Before the race and throughout, drivers absorb huge amounts of water. This prevents driver to dehydrate. Heat in F1 cockpit is enough to make someone sweat off few pounds of body weight during course of a race.
Physical health stability alone is not enough for car racers. Mental health as well is very important, too. Teams usually have sports psychologists to make sure that a driver is capable of mind control during a race. They make the driver review track maps, visualize a route and a lap, so that he would feel familiarized as though he has driven the course already.
Breathing technique is a plus factor. Drivers do need to stay calm at crucial moments. He needs not to be distracted by the people around him: medical team, technical staff, and screaming fans and members of the press.
May 21 2008
Many times people think that customer service is required when it comes to ordering parts or getting work done on the cars. Customer service is just as important when it comes to track facilities and sanctioning bodies
In a recent example, there was a rule in fraction by several competitors; while all competitors agreed that the they had made the error, none of the track officials offered admittance that they could have improved communications. To add to it, the track officials were rude overall. This left several racers unhappy, not about rule infractions, but how they were treated. Many agreed that they might not return to that tack.
Sanctioning bodies also need be mindful of who their customers are. One of the reasons I feel that NASA has gained such popularity is that the SCCA was ignoring its customer service. It was being run like an exclusive club. New members had a hard time fitting in and the group was not very welcoming. I am glad to say that things are changing now.
Track owners and sanctioning bodies need to keep in mind who the customer is because with out the customer the business will die.
May 12 2008
Kyle Busch is on his way to getting a new title as the NASCAR bad boy. Just a few years ago theses positions of honor were held by the likes of Tony Stewart and the late, great Dale Earnhardt.
Earnhardt Sr.
Dale earned his nick name, “The Intimidator ” early on in his racing career by using sheer brut force and questionable driving tactics to ensure his win. This driving style left many of his competitors in mangled bit of metal. Many of his now loyal fans used to hate Dale Earnhardt for his seemly unsportsmanlike like conduct on the track. In time Dale Earnhardt style become more toned down and his over all skill in driving won over the heart of his enimies and he is considered the greatest driver of all time.
Kyle Busch’s long road ahead
Kyle is developing a similar reputation that Dale once had. There are fans that love him and fans that hate him, but on time will tell what legacy he can leave on the sport. Read more about Kyle’s win HERE
May 10 2008
Mention racing to someone here in the US and they automatically assume that you are talking about NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing. Trying to explain that there other types of racing where the cars turn left and right seems to blow their minds, but that is for another post.
7 Reasons for NASCAR’s dominance.
If trying pin point why NASCAR is so popular is this country is difficult; then trying replicate its success is next to impossible. I have come up with the following 7 reasons why this franchise has become so successful.
Each reason for NASCAR’s dominance will be detailed in upcomming posts, but I want to address the idea of crashes right away.
People only watch the Crashes
Some will argue that people don’t watch racing, they are just waiting to see a crash.
It is not all about the crashes, I admit that a crash brings drama and can make for good TV, but fans don’t really want to see crashes, they are in it for the story. “What story?” you ask. You will just have to wait and see.
May 09 2008
Do you have the need for speed or the desire to prove that you are the best driver? I have a series of posts for you!
This is the first installment in a series of posts related to getting started in auto racing. In this series we will cover the following:
We will be posting this series in installments and we may not always go in order.
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Did I miss anything in this list? Give us some feedback and we will be sure to write about it.
