Performance Rules!

High-Speed Learning

Imagine this: You’re driving a race car. It’s an open-wheel, open-cockpit car, like an Indy car or Formula One car. Bright red. Number 5 on the nose.

Scrunched down in the cockpit, held in place by six seatbelts, clutching the tiny steering wheel, you rush through Turn 1, a sweeping left-hand corner. The g-forces slam your body sideways in the seat, the vibrations rattle your bones, your ears are overwhelmed with the high-pitched scream of the engine, the steering wheel feels like it’s going to be ripped out of your hands at any second, your body is covered in sweat inside your fire-retardant driving suit from the physical exertion and heat from your car, your heart is pounding and adrenalin is flowing, and your vision through the visor of your helmet is a blur other than the point far ahead in the turn. You’re traveling at over 180 MPH, covering the length of a football field in about a second. The car is in a drift, a slide, with the tires slipping just the right amount, the sound of the tires’ rubber being torn away by the surface of the asphalt drowned out by the air rushing past the car. Your head, inside the helmet, is forced backwards from both the 180 MPH wind and the acceleration of the car.

Success Lessons From The World Of NASCAR

A recent edition of USA Today (November 6, 2009) ran an article about the consistent success of Hendrick Motorsports’ NASCAR teams. Some would say domination is a better word than consistent success, given that they are closing in on their fourth consecutive NASCAR championship (perhaps taking 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd). The article is titled, “Happy in the Workplace - Hendricks Motorsports’ people skills key success,” and it provides some lessons that any organization, whether in sport or the business world, can learn from.

Racing as a Laboratory

I’m fortunate person.

I’ve spent over 30 years, now, driving race cars. Wow, have a learned a lot in that time. Just imagine the things I’ve learned about racing in that amount of time, especially since I’ve been able to compete at some of the highest level of the sport: Indy cars, prototype sports cars, Trans-Am, road and oval racing. But, you know what? I’ve learned more FROM racing than I’ve learned about racing. Racing is an amazing laboratory.

Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

Many race drivers drive in the comfort zone. None of these drivers are champions. Champions spend very little time in the comfort zone – at least not the comfort zone that most drivers would define. See, champions’ comfort zones are actually uncomfortable. They feel comfortable being uncomfortable. They feel comfortable pushing the limits. They feel at home just slightly over the limit.