Top End Tactics

[Chad Rhodes]

Originally Posted by LNorton

Dial honest and still be going further under than the other lane. Gives me a lot more options. But most won't understand how you can dial honest and still go 10 under.

Ok, I'll bite. You don't know your car?

[Michael Beard]

Again, refer to the link.

At the risk of painting with a broad brush, many Class racers (rightfully) direct their time, money, and attention to honing their combinations. Simply put, direct that same attention to your driving. I went to Indy a few years ago and a small group of great dedicated go-fast class racers posed the question, "MAN! Why is xyz so good, and how can I beat him?" What followed was a short rudimentary seminar, but you could see that guys were genuinely interested in making themselves better drivers. There's nothing wrong with the investments we all make with our cars. Just don't neglect the driver, and we're talking about a drop in the bucket compared to everything else we spend money on!

And Luke's site isn't the only resource. He also does numerous "Live" schools each year with guest instructors. Scotty Richardson also conducts schools all over the country. You've invested your life in your car. Invest in yourself.

A wise old racer told me once if you leave the starting line thinking your beat 99% of the time you will be. Cut a light run your # problem solved!

The inverse, however, is not true. If you leave the starting line thinking you're going to win 99% of the time, you're wrong. Cutting a light and running your number is an admirable goal... the trick is in IMPLEMENTATION, and making sure that YOUR light and number is better than the other guys. Easier said than done. The day and age of taking a swipe at the tree and then staring at the scoreboard is long gone. Do you *have* to hold a tenth? No. Do you *have* to dial up .02? No. Is, "He's holding, so I'll just run him to the end and dump him" a surefire way to beat a sandbagger? No. Is "cut a light and run your number" a surefire way to beat him? Only if your total package is better than his light, and if you can do that consistently, then you've already won multiple world championships.

Yes, these schools cost money. The intellectual property involved is both staggering and priceless. This is not a commercial, and I don't get paid to tell you this. It's fact. Wanna go fast with a slow car, call Billy Nees. Want a great set of heads? Call Dave Layer. Want a great engine? Call Tim Sloan, Parsons & Meyers, Bub Whittaker, Jeff Warren, Jeff Taylor, etc, etc. Want to improve your driving and win more.....? ....Well?

You can have the best equipment in the world, but if you don't know how to wield it, it'll be useless. I'd won numerous championships before, but I'll tell you that I have won numerous races and important rounds since then *specifically* because of things I've read on ThisIsBracketRacing. You're never done learning.

[LNorton]

Originally Posted by Chad Rhodes

Ok, I'll bite. You don't know your car?

You have a choice. Run the number or make the car not run the number.

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

Is "cut a light and run your number" a surefire way to beat him? Only if your total package is better than his light.

We have a winner. Dialing honest and running it out the back door just doesn't get it done consistently anymore.

Luke's site is priceless knowledge. It made racing a lot tougher.