Experiencing an Infinability DRIVE Intensive

Boy am I aching today!  They tortured us with four half hour karting sessions.  Normally, we would have gotten four 15 minute sessions, since they usually send only half the group out on the track at a time.  But since there were only 8 drivers, they sent the whole group out for all of the available track time.  The group consisted of six SCCA club racers, including myself, one future racer, and one wife of an SCCA racer.  It was a good group, with a nice diversity in experience and personalities.  The fastest driver was an SM racer that placed 9th in the recent race at SP.

So the angle of the workshop was not what you would typically expect for a driving workshop.  It was more in the style of a corporate management workshop.  It did not directly address how we should be driving at all -- not one word of advice was given about how to drive.  Rather the subject was really about how to coach and be coached effectively.  This involved exercises in listening, tools for coaching, etc.  It was an interesting approach, and I think it would be especially very helpful for those that instruct on track.  Clearly those coaching skills are helpful for personal and work relationships as well.  Hence the tax write off angle.  :)

My driving did improve for using the coaching techniques.  Probably I was also better for my recent racing experience, and applying some of that insight.  I experienced a connection to the road surface that I had not previously.  In the end, my lap times dipped down to 29.9, just 2.1 seconds off the track record.  The fastest driver in our group got down to 29.1.  It was a competitive crew.  In one of the first few sessions, I passed some of the more experienced racers in a really well done competitive pass.  But they didn't let me get off so easily, and chased me down to get by me again.  I really should have protected into the next turn.

There was some contact between all the karts, and I spun more than once as a result.  But it wasn't in the form of punting.  Usually it was because two drivers insisted on the same apex without making adjustments for the presence of the other.  It never felt unfair, just clumsy.

Probably most of the contact could have been eliminated by more experience, as many of the drivers had not karted before.  Also it would have helped to choose more carefully when to protect, or knowing to let a faster kart through if you didn't.

At any rate, that's the report.  We should plan on an Li karting outing soon!  Maybe I will have a better chance of keeping up with the Thomas' now.

-Juan