5SPDCHK

I need help.

If I don't finish my burnout and put on my pre-stage lights first I feel rushed. I try to get through the wall and complete my burnout first but I'm still working on a routine so nothing is second nature yet; like it should be.

So, how do I get over this? How do I make it about ME when I drive through the wall? How do I force myself to not worry about what the other guy/gal is doing??

Thanks.

brandboZ28

Unless youre bracket racing, youve got nothing to worry about. Your reaction time means nothing unless youre actually racing the car next to you. The clocks arent going to start until you cross those beams. Youve got to run your own run, not worry about the other car. When I go to test and tunes, I normally wait until I get my car perfect for the launch before I go. The only way to get over it is practice, practice, and more practice.

Erik

Routine.

What helps me is, as I'm sitting in line waiting my turn, I think about exactly what I'm going to do, and I go over it in my head again and again and again.

5SPDCHK

I'm bracket racing.

I do that too. I do it in my sleep, I do when I'm driving down the road and I do it sitting in the car in the trailer. I leave green lights like I'm on the starting line. Heck, I even bump in at traffic lights.

Maybe seat time is all I need.

rje

Exactly! Routine is a learned response, you have to do it enough to where you do it without thinking. First though you have to find a routine that allows you to do your job to the best of your ability, then do it the exact same way everytime. Then after awhile you won't even have to think about what your doing and you'll have more time to concentrate on busting the other guys a$$ at the tree. Good Luck.

Randy

TedH

I have a routine that includes standing around and talking to my competitors. I always want them to know that I am in the other lane.

For myself, I deal with the dial first. I use a TAG weather station and make sure I do not display my dial until the last minute, although I know what it is five munutes ahead. Once I make my selection of my dial it leaves my brain because the last thing I want to be thinking about at the starting line is my dial in number.

Thew routine of checking tire pressures, checking my harness, checking engine and tranny temperatures, raising and lowering the hood as applicable, getting my seat in the proper position, checking all the controls, listening for any sounds, adjusting my helmet, wiping my brow, checking to make sure the windows are in the right position, checking to see wheer my front end is in relation to my opponent while in the lanes, knowing my opponents dial so I am aware of whether he/she or I have the handicap, and then closing my eyes and clearing my head for 30 seconds before pulling up puts me in "the zone".

I have a hypnotist I visit a couple of times each season who helps me with my focus on the lights. Cutting a light is basically an exercise in concentration and keeping my subconscious mind in the game helps minimize any external distractions like the starter jumping out to wipe up a drip, or other track related delays that can cause a drop in focus.

I do my burnouts the same, but f something goes wrong that is different from the lights. I will just do another burnout. I find this generally bothers the competition more than it does me.

I always courtesy stage. If my opponent does not I motion to the starter to back them out. It is the rule and it is the way I work. I am in the drivers seat. If I fail to do things properly it reflects poorly on me. If I lose I have nobody to blame but myself with the exception of an outstanding effort my my competitor.

I always ere on the side of caution. I can win with a crappy .550 light but if I have a .499 I always lose in bracket racing. All that matters to me is launching when I want to. If I go .499 red and I did what I wanted to do at the start I "assume" I staged a hair too deep. It is always better to adjust the car than to adjust the driver.

I don't worry about the other lane until I pull second. At that point the actual driving begins because I need to know if I launched well or poorly, and I need to have a handle on the proximity of my competitor to know if I need an extra hundred rpms at the third gear shift of not in order to catch them or not. I also need to know whether of not I will hit my number by that point.

In my opinion, driving the finish line is equally important to cutting a good light.

kazman

YES. You know what to do, relax, don't rush, and just do it.

5SPDCHK

So, the general consensus is that I need more seat time to pound my "routine" into my head? I will work on that. Unfortunately, I'm packing the car away for the winter.

The duckhunters will be waiting at the top of the staging lanes for the rookie next year.

ltwonz

I say don't get rushed. Take your time, if the other guys has to wait at the beams for a while so be it.

kazman

Let them go against the rookie. Dial hard and smack them in the face with a .00x light right from round one. They may cut a conservitave light against an "easy" rookie and get put back on their trailers. I too have a little rubber duckey in my back window just to remind the duckhunters who is getting hunted. Jackie, it's a big mental game. Find whatever it is to put you into the kill zone. It may be putting your visor down, fastening your belts, crossing the wall, thinking of someone calling you girley-girl, someone keeping you from your round money...etc. At some point no more friends, just the job of winning the round. FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS.

RicocheT

You'll calm down with experience. I used to feel rushed myself when someone would flip the bulb on early. Now, If they wanna go turn 1 or both stage bulbs on early while i'm finishing up my burn out, They get to wait for me to completely stop, clear the motor, check the gauges, and slowly creep my way up to the prestage beam.
You do need to get used to not feeling rushed, a lot of new guys run up there and turn both on, I run top/et at my track and the best kind are the ones that run up turn both bulbs on and sit there on the 2 step. I smile and take my time.

You also need to learn to clear your mind, when i was new and i got used to the car, my rt's were within .005 of what i set my box. Soooo I setup for a .005 light and could get anywhere from a .000 to .010. Fun stuff, now that i've got more experience more stuff tends to pop into the mind, now it's hard to setup that tight without redlighting. Best thing i've found to do so far is think of a song in your head and just pretend to listen to the radio