[FUNDAMENTALS] GET UP TO SPEED QUICKLY ON A NEW RACETRACK, PART 1

Follow this process to reach pace in 10 laps or less—any track, any vehicle, any time, any conditions

Learning a new racetrack is often a mixed bag of emotions. There’s the excitement of a fresh challenge, which is countered by the uncertainty of unraveling the subtle complexities of an unfamiliar ribbon of asphalt. “What if I’m slow? Will the track come to me? Maybe I just need another day or two…”

Over the past few decades, I’ve had countless conversations with champion drivers and riders about the different ways in which they approach unfamiliar circuits. More importantly, I’ve had the opportunity to be on track with many of them while learning a new layout, and that’s where I discovered the real insight.

It’s not what they said. Rather, it’s what they did. That’s the moment for me when the shift took place. When professionals arrive at a new track, their focus isn’t on learning the layout. It’s on placing their current fundamentals in a new environment. That’s how to approach mastering a track.

Professionals don’t wait for the track to “come to them.” They come to the track. They take what they already do well—what they know works—and apply it. The setting changes, but the process doesn’t. A good exit is a good exit. A good entry is a good entry, no matter where that corner is located anywhere in the world.

Through years of working within structured schools, coaching environments, and my own unique experiences, I’ve tested and validated this process over and over again. The result? I now expect to be within 5 to 7% of my target pace in less than 10 laps. Read that again: 10 laps. That’s right, 10 laps.

Are there caveats? Absolutely. You must be comfortable with your vehicle and you need to understand available grip. Even so, that goal is absolutely achievable. In fact, I recently proved it to myself at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, despite a 27-year on-track absence from the fast, rolling Georgia circuit.

I will break all of this down in a three-part series:

Part 1: What it takes to learn a track quickly

Part 2: Before you get to the track

Part 3: How to get up to speed fast