Podcasts!
Conversations (& Tips) to Help You Drive Better
The Speed Secrets Podcast is taking a bit of a hiatus. For how long, I don’t know? What I do know is that it’s being replaced by something else, something very fun, entertaining, and educational (which is what I’m all about) – and I think you’ll like even more: It’s Not the Car podcast.
From the “official” description:
It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people, motorsport, choices, and how we all work under pressure. In other words, we tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts. Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver and an internationally renowned performance coach and author. Jeff Braun is a championship-winning race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning journalist and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine. Together, we explore the emotion at the heart of the machine.
We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the bag of meat at the wheel.
157 – Samir Abid: Break Into Driving Data & Nike’s Breaking2 and Ineo 1:59 Projects
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On this week’s Speed Secrets Podcast, Samir Abid and I get into how best to use data to help you become an even better driver, managing the driver’s mind when it’s too analytical and focused on data, and how to use the data from another driver to improve your own driving. We also talk about what Samir learned from having Scott Mansell of Driver61 drive his car, and what makes Lewis Hamilton so special.
Samir shares about his involvement in Nike’s Breaking2 and the Ineos 1:59 Challenge projects (breaking the 2-hour barrier for running a marathon)!
156 – Jonatan Jorge: Having an Open Mind to Always Learning More
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On this week’s Speed Secret Podcast, Jonatan Jorge joins me to discuss what’s made him so successful as a coach, when a coach needs their own coach, and looking outside motorsport (at other sports) to learn how to be a better coach and driver. We also get into the misconception of looking way ahead and through the corner, the value of checkpoints, different references for different drivers, and visual pattern matching. As a bonus, Ross shares his “vision process.”
155 – Rob Krider: Racing Insights From a California Highway Patrol officer
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On this week’s Speed Secrets Podcast, Rob Krider joins me to talk about his writing career; his novel, Cadet Blues; his “other” job as a California Highway Patrol officer; and his experience when his car caught fire. Ever wonder the similarities between racing and police driving? We get into that, too!
154 – John Santiago: Learn How to Learn
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On this week’s Speed Secret Podcast, John joins me to discuss some very important things in driving: self reflection, awareness, accountability, ego, and being okay saying “I don’t know.” John breaks down philosophy and teaching, and how “Aha!” moments are rare, but that’s ok because learning is a process! We break down the traits of the best and worst drivers, and explain how having a fixed vs. growth mindset will determine your success.
153 – Jeff Braun: Race Strategy & Coffee
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On this week’s Speed Secrets Podcast, Jeff and I discuss how to improve your race strategy decisions – what to know, what to ask, what to understand, and having patience. We also dig into his hobby business, Mesa Vista Coffee, and his love of coffee roasting!
152 – Danny van Dongen: Hankook Motorsports and tires, tires, tires
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On this week’s episode, Danny and I discuss his background as a driver and his motorsport business, Hankook Motorsports. We talk everything tires and tackle how to find the right tire pressure for your car, how to use tire temperature, whether tires are directional or not, heat cycles, and how driving styles affect tires!
151 – Chris Andrews: The Best Car Setup and Driving Styles
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On this week’s episode, Chris Andrews joins me to discuss how driving styles impact the handling of a car, different car setups for oval and road racing, the best passing zones at Watkins Glen, and the best books to read to learn about the best car setup and engineering. Also, a special treat, Chris shares hilarious stories about Dale Earnhardt (including what he says at a urinal).
150 – Adam Jabaay: Gridlife and the Best of the Slip Angle Podcast
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On this week’s episode, Adam Jabaay joins me to discuss the best stories from the Slip Angle podcast, everything Gridlife, and eSports and sim racing. He also shares how he manages time between racing, family, and business – and where to sneak sleep in!
149 – David Williams: How Sim Driving Can Help You
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On this week’s episode, David Williams joins me to talk about how sim racing can make you a better track day driver or racer. We dive deep to discuss Virtual Racing School, how being a pro sim racer works (where does the money come from?!), dealing with a lack of sensory input from the sim, sensing the limit in a sim, the accuracy of car setups in the sim, brain neuroplasticity and adapting to sims and real cars. Oh, and David offers sim coaching services.
148 – Rob Wilson: Coaching F1 Drivers, the Perfect Way to Turn, and Confidence!
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Rob Wilson joins us on this week’s episode to share stories about coaching F1 drivers, the importance of weight transfer, why confidence matters, and the perfect technique to turning a steering wheel. He also shares his aha! moment as a driver and a coach.
147 – James Chartres: Gaining Confidence and Gaining Speed
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On this week’s episode, James Chartres joins me to talk about how he built his confidence and became one of “the fast ones” in the competitive world of SCCA, finding the balance between being analytical and just letting go to have fun, making track notes, and turn 5 at Laguna Seca. We also dive into racing sponsorships/partnerships at the grassroots level.
146 – Tom O’Gorman: Autocross, Simulators, and Those Iconic Blue Sunglasses
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In this week’s episode, Tom O’Gorman joins me to talk about autocross (how it helps and hurts road course driving), simulators and eSports, the ideal cornering line, and making a career in racing! We also discuss why driving a bad car in bad conditions can actually be a really good thing!
145 – Scot Elkins: Motorsport Safety Foundation, IMSA, and ALMS
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On this week’s episode, Scot Elkins joins me to discuss being COO of IMSA/ALMS and managing the merge with Grand-Am. He dishes all about the Motorsport Safety Foundation – the what and why of the HPDE instructor certification program “CERTIFIED,” how the safety standards are set, and why all driving instructors should get CERTIFIED.
144 – Dane Cameron: Driving Styles and What Makes Drivers Fast
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On this week’s episode, Dane Cameron joins me to discuss building confidence as a race driver, how to drive a car with aerodynamic down force – how to learn to trust it and manage its traction, and the difference in driving styles between open wheel and sports cars. He also shares what it was like to get the call to drive for Roger Penske!
143 – Andrew Rains: How to Get the Most out of Your Data System
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Andrew Rains joins me on this week’s episode to discuss all about data systems. We tackle how to best use your data system, the importance of understanding the “why” behind what you see on data, what data can and can’t do, and more…
142 – Colin Braun: The Balance Between Conscious and Subconscious Driving
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Colin Braun joins me to talk about traveling for races, getting the balance between overthinking and not thinking enough when driving, trusting your subconscious programming to drive, and getting into the zone. We also discuss the importance of always learning and never getting complacent, and what to do when you can’t do what you want with your driving technique.
141 – Dave Peters: Being a HPDE Junkie
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Dave Peters joins me to talk about the world of HPDE, driving Miatas, and where driving confidence comes from.
140 – Travis Okulski: The Future of Road & Track
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Travis Okulski joins me to talk about where Road & Track is headed, his racing experience and how that’s contributed to where he is today, what makes drivers like Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal, and Colin Braun so great, and the future of motorsport – including Formula E.
139 – Jim Kearney: How to Win Races
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Jim Kearney joins me to talk about what it takes to win more races, and we discuss the importance of car prep, mental prep, having triggers to get you in the right state of mind/mood, and track notes.
138 – Ryan Yard: Motorsport Motivation
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Ryan Yard joins me to talk about everything from using motorsport to motivate you in other areas of your life to the creative puzzle that is driving faster. In our conversation, we talk about getting in flow, car setup, using music to trigger performance, dealing with problems, focus, discipline, and the benefits of journaling and note-taking.
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PODCAST TOPICS
While conversations dig into the details of things (like cornering lines, trail and left-foot braking, race track specific advice, data acquisition and video analysis, upshifting and downshifting, steering techniques, and the use of the throttle), the broader perspective of topics such as the following are covered:
- What specific techniques and skills the best drivers use
- The most challenging corners
- How to adapt to handling problems
- What separates the best drivers from the rest
- How to learn new techniques and tracks
- Safety tips and resources
- Handling and car setup
- Data and video analysis techniques
Plus…
- Fun and interesting stories
- Why we drive
- Passion and enthusiasm for our sport
WHY A PODCAST?
Since my first Speed Secrets book was published back in 1998, many drivers have asked about audio versions of them. They wanted to listen to them while driving to the track, to and from work, and while exercising.
Some of the most educational, and fun conversations I have are at the track with a driver, official, coach, engineer, team member, or safety expert. I often wish I’d recorded those conversations so I could share them with you.