GHIT 0187: Racing 101 Part 7: Perspective from a New Track Driver with Guest Adam Owens

Garage Heroes In Training

Our podcast is trying to encourage people to try high performance driving and racing, so Vicki wanted to start a special series she calls “So You Wanna Racecar”. On this episode, we have Adam Owens on to talk about his first track events he had last summer. Adam has a lot of fresh memories from these events and is a good friend of our team (and potentially future team GHiT member). In talking with Adam, it is even more apparent that the biggest thing stopping anyone from trying to drive at an autocross or a track event is just saying “yes” and doing it.

Please let us know if we missed anything that you may want discussed in a future episode of our Racing 101 Series.

The outline for the series is:

Part 1: Building Your First Race Car (and options to not)

Part 2: Safety and Safety Related Equipment Needed

Part 3: Best Entry Points To Start Performance Driving

Part 4: Buying and Selling Cars (With Special Guest Lara Vernon)

Part 5: Going To and From The Event/Track – What To Expect

Part 6: Paddock and Pit – Best Practices

Part 7: Perspective of a New Driver (With Guest Adam Owens)

Part 8: Tools, Spares, Supplies Needed for a Race Weekend

Part 9: Common Issues All Drivers Will/May Experience in When On Track For the First Time

Part 10: Miscellaneous Topics (& Things We Forget to Mention Earlier)

In this episode, we cover the differences between driving at an HPDE or a track day where you are more or less driving as singular cars on track vs driving on track and racing wheel to wheel vs other drivers and cars. Neither is better or worse, but they are different, and both offer different challenges. Largely the key difference is increasing the number of factors you need to keep track of and this increase proportionately to the number of cars on the track and the length of the track (overall car density). In addition, there are often car specific details and peculiarities that will need to be considered. Ben puts it best don’t worry, “if you are on the track, you are already a winner”. Start slow with zero pressure, keep to shorter stints until you are comfortable with going longer while maintaining focus. We are looking for any great stories from your first-time racing on track. Please let us know for a great future episode.

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A link to the episode is: https://tinyurl.com/Racing101Part7

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS Please don’t forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, don’t forget to use our discount code for all Apex Pro systems you will receive a free Windshield Suction Cup Mount for the system, a savings of $40. Just enter the code “ghitlikesapex!” when you order. We have two systems for our team and Bill is looking to add a third for this season, pending CFO approval from Vicki. They are a great system and truly invaluable in safely increasing your speed on track and/or autocross etc.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

Highlights from this episode include:

1) Adam has done 1 day at a racing school, 1 HPDE, and 1 race to this point and is an enthusiastic racing driver in training. For his day job he is the host of the local radio morning show and we have significant audio quality envy of his audio quality. Post Covid, we will be reviewing our techniques with him.

2) Without any prompting, Adam says one of the issues he had in starting was how and where to get started. We are a bit biased, but we know of at least one podcast that is specifically aimed at this.

3) Adam’s bucket list goal was to drive a car on the race track. Now he just wants to do it again! And again. And again.

4) We discuss with Adam the impacts of Covid on the past racing seasons and the upcoming 2021 season.

5) How Adam first went on track at NJMP. It was really as simple as a google search.

6) We also go into how Adam and Bill first “met” and how small a world it is in that one of the teams Adam has been on track with our good friends at Safety Third Motorsports.

7) Adam goes into how it felt to be on the track for the first time at an HPDE event and then his first time on track in a wheel to wheel race at a Champ car event. As always, it was a bit different than he expected.

8) Adams pro tip to this point: No Coffee before a stint.

9) We go into the advantages and disadvantages of renting/arrive and driving a car at the track. It's not only a fiscal transaction but also a chief concern is the safety aspects.

Additional Information and Links:

Rental Safety Suits: http://www.racesuitrental.com/

Lucky Dog Seat Rental: https://tinyurl.com/LuckyMatch

24 Hours of Lemons Seat Rental: https://tinyurl.com/LemonsMatch

ChampCar Seat Rentals: https://tinyurl.com/ChampMatch