KeriBlog

Cars, Security & a Peek into my Life

Put a Monk in a Race Car

Can’t concentrate? Can’t race.

Because really, all the tech, tires and money are for not if the driver drops their focus for one fast moment. Because that moment turns into seconds lost.

I’m speaking with Honda IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe. He’d just coached me around the DDT at Mosport (watch here)

We talk about his mind while racing, how he stays hyper-focused for 2 straight hours. It’s an almost-meditative state, he says.

That’s why my idea to put a monk in a race car –
their concentration is outstanding.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

If winning comes down to a driver’s level of concentration, how about putting a monk behind the wheel?  Trophies ahoy!

 

Thanks for taking the time James! Best of luck this season.

Watch James coach me around my first track time here.

How he fared in this years Toronto Indy here.

Blog tag = the Mind (13)

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

 

 

5 Years of the Honda Indy in Toronto

2014 marks 5 consecutive years, thanks Honda!

Cheered hard for James Hinchcliffe, Honda’s driver and only Canadian in the race.  Felt for you on those 2 setbacks. Your time is coming, don’t be worried.

Indy photo by Kanishka Sonnadara

(great shot eh, it’s Kanishka’s)

I asked James about how he’s able to concentrate deeply for so long, that’s the topic for this week’s column.

That part is so interesting to me, because really, every single thing, all the tech, design, money and math that are poured into this car, are all superfluous if the driver’s focus wavers.

New headers.

As close as you can get, to the fastest point,
with the most noise. Earplugs out always.

This is just before turn 3, the carnage corner.

Most crashes happen on this ridiculousness, are you kidding this turn.

I got this scarf printed in the paper HAHA.

It’s the photo for a column, one of my new favourites: The Mystery of the Checkered Flag

5 Year Highlights include:

1 – the 2012 Backstage Tour of the Indy here
2 – in 2011, I attended both days here & here (ask me about this entrance IRL)
3 – security at the Indy here
4 – the steering wheel, and what $20,000 in tires looks like
5 – five years of this sound…

Forever a ‘Top 3 Favourite Sound’

The original Civic was on display!

1973 – 40 years old now.

Here’s some history of this car; I wrote a ‘then & now’, and used it to illustrate – When the Side Mirror was Optional

And then there was a 4th Generation Civic, a forever favourite, it gets its own post.

Here’s something kinda neat – 2 of the last 5 Indy’s, I’ve driven the display car, literally. (this year at Mosport, and the year the HFPs came out, at an airport)

And did you know Honda makes the world’s only manual transmission hybrid – the Honda CRZ.

More here.

Thanks for 5 amazing years Honda!

Here’s to your team this summer, wishing you lots of wins.

 

 

Security at the Honda Indy

Two days before the race, Honda invited me on a backstage tour of the event. Like last year, it was awesome.

But unlike last year, this year’s tour included a stop at the security HQ come ON.  I asked so many questions, the tour guide walked away.

View of the Indy from the command centre.

This is what keeps the race going,
because no security, no race.

Imagine securing 25,000 people, many of whom are drinking.  And do it all in a way that’s un-obtrusive, so as to not create panic and alarm.

 

For more auto-oriented stuff from the race, here’s the tag – Honda Indy.

I purposefully waited to blog these photos, lest I accidentally reveal something of value.

Race teams – choose better WiFi network names; security through obscurity.