Does Your Racing Strategy Fit Your Series?

"Flat out. That is how I drive. Flat out."

Of course, almost no racer is this disconnected from reality. But we sometimes see a more subtle form of disconnection, and that is the one between race strategy and the dynamics of your class. The basic issue (usually) seems to be driving more aggressively at times than is really beneficial. We're not talking about getting in over your head and crashing (that's another thing). We're talking about driving aggressively in a way that makes you slower or loses positions. We might call this tactical driving vs. strategic driving.

We recommend asking yourself a few questions about your class and then thinking through how this should affect your strategy:

1. Am I in a class or a car where tire wear is a factor?
2. Am I in a class where double yellow flags are common?
3. Am I in a class where cars draft well?
4. Am I in a class where it is difficult to sustain a gap?
5. Am I at a track where passing opportunities are limited?
6. Am I in a class where different cars make speed differently?
7. Do the drivers who tend to be around me make speed differently than I do, even though lap times are similar?

Each of these answers will affect how aggressive you are, either lap by lap or over the course of the race. Having the right start and executing it are different things. But without a strategy, execution is even harder.

If you have other factors that you've noticed affect your approach over the course of a race, chime in below.