Speed Secrets: Opinion: Stupid Drivers!

I need to get something off my chest. It’s something that I've written about before, but some recent comments from drivers and my own observations have brought this to my attention again. And it pisses me off to see how some people waste their talent, so I need to comment (rant) about it.

Some drivers, especially young ones are just plain stupid. They don't get it. They assume that because they're fast and win some races that they're now the next Sebastian Vettel or Jimmie Johnson, and that they no longer need to work at developing their skills. Wrong!

Perhaps even worse is the attitude some have that since they're winning, someone is going to come along and hire them to drive for them. They think that winning in one class of car means they'll win in the next. They think that winning means that they'll get a drive with a big team, and life will be all beautiful and easy. Wrong!

Okay, not every driver is like this, but I can't believe the number of young and youngish drivers I've heard from or observed recently that fall into this category. Man, are they stupid!

It doesn't matter how much talent a driver has, or how many races he wins, if he doesn't work really hard, endlessly, consistently, strategically, smart…at both improving and building his career, well, forget it.

End of rant. For all you non-stupid drivers out there, whether you're up-and-coming professionals, amateur racers, track day drivers, HPDE drivers…anyone interested in improving, I'll be back with more tips next week. In the meantime, if you know any stupid drivers, send them this rant. Actually, they don't even have to be stupid drivers before you send this – anyone you think might benefit from being reminded about this, please forward it on to them. You'll be doing us all a favor.

P.S. – I did a Google search for "stupid driver" to see if I could find a fun image to go with this article. Guess what came up? A photo of Sergio Perez being interviewed, talking about Pastor Maldonado "being stupid." :)

Ross Bentley

For more information about Ross’s tips, coaching, eCourses, newsletter, Virtual Track Walk videos, and other resources to help you drive at your best, go to www.SpeedSecrets.com