Speed Secrets Podcast

John Shoffner joins me to talk about how to maintain and even improve your driving performance as you get older. We talk about diet, supplements, mental training, fitness, and the basic differences between young and older drivers. John started racing at the age of 58, and within a year was racing in the VLN series at the Nurburgring. With a steep learning curve like that, he’s done everything he can to minimize the effects of aging, and now feels he’s fitter than he was decades ago.

Matt Romanowski joins me to talk about how to make notes before and after on-track sessions in a way that will help you improve – and help your car improve. Then we talk about the use of data, and even how to integrate your note-taking with what comes out of your data logger. Matt is a long-time contributor to Speed Secrets Weekly, a data coach who sells and supports data systems, a car setup tuner, and driver coach. Oh, and he wheels a pretty fast Porsche 914.

Tom Long is back on the podcast and we’re talking about getting past what seem like the inevitable plateaus in driving and racing. We talk about the mental blocks, the techniques, and corners where drivers have the most trouble. More importantly, we give you some strategies for breaking through. Tom’s Speed Secret: Drive the car like you’re on a scale pad.

Russ Rosenberg joins me to talk about his book, Racing Under the Illusion of Grandeur. More importantly, we’re talking about the topic of his book: how to get started in racing after age 40 and what Russ learned when he took on that challenge. But oh, this book – and what Russ has to share – applies to any driver, of any age, in any form of motorsport. Russ races two very cool cars - a ‘76 BMW 2002 and a ‘66 Yenko Stinger - in vintage races, as well as competing in World Racing League events.

Colin Braun joins me once again - while we’re traveling in Europe – and we talk about how to be fast in fast corners. There aren’t many – if any – faster drivers in sports cars these days, so Colin’s advice on how to work your way up to the limit in very fast corners is great information. Also, we talk about how to sense the limits of the tires when in these fast corners (hint: it’s not wiggling the steering wheel back and forth). Colin has raced and won in everything from NASCAR to IMSA.

Christian Maloof and I have a fun, casual conversation about what momentum cars really are, how they differ from non-momentum cars (if at all), and how to get the most out of them. We dig into the skills and techniques (braking, steering, throttle), as well as the mindset that these “roll speed” cars reward. Christian is a super-fast racer, an instructor/coach, and all-round good guy. He’s the chief instructor for the Rally Sport Region of the PCA, and races a Spec Miata.

Peter Krause returns on this podcast to discuss driver etiquette. Our topics include shared responsibility, trust, precision, respect, and learning control, not just bettering your lap time. Peter is a driver coach, data coach, data analysis expert, and he sells and services all your data needs. He is also a friend, colleague, and collaborator on the Virtual Track Walk video series. Peter’s Speed Secret: At the start of a race, pack closely. Mind the gap – keep it.

Andrew Rains is back on the podcast, and we talk about the squiggly lines that data systems of all levels produce, and how you can use them understand what’s going on inside a driver’s mind – or your mind. The subtle shape of these lines tell us a lot, but it takes just a bit of knowledge before you can really use it. And that’s what this show is all about – giving you that knowledge. Andrew’s Speed Secret: Find your why. Understand why it is you’re doing what you’re doing, know what your

Paul Tracy joins me to talk about his TV commentating skills, what made the difference when he won his Indy Car championship, the importance of adapting to the car, and about his comeback to racing this year in a Trans-Am car. Paul needs no introduction because he was one of the fastest Indy car drivers ever, and won the 2003 CART Champ Car championship. Throughout his Indy car career, Paul drove for the best teams: Penske, Newman-Haas, Team Green, and Player’s/Forsythe.

After an unforgettable week with 20 guest drivers at the Nurburgring and Spa, as well as spectacular dinners and socializing, my co-hosts, Tom Roberts & Ron Simons, and I sit down and debrief on what we all learned – the drivers and the three of us. Ron Simons is the RS of RSRNurburg, the leading provider of cars and instruction at the Nurburgring. Tom Roberts founded Euro Track Adventures a couple of years, when we partnered on our first experience of hosting a group of drivers going to the Nurburgrin

Billy Johnson joins me so we can dig deeper into the topic of what makes the best drivers better than everyone else. As one of the winningest drivers in sports car racing, we talk about what makes him fast, but he also shares what he’s learned from some of his co-drivers. Billy drives for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Ford GT in the WEC. He made his NASCAR Cup series debut last year driving the #43 Richard Petty car, and is tied for being the winningest driver in the Continental Sports Car Challenge serie

Chuck Davies joins me to talk about the future of safety in motorsport, head and neck restraints, helmets, harnesses, and racing and track day events. We touch on the effect Dale Earnhardt’s crash had on the sport, as well as SFI, Snell and FIA standards. Chuck is the CEO of Simpson Performance Products, a company that is synonymous safety in motorsport. Their Hybrid S is the only head and neck restraint device is the only one certified to be effective for use with 3-point seatbelts.

086 – Kevin Madsen: How to Be a Better Performance Driver

085 – Matt Farah: Smoking Tires & Heel and Toe

Toni Calderon joins me to talk about managing one’s career, no matter what type or level of the sport you’re involved in. We discuss what works, and what doesn’t work, from sponsorship to working with teams; about gentleman drivers – the subject of a documentary that he’s produced - and the importance of being marketable. Toni and his business partners James Hinchcliff and David Martinez founded and run Speed Group, a “one-stop shop” company that helps drivers with coaching, management an