1998 Question of the Week:

"How do you handle your defeat at the race?"

I don't get too upset because I know I'm not the best driver on the track, but I think about the people that I did beat. I also think about the next race that I'll do better.

Well, I usually smash something.

I walk around all mad and don't talk to any of my friends.

Depends on how I get beat. If it's on the last lap and the other car passes me, because he has more power then I tell them good race, and try next week to beat them. If a car takes me out because he doesn't want to race me then there's only one thing to do and that's fix my car as fast as possible and destroy the same person's car. Defeat will only happen if you let it and if you race hard you will not be defeated.

When I lost my first race I didn't care much because all I didn't ignore that race and look what I did wrong and improve it for next race.

Think about how I screwed up and try and get a win next weekend, fix the car, I try not to get to pissed about it, and just give the congrats to the winner for a good race, unless the winner is a hack, then it gets more personal

I practiced for two weeks straight and bought new parts for my truck

Most of the time I can say it was actually driver error. I review what I did wrong and where, and work to better in that area next time. Joel Johnson once told my husband: "If a 747 flies over the track while you are racing, and debris drops on your racing vehicle and knocks you out, it's your fault, because you weren't paying attention." I try to keep that in mind while I'm racing. Lap traffic will always be there, you just have to concentrate and try harder to keep from defeating yourself. It's also good to keep in mind, it's a hobby, and you are supposed to be having fun. The number one rule is "Have Fun" That does help me to keep from getting down about a defeat. Besides, I have also found out, there is always something to learn while racing. The Purple Lady

I don't lose! HA! HA! :-) Before I go to the race I have a reminder card that I read to get myself in the appropriate mindset. It says things like. I'm doing this for fun. and You Ain't racing for the Winston million. I find that if you decide to have fun no matter what you will!

just like a win, clean up stuff, get ready for next race

if you lose don't worry about it because there will be other days at winning the race

I pack up my stuff and remember what I did wrong, and keep a mental note so when the next race comes I remember not to do it again

As long as you gave it your best I would feel I am a winner in my own eyes, because sometimes your best is not good enough!

I don't know I haven't been beat yet. Of course I have yet to enter a controlled race. I have raced on the track in the back yard with some of my friends and when I get beat back there it really sucks. So I can only imagine what it's like at a real race. I have my first race in July. I hope I still only have to imagine what its like. I think if I do get defeated I think I'll learn as much as I can about what I could do to better my race.

Don't take it too seriously. I just think about what I did wrong, practice some more, work on my setup, and win the next week. Always remember you're doing it for fun, and you'll win the same trophy next week!!!

Think about the good laps I did, understand that there is still a lot to learn about driving, setup, etc, and learn from the better drivers\the guy (s) who beat me and my mistakes.

I take my defeat at a race as a reason to practice more and try to better myself.

how do you handle it, well you just give the dirty look to the other drivers that beat you and just set up your car even better and when u finally beat them then u can hold your head up high. i once raced in truck class at my local track and there was a losi xxt cr with an 11 turn triple in my race. i had a stock in my t2 and i beat him twice by a lap, now he would have to have a way to handle defeat.
5/6/98
6:30:45 AM

look forward to the next one.

congratulate the winner, and try to figure out what he did better then me

get an old body for the next race to smash his.

If you take your racing as fun, getting beat won't be as hard. For those people who take it as a life and death situation, CHILL OUT AND HAVE FUN!!

throw my radio at the turn marshall, swear at anybody in the vicinity, stomp off the drivers stand in a rage and generally act like the sore loser that i am!!!!!!!!!

Just have to work on your car more the next time, you aren't going to get better whining about things.

I cuss out the stupid turn-marshall who wouldn't help my car which was doing fine until he was so insolent as to not flip it back.

Mad at marshall

I laugh it off. I know there is a next time, there always is. It's hard not to get frustrated, but, life goes on after the race, there is always another day, "TO KICK YOUR BUDDIES BUTT!". hehehe

Laugh, it's all about having fun racing; otherwise it wouldn't be a hobby but a Job.

Aernout.

spend more money, if you cant beat 'em, outspend the little twelve year olds, muhahahahahahah.......

I just try harder next sunday.

I always say If you can't pass'em ...crash'em!!

It depends on what you call "defeat". Some times in a good class of drivers, I could be racing for sixth place, be having the battle of the day, and loving every lap of the race. When I finish sixth, it still feels like a win because of the "battle". It is just for fun!!! But when you get sixth because a turn marshall didn't turn you car over because he had his head up...well you know...then that just SUCKS! JP

Practice more after the races are over.

If it is a setup problem, I try to fix it before my next race. If it was human error, I realize that I'm only human and that the whole reason I am in the hobby is to have fun (not win every race I enter)

go practice so i don't lose again

I handle defeat well. Because I always buy the trophy off the first place winner. 8-)

put a large fire cracker in my rivals car

I handle a defeat at the race by simply putting my car in the pits and going back to marshal the next race and watch the other drivers and learn how they handle the track next time I am ready because I have seen what the other drivers lines are. And most importantly I practice more.

I don't care if i will or lose because it is just a club race. If it was the nats or something i would just take a deep breath and go tune on my car, or go take a few practice laps between the heats to also practice and work off steam!!!!!!!! jimmy little

How I handle defeat is I go home and spend lots of time trying to find new ways to go faster but still handle the speed.

With pride my friend. You didn't come out a complete defeat.. you learn new things about setups.. more driving experience.. and most importantly.. you had fun. You can't be the champ in every race. Kinda like life huh.. take it with pride and say hey.. it was cool

I just stay relaxed and don't lose my cool. I found out when I get frustrated, I don't race as good next race. In my opinion, no matter how good you are, everybody (I MEAN EVERYBODY) has bad races. And the only way to do good next race is to forget about it.

CONGRATULATE THE WINNER. GO HOME, THINK ABOUT WHAT I DID WRONG AND HOW TO IMPROVE. THEN GO TO THE NEXT RACE AND TRY AGAIN.

When you are defeated don't worry about it know you will get them next time

First I decide if it was driver error, lapped traffic or set-up etc. Then during the following week I come up with a solution to correct the situation. Change my set-up, tune the car up or mentally improve my driving style. Of course I'm there to win, but I gauge my personal "winning" on improving over the week before. I'm always looking for an edge or advantage and sometimes losing can be a positive thing in that aspect. It keeps me motivated when I lose. If I can walk away having raced in "A" main and learned something to use next week, I consider it a winning day!

Laugh it off....this is just a hobby. We aint doin' brain surgery or assembling nuclear weapons......

I would go up to the winner and congratulate him on his win. I mean if he won and you didn't you obviously weren't running as good as him. But I would try to follow his racing style and see if I could beat him the next time. After all it is just a game

I just go on to the next race. If you don't get paid to race don't worry about it. Just practice all you can.

You learn a lot from not winning. One of the things is how to be a good sport. Congratulate the winner(s) and figure out what you can do to improve. Don't make excuses on why you lost. Also, ask the winning driver(s) what their speed secrets are. Very often, the winning is not in the machine, but in the attitude and maturity of the driver. Most importantly, don't get discouraged, and keep on racin'. Scooter :-)

get better at the thing

the main thing that I do is take what i learned from racing against the driver and come back the next week and apply that and hopefully do a lot better.

Simply put, after a defeat I would follow it up by going to the track the following day and practicing my @$$ off. Keeping in mind what I did right, wrong, times and setup. So that I could simulate that day as closely as possible, then next weekend come back and kick everyones @$$!

gracefully, I mean its just a race, if you get upset because you lost you are in the wrong hobby

You have to take defeat one step at a time, first congratulate the winner, and next time you race just learn from your mistakes and get out there and win. RACERX

I take racing pretty serious, but if I lose, I lose. I take it like a man not a kid. I used to get all bent out a shape, then one day I saw a guy screaming at someone for not marshalling him fast enough and I stood there for a minute and thought, dam that's what I look like. Ever since, I keep my cool and just have fun.

First I congratulate the winner. Then I ask myself if I did the best I could. Getting mad or upset accomplishes nothing and clouds your judgment. I then go over things in my head as far as where my car handled the best and the worst. And so on until I have a checklist of things to improve on.

I blame it on the car setup, it's loose, wrong gearing, suspension is wrong. If you blame it on the setup you can fix it and you don't feel bad.

The way I handle my defeat at the track is tell them they did a good job. Then go into the pits and try to make my truck faster. If you don't want to adjust the setup on you truck, then try to hold your line as tight as possible. That usually works for me.

Make excuses and go buy more hop up parts for your car or truck

Throw my car in the trash and burn it until it is a glob of moltin lava.

Race to have fun and have fun racing - that is the only thing that matters in this sport!

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