Slot Car Racing – Bringing Out The Driver In You
It takes decent driving skills to win at any slot car racing competitions. And as with anything that involves skills, constant practice leads to gradual improvement. Here are a few advices on how you can make it into the winner’s circle.
Practice staying on course.
Staying on the track is a rarity in slot car racing. Not many can do it, but the skilled ones have quite developed the flair for it. You, too, can stay on the track during the entire race, if you take some serious time practicing doing just that.
Of course, the chances of you going off of the track vary depending on the track layout and how vicious the other drivers you are racing with are. But then again, sometimes, you are your worst enemy. To stay on track, practice long hours on keeping your concentration on the car you are driving. This will be difficult at first as it takes some serious time for your mind to really become concentrated on what you are doing. Also, weigh the risks against the benefits every time you are passing through a sharp bend on the track. Taking too many risks can de-slot your car; taking too few can cause you to lag behind other drivers.
Have a strategy and stick with it.
Before placing your car on the track, ready a strategy in your mind. It would benefit you if you study the layout of the track first so you have some idea of how to tackle it. Once you have decided on a plan, be sure to stick with it. Keep your strategy simple, and you’ll be able to remember it while under pressure.
Conquer the psychological warfare.
Emotional pressure is among the many enemies you will encounter when racing competitively. It is okay to be distracted from other drivers talking during the race if you’re just doing it for fun. But during competitions, enter your zone and pay no attention to other things happening in the race outside of the track. Just focus on your game.
Know when to step on the gas and when to not step on it.
Slot car racing shares some similarities with real car races. As you would notice in NASCAR and Formula 1 races, drivers often take advantage of the straight sections of the track by speeding up. Then they slow down in sharp curves.
Do the same when racing your slot car. Accelerate during straight sections to leave the other drivers behind and slow down during sharp turns. Not only would this keep your car from de-slotting, this will also allow you to pick up speed as much as possible.
As easy as this advice sounds, many beginners tend to refrain from stepping on the gas whenever they have to for fear of making their cars fly off the track. Well, we all have those moments and many great drivers have succeeded on getting over that fear. You, too, can do it. It may take time but you will get there if you practice hard enough.
Keep your cool.
As was mentioned earlier, slot car racing has psychological components to it. If you get too carried away with excitement, your judgment may be clouded. If you allow yourself to be intimidated by the racetrack, you will be less likely to take your chances. If you allow other drivers to talk you down, you may forget your strategy. Thing is, you can’t afford to do that so just keep yourself calm.
