How To Overcome A Plateau

NNJR Trackside Classroom Series
Overcoming a Plateau
C i
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Venture Consulting Group, Inc
Disclaimer
The techniques shown here have been compiled from experienced
sources believed to be reliable and to represent the best current
opinions on driving on track. But they are advisory only. Driving at
speed at Lightning, or any other track, requires skill, judgment and
experience. These techniques assume the reader has high
performance driving knowledge and applies them as applicable to their
C i
VG
level of driving experience.
Venture Consulting Group, Inc

High-performance driving can be very dangerous, carries inherent risks
and may result in injury or death. NNJR and PCA make no warranty,
guarantee or representations as to the absolute correctness or
sufficiency of any representation contained herein. Nor can it be
assumed that all acceptable safety measures are contained herein or
that other or additional measures may not be required under particular
or exceptional conditions or circumstances.
AGENDA
• Driving “Plateau”
– What is it?
– Causes?
• How to improve?
– Analyze
– Practice…the correct way
Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 3

“Plateau”: What is it?
• Feeling “stuck” or “In a rut”
• Not Improving
• A “mental block”
• But: Is it Bad?
• How to measure?
– Lap times?
– How we feel?
– Our individual performance?

How Do We Learn? Improve?
• Theoretical “Learning Curve”
• Typical Learning Pattern
• Plateau
Source: Ross Bentley, Ultimate Speed Secrets

Plateaus are Normal
1. Try riding a bike the first time
1
2. Balance the bike while
consciously thinking about it
3 2 3. Ride the bike without thinking

about it

Example 1: Heel & Toe
1. Try the first time (and mess up

braking and downshift)
1
2. Practice, practice, practice while
consciously thinking about it
3 2
3. (Eventually) Smooth downshift
without thinking about it

Example 2: Smooth Brake Release
•0 Don’t notice brake release (rough)
1 1. Pay attention to brake release
2. Practice, practice, practice while

3 2 consciously thinking about it
3. (Eventually) Smooth(er) release

without thinking about it
– Refinement: aware of technique but
performing it unconsciously

Analyze your Driving
• Are you stuck because of

– Consistency (lack of)?
– A common trait/limitation in many/all corners?
• e.g. brake release or corner entry speed
– One corner?
• Tools
– Careful observation/notes
– Data
– Video
– Coach
Adapted from Speed Secrets Weekly 455

One More Dimension…
• “… to learn to be the best driver you can be, you

have to flirt with being uncomfortable…”
– There’s a fine line between being relaxed and uncomfortable so

that you’re not over-trying to accomplish something, and pushing
your limits just enough to feel slightly uncomfortable (but not so
uncomfortable that you move into the panic/fear mode).
– Part of this process should be to stay as relaxed as you can when

feeling slightly uncomfortable. That's a mindset that I hope you can
imagine right now: relaxed uncomfortableness.
Ross Bentley: Speed Secrets Weekly 455

Tips
• Identify one thing to work on

– Consistency: relax and focus on being as consistent as
possible
• Ignore lap time
– Technique/skill
1. Relax your hands and grip on the wheel
2. Add vision points: further ahead
3. Smoother brake release
4. Pick one corner to practice on
Speed Secrets Weekly 455

What Does “Practice” Mean?
• How you practice is more important than

the amount you practice.
• Purposeful practice:
– Get outside your comfort zone but
– do it in a focused way,
– with clear goals,
– a plan for reaching those goals, and
– a way to monitor your progress.
Source: Ross Bentley, Speed Secrets 322

Practice Example: Vision
Improving Vision
– How far ahead can I see?
– Something new each lap

Deliberate Practice Worksheet: Vision 1
General
– Everything you see on and off track surface
• Something new each lap
• e.g. Horizon change during cornering
– How far ahead can you see?
– Turning your head?
– Looking around corners?
– Etc.
Remember: Capture learning immediately: in the first 10 minutes

• Write down what you saw, heard, felt
• Before lap times, data, video, socializing
Mirrors
– Adjusted properly? (no blind spots)
– How many cars behind?
• End of front straight? Entering Turn 7?
– Closing speed: is car in mirror closer
or further away?
• What color(s) is/are cars behind?
– Etc.
Safety
– How soon/far ahead can I see flag
stations?
– Bail out area(s) for each corner

Reference Points
– Not cones!
– Cracks, posts, seams, curbs, etc.
– BOB, TI, EOB, A, TO, in between
Track Surface
– Sealer, color change, etc.
– Elevation
– One new feature per lap

Speed Secret
• If it seems you are not improving, you are

about to
• If you feel your driving is on a plateau and you're not improving, rest. Then
push yourself, harder than ever before. Make yourself a little
uncomfortable, just as you would when pushing to do one more rep when
weight lifting. Then, rest again. Do something different, working outside
your comfort zone. Rest. Give your mind time to process and turn what you
struggled to do into something you do without thinking.

Summary
• Plateaus are a normal part of learning
• But avoid getting “stuck” on a plateau
– Requires conscious effort
• Analysis
• Practice
– May require pushing beyond your “comfort zone”
• Delicate balance
• Improving/refining the basics “breaks through” a
plateau
“It is not always possible to be the best, but it is always possible

to improve your performance – gentle, smooth and progressive.”
--Sir Jackie Stewart

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NNJR Trackside Classroom Series

Venture Consulting Group, Inc

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 3

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 4

Source: Ross Bentley, Ultimate Speed Secrets

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 5

1. Try riding a bike the first time

3 2 3. Ride the bike without thinking

Source: Ross Bentley, Ultimate Speed Secrets

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 6

1. Try the first time (and mess up

Source: Ross Bentley, Ultimate Speed Secrets

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 7

•0 Don’t notice brake release (rough)

1 1. Pay attention to brake release

2. Practice, practice, practice while

3. (Eventually) Smooth(er) release

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 8

• Are you stuck because of

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 9

• “… to learn to be the best driver you can be, you

– There’s a fine line between being relaxed and uncomfortable so

– Part of this process should be to stay as relaxed as you can when

Ross Bentley: Speed Secrets Weekly 455

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 10

• Identify one thing to work on

Speed Secrets Weekly 455

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 11

• How you practice is more important than

Source: Ross Bentley, Speed Secrets 322

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 12

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 13

Remember: Capture learning immediately: in the first 10 minutes

Remember: Capture learning immediately: in the first 10 minutes

Remember: Capture learning immediately: in the first 10 minutes

• If it seems you are not improving, you are

Source: Ross Bentley, Ultimate Speed Secrets

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 17

“It is not always possible to be the best, but it is always possible

Trackside Classroom Copyright NNJR 2022 Slide 18

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