Broken kart, broken heart? It better not be!

The time to prove you have a powerful character is when your kart sucks. This is when you are watched closely by anyone interested in you, don't capitulate!

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‘If only I had the fastest engine, then I’d show ‘em’ - NO! the time to show them is when you don’t have the kit!

Everyone in motorsport, from F1 types up to karting professionals, have one thing in common.

They freak out when they see a driver give up just because the kart isn’t right. I mean, they really freak out, panic.

Why? Because they know, from experience after experience, that giving up is the death of the racing driver.

Here’s what I mean by a driver giving up:

• Losing more laptime than is necessary. If you are using an engine that is 3 tenths off on the straights but you drop another 2 tenths because it all feels pointless.

• Losing more positions than you should. Because you feel like a sitting duck with your crappy motor, you give up the fight and start losing the ability to make good decisions. Instead of holding on to 10th you finish 18th

• Whining about the unfairness of the racing world. You haven’t got hold of a great engine, therefore racing is no good. It’s just so unfair. This general mindset is a very bad sign for anyone interested in you as a driver, they know you’ll quit.

Everyone with experience in motor racing, understands that drivers need a very unreasonable amount of optimism and immunity to unfairness.

So, when things are going badly for a driver, is the time when you are being watched most closely. Not when things are going fine and dandy!

They are asking:

‘Has this driver got what it takes to cope in the ugly reality of motor racing?’

Obviously, now is the real opportunity to show them yes!

‘They’ could be an F1 scout, if there truly is such a thing. Or, they can be your engine builder, who is tempted to secretly let you run a magic motor for the first time.

Neither of these you will know a thing about, nobody announces what they are thinking when they watch a driver. They are hoping you will show them character, without being prompted.

The character traits to show when your chips are down