Getting Proper Race Starts: Front, Mid-Pack, and Back

How to Start from the front, the middle and the back of the grid

Welcome to a *free* edition of Terence Dove on Racing Drivers.

I talk about starts and planning, but I've never set out the 3 standard starting situations you can be in and the different approaches that I think work best.

The focus here is to slim down what you are thinking about, get one or two high priorities and get yourself focussed and wound up to execute on what you want.

The big danger with starts is trying to process everything that's going on - that’s when you can back out, because it all gets a bit much.

Starting From the Front

Many drivers get nervous starting on pole for the first time, but starting at the front is absolutely lovely. The track ahead is yours, and your options are limited.

There’s not a lot to think about at all!

The only real problem is getting pushed from behind, which can happen - but all eyes are on you so if you are pushed the stewards should be on it - so in theory its less likely to happen.

However, if you do get pushed you want to come out on top still!

So, you need to be ready with confidence on how great you are with kart control, especially with rear slides - but of course, if you follow me you are super badass on the brakes and totally used to backing it into corners.

You'll love it so much that you will be giving off the vibe 'push me, give me a reason to show off my skills!'

With that mindset, you are the best prepared polesitter there can be.

Additional lap one strategy is simple:

• Don't invite anyone to pass you on the inside by leaving gaps on lap one.

• If you do, you deserve not to make it round the lap at all, let alone in the lead.

Starting Mid-Pack: Survive the Madness

Things get super complicated mid pack. You can lose places, or gain places, and everyone is a bit nuts. It's the hardest place to start, but if you like chaos the most fun.

The best approach is to get ready to enjoy some madness.

The Inside Line is King.

It's going to get tight, don't leave space ahead. You might be in a queue, but just live with it. Don't make mistakes and be very strong about holding position and owning your territory.

• Don't try a cut back

• Don't give up the inside

• Don't say, oh I can gain a bit of exit speed by going a bit wide

• Defend on lap one with no compromise. Any gap will be exploited. After lap one let it rip, do what you want.

If You Simply Can’t Get to the Inside

Make the driver inside of you uncomfortable. Squeeze them so that they feel the cost of being on the territory you want. This means don’t let them widen their line even a little. If they take the inside you want them to suffer having to take the tightest line into a corner

Shape-up to get the inside for the next corner. Very often being stuck on the outside means you take the inside for the next corner. Be aware of that early and make sure you get that advantage when it comes your way. A smart opponent will try to take that opportunity away from you by putting a squeeze on you. Don’t concede!

Reduce the Complexity of Mid-pack Starts

Rather than thinking you can take into account everything with an open mind, close off the sensory inputs and find a simple purpose. Pick very focused simple targets.

For example:

Follow one driver. Choose a driver who is pretty good and stick yourself to that driver. Then you have a single target to focus on, rather than looking at ten drivers and trying to take them all into account.

When you create one target, everything else can do whatever and you can get super decisive.

Once you are in that kind of fixed target mode, even if things don’t pan out as you expect, you will switch to another target kart (because that’s the mindset you are in) rather than reacting to all the chaos and freezing.

Starting From the Back: Go Big or Go Smart

If you’ve had a nightmare race day so far, or you are given random heats starting positions, starting from the back is a chance to go all in, and live the dream.

The dream being the chance to drive with total abandon, take big risks and storm through the pack like a full on hero.

The Big Outside Move

Going around the outside at the start can be a way to escape the start chaos and therefore a bit weak.

BUT

If you've had a bad day, and you feel like going for a ‘do-or-die’ move from the back of the grid where the gains can be massive, then here’s how to do it.

First off here are some commitments you have to make first:

• Realise you've got a 50/50 chance of survival.

• If you get binned you have no grounds for complaint. You put yourself in a vulnerable position!

• You'll need to gain a ton of places in the move, because you will likely lose a few from contact or getting run wide. Gain 10 on entry and lose 3 on exit is the likely equation

• If you you don't brake extra late and take entry speed into the corner that is right on the limit of possibility, then you will gain nothing, and probably be taken out.

The Outside Move Plan

The outside move plan depends on everyone else being smart and trying to dominate their territory on the inside line into the first major braking zone corner of the first lap. When this happens they form a queue.

You can attack the same corner, braking as late as possible and pass an incredible number of those queueing drivers all at once. They will notice you and realise you probably won’t make it!

When you reach the corner, you have to carry extra corner speed than normal, and continue to pass drivers fighting over the tight line. If you try to play it safe now you will get stuck on the outside - you need to be gaining places still.

If, and its a big if, you get lucky and nobody is sent wide right in front of you, then at the exit of the corner you will be faced with drivers on the same line as you. The gains are over.

At this point, you are going to get run wide most likely and a few drivers will get their places back.

But hopefully you made so many places up, you can afford it and remain the hero.

For Heat Races - The Inside Queue is Probably the Best Bet

If it's a heat, you want a reasonable finish. In that case, an inside run makes sense. Hold your line and pick up a couple of spots where they come up. The chances are good that you'll make a profit from people messing up and taking chances that don't pay off.

Quick Takeaways for Starting Situations:

1. Starting From the Front:

   • Pushes from behind can happen, but stewards are watching—be ready to handle them with strong kart control.

   • Don’t leave gaps on the inside during lap one; defend your position firmly.

2. Starting Mid-Pack:

   • The inside line is key—defend it aggressively and don’t leave space for others.

   • If stuck on the outside, squeeze the driver inside you and look to take the inside at the next corner.

   • Simplify the chaos by focusing on one driver as your target to follow.

3. Starting From the Back:

   • An outside move is high-risk, high-reward—commit fully or avoid it altogether.

   • For heat races, take the inside line and focus on consistent gains while avoiding unnecessary risks.

Thanks for reading

Terence