Speed Secrets Podcast

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, Don Kitch, old friend and founder/owner/chief instructor of ProFormance Racing School, shares what he would do differently if he could do it all over again. We also discuss fear, micromanaging, knowing when to call it quits, the downside of instructing, and the pros and cons of keeping your club racing equipment when going pro racing. Don’s Speed Secret: Do it differently. Look for different ways, because there’s always more. Don Kitch has raced at the amateur/club level, as well as professionally in IMSA. He co-drove with Ross to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona LMP2 race in 2003. He founded Team Seattle, which has raised over $6 million for the Seattle Children’s Hospital. In 1994 he founded ProFormance Racing School, which he continues to operate to this day at Pacific Raceway in Seattle. Check out Don Kitch below: https://proformanceracingschool.com

This week we have a special episode of Speed Secrets Podcast: Ask Ross Edition! Guest host Bill Fischer (of the Garage Heroes In Training podcast) turns the tables on me and asks me all the questions you’ve ever wanted to know. Specifically, in this episode, we discuss the topic of coaching – what is a driver coach, what makes a successful driver coach, and more! Check out Ross Bentley and Bill Fischer below: https://garageheroesintraining.com https://speedsecrets.com

In this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, Matt Romanowski (driver, instructor, coach, and data guru) joins me to dive into all things data and data systems! Specifically we dive into focusing on the speed channel, looking for lack of throttle, and braking issues. We also discuss off-season prep – what drivers can do to help them best prepare getting back on the track! Matt’s Speed Secret: Visualize – practice visualization in all areas of your life. Matt Romanowski participated in his first track event when he was 18 years old at Lime Rock Park, Matt was hooked. Through crewing on a SCCA Formula Continental to supporting championship efforts in various categories from SCCA Regionals to Pro Racing, racing data has been at the center of motorsport for Matt. From the early AiM Sports Mychron 3 systems to the latest MXP dash loggers, SmartyCam videos, Power Distribution Modules (PDM’s) and everything in between, racing data has been what he does. Matt has worked hard to build www.TrailBrake.com to be the

In this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, I am joined by driving enthusiast Michele Graaff. We discuss the misperception that everyone in motorsport is an adrenaline junkie, and the importance of learning, progression, and self-improvement. She shares her experience in HPDE as a woman, and how to make our sport more inclusive and inviting to all. We also compare “hard skills” and “soft skills.” Michele’s Speed Secret: Take up your space. Michele is 46 (late bloomer!), a graduate program coordinator at UW, and lives in Seattle. She drove 2 HPDE days during 2012-2015, and got back into it last year, 2019! She started her journey at her first skills day in a borrowed Porsche 964. Then went to her own car, a 2007 MINI Cooper S; she now drives a 2013 MINI Cooper GP2 (factory-made track oriented version).  Michele’s rule has always been "I'm the most important mod" and says she would never get crazy about upgrades until she outdrove the car. But, in a compromise, she decided to upgrade her car (slightly) fro

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, Bryce Kliewer joins me as we go in depth about the lessons learned from racing that apply to business – and vice versa. We also touch on how autocross teaches car control, and compare autocross to time trials to road racing! Bryce’s speed secret: No one wins a championship alone. Bryce’s ran the Analytics and Business Intelligence at Coldwater Creek, helping to double the size of the business up to a $1b retailer, through catalog, web sales and the opening of over 350 retail locations. He was the VP of Client Analytics and Operations at Datalogix (a small ad-tech company looking to improve how data is used to make advertising more effective) before it was acquired by Oracle. He now is the VP Enterprise Project Management Office at Oracle as part of the Oracle Data Cloud. Bryce started out getting his feet wet with local autocross driving a Subaru WRX bugeye wagon, winning multiple local class championships in STX and several top 5 season PAX driver awards. He s

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, Mark Boudreau joins me to discuss the business of motorsport and the importance of being flexible with one’s career – doesn’t matter if it’s pro racing, autocross, rallycross, track days, indoor karting, etc. We also detail common errors that drivers make, and he explains how his law background helps him play devil’s advocate for drivers, asking the tough questions. Mark’s Speed Secret: Perseverance – never give up and always keep improving. CEO & Publisher Motorsport Prospects Inspired by the exploits of fellow Canadian Gilles Villeneuve, Mark became an early fan of F1 from 1980 on. Never interested in actually racing, it was the business of motorsport that always held a fascination, which led to the eventual informal foundation of Motorsport Prospects in 2018. Based directly on the feedback he received from families of young drivers at the beginning of their motorsport careers they observed that there was no real “one stop shop” for motorsport career-rela

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, I sit down with Eric Kaul to discuss why the social aspect and community of our sport are so important, the High Performance Driving & Racing Enthusiasts community, and the balance between inclusiveness and exclusivity. We also talk about the impact of fitness and nutrition on performance. Eric’s Speed Secret: Get your fitness and nutrition under control. Eric Kaul knows just about everyone and if he doesn’t - it’s only a matter of time.  He is "Mr. Community" and genuinely loves bringing high performance driving enthusiasts together both in the paddock and into social media.  Eric is the co-founder and driving force behind the HPDRE community groups on Facebook (High Performance Driving and Racing Enthusiasts), resides outside Boston, MA and has been an active instructor with several HPDE organizations in the Northeast corner of the US.  He works in the retail telecom industry and many drivers, racers, driving organizations and racing businesses in the mot

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, Stefan Rzadzinski joins me to discuss how he got into and competed in the Race of Champions against Sebastian Vettel, Juan Montoya, Tom Kristensen, Pieter Solberg, Kurt and Kyle Busch, David Couthard, Alexnader Rossi, and James Hinchcliffe. We also get into limits – how to sense your car’s limits, and how to trust yourself to test those limits. Do you wonder when to focus on improving your car’s setup versus when to focus on your own driving? We explore that, too! Stefan’s Speed Secret: Keep believing and don’t give up. Stefan Rzadzinski is a 27-year-old driver born in Edmonton and based in British Columbia. Stefan grew up in karting and went on to compete in formula cars - including the Road to Indy ladder, NASCAR Canada, Nissan Micra Cup, LMP3, and GT3 cars. Stefan had the opportunity to race in Asia for the Hankook factory team, ATLAS BX Racing, and most recently in the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY supporting Formula E. Stefan is also a partner in Catalyst Driver D

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, I talk with my good friend Tom Roberts about flow, or getting “in the zone.” Tom recently wrote a 4-part article in Speed Secrets Weekly about his research and experience with the state of flow from a neuroscience and more spiritual perspective – and how fear impacts it. It’s all about how to perform at your best when on the track (or off). We talk mindfulness, mindset, awareness, fear, ego, and how these help you become a better driver. Tom’s Speed Secret: Be willing to get to know yourself. Tom got into track driving many years ago, and raced in the Skip Barber series. He then began making annual pilgrimages to the Nürburgring – something that he and I do together now, taking small groups of drivers with us. In 2019, Tom made his racing debut at the Ring, a long-time goal of his. In addition to his European motorsport adventures, Tom races in various endurance series in the U.S., and continues to track whatever his current Porsche is. When he’s not flying aro

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, Davin Sturdivant joins me to discuss all things karting! Why karting is awesome, why karting is a valuable learning tool, how you can use karting to learn to read drivers. We also get into sim racing and eSports! Davin’s Speed Secret: Be open. Davin Sturdivant is a competition go-kart racer, based out of the Pacific Northwest. Davin’s enthusiasm for performance driving and motorsports is highly engaging, encouraging people to become involved with the sport through his impassioned efforts.  With an additional background in Solo II autocross and sim racing, Davin’s ‘superpower’ is being able to introduce new people to accessible forms of motorsport, and pointing them to resources they can use to develop themselves, such as the Kartpulse Forums, an online resource for grassroots competition karters.    Davin is also an administrator of the 'Motorsports Book Club' on Facebook, a community group designed to introduce people to new motorsports literature. Check out D

In this week’s episode of Speed Secret Podcast, I go solo discuss a lifetime in motorsport and the most valuable things I learned along the way. I dive into the story of how I got involved in this wonderful sport, the relationship between driving experience and when you should begin modifying and tuning your car, focusing on performance rather than results, why adaptability is more important than being fast, how you can improve your ability to sense the limits of your car and tires, and the advanced techniques the best drivers use! Follow Speed Secrets on social media to keep up with the latest! https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/Drivercoach/ Want to be in the know? If you’re not already on the Speed Secrets mailing list, sign up here to be the first to hear about new things coming out, promotions and our annual sale, and updates! https://speedsecrets.com/

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, Craig Watkins sits down to discuss how he became a race car engineer, how the Flying Lizards race team came about, the process of engineering and tuning a car’s handling, and the right questions to ask to figure out what your car needs. He also dishes about what it’s like to work with drivers such as Johannes van Overbeek, Patrick Long, Jörg Bermeister, Timo Bernhard, and other factory Porsche drivers. Craig’s Speed Secret: Use a tire gauge and notebook, then data acquisition and video. Craig Watkins is considered one of the top Porsche race engineers in the world. Watkins has been engineering and racing cars since he was a teenager. He began off-road racing in 1976 and competed in a Class10 car in the SCORE series from 1983 to 1990. Racing with Greg Aronson, Watkins won nearly every major off-road race including the Parker Dam 400, the Baja 1000 and the Frontier 500; he won the SCORE points championship in 1987. In the early 90’s Watkins began racing in local

In this week’s episode of Speed Secrets podcast, I am joined by Clay Millican, NHRA Top Fuel drag racer. We discuss the mental game of drag racing, driving 11,000 horsepower, how to steer a Top Fuel dragster, the importance of reaction times, and all that goes into driving a race in less than 4 seconds! Clay Millican is a 6-time World Champion Top Fuel drag racer, having won IHRA championships from 2001 to 2006. He’s won 3 NHRA events, and his top speed is 335.23 MPH, and an ET of 3.628 seconds. Clay’s Speed Secret: Focus on what you want. Check out Clay below: https://www.straightlinestrategy.com/clay-millican

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, James Hinchcliffe joins me to discuss how “the Major of Hinchtown” came about, where the “fun meter” is pointing these days when you get in a race car, how to regain focus using mental triggers, the importance of being able to adapt (and why one style is not good enough), and using a negative, “cup half empty” approach to winning. James Hinchcliffe is a Canadian race car driver best known for competing in the IndyCar Series. He currently competes part-time in the No. 29 Genesys/Petro Canada Lubricants Honda for Andretti Autosport. James has won six races to date for Andretti Autosport and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.. Check out the links below to follow James! http://www.hinchtown.com IG/FB/TW: @hinchtown

On this week’s part 2 episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, Michael Zimicki and I carry on busting myths and ranting about the way too many drivers and coaches get caught up in the thinking that everything something we say should be taken as gospel. Mike’s speed secret: Never stop learning. Mike has coached drivers such as Graham Rahal, Danica Patrick, Jon Fogarty, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and many, many more big names; he’s also coached drivers you’ve never heard of. The bottom line is he’s one of the best. Check out Mike at: https://www.sliderulemotorsports.com IG: @zimicki Facebook

On this week’s part 1 episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, I sit down with friend and coach, Michael Zimicki, to bust or confirm some of the most common driving myths! Mike has coached drivers such as Graham Rahal, Danica Patrick, Jon Fogarty, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and many, many more big names; he’s also coached drivers you’ve never heard of. The bottom line is he’s one of the best.  Check out Mike at: https://www.sliderulemotorsports.com IG: @zimicki Facebook

On this week’s episode of Speed Secret podcast, Peter Krause (fellow coach and data guru) joins me to talk all things driving fast – consistently! We get into why driving the limit is more important than the line, raising corner entry speed, and leading the throttle existing corners. Peter’s Speed Secret: Drive every corner, every lap, as quickly as you can. Peter specialties include individual and privately tailored analysis and optimization programs for sports car drivers and racers; data analysis equipment sales and training; supply and support for prep shops and teams for AiM Sports and Video VBOX equipment. A multi-time championship-winning racing driver, award-winning mechanic and automotive historian, Krause understands and can communicate effectively both the psychology AND methodology of "going fast," with more than thirty-five years of experience and a library of historical data to draw on. Check out Peter here: www.peterkrause.net www.gofasternow.com

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets podcast, Adam Spence (architect leader at Garmin, and racer) joins me to discuss Garmin’s new data tool, the Catalyst. The Catalyst really is as cool as it sounds, and helped me shave 0.9 seconds off my best lap time. Plus, Adam explains what Area 51 at Garmin is! In addition to his role as Product Architect Leader – Area 51 at Garmin, Adam is a racer and track instructor. Check out the Catalyst here! 

On this week’s episode of Speed Secrets Podcast, I talk with Dr. Jerry Lynch, author of my all-time favorite book, Thinking Body, Dancing Mind. As an expert in Eastern philosophy and sports psychology, his insights and guidance have had a major impact on my life, helping me perform better as a driver and coach. We discuss what being a champion really means, how Jerry’s teachings were used by Phil Jackson when coaching the Chicago Bulls, L.A. Lakers, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant, and his human growth and performance consulting group, Way of Champions. Check out Way of Champions here: https://www.wayofchampions.com Jerry combines Eastern thought, Native American tradition, Christian mysticism and western psychology to help create focus, mental talent, spiritual dexterity, inspiration and empowerment not only for competitive events but to learn self awareness, confidence and how to be the best version of yourself each day. Jerry has been recognized as one of the top five in his profession nationwide. He has w

On this week’s Speed Secret Podcast, Cathy McCause Fuss joins me to talk about why she got involved with running a race series, how to make a series popular, how to make endurance racing safe, her sponsors (Hankook and Hawk brakes), and giving back through charitable events. She shares about Lucky Dog races and Heroes Motorsports race teams for veterans. Cathy’s speed secret: Be able to see! Cathy has been involved in endurance racing since driving in the very first Lemons races at Altamont Motorsports Park, then co-founding ChumpCar & being their executive VP for 6 years, partnering with my Chump colleague Joey Todd at WRL when we started Lucky Dog. All this after leaving 25 years in software, most recently as VP Global Marketing for Oracle Utilities.  As North America’s fasting growing grassroots endurance series boasting over 600 teams & 3,000 drivers, Lucky Dog Racing League host events at bucket list track such as at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, Willo