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GrandAm: James Hunt, “You Only Get One First Impression”
Written by:
James Hunt
03/27/2008 - 01:55 PM
Simi Valley, CA
James Hunt enjoyed a successful test with APR at VIR. » More Photos
Getting to test with a professional racing team is an unbelievable opportunity. It can mark the beginning of a promising career in Motorsports, or, be over before you even get into the car (no pressure , right?...) Testing also usually involves a race car that you are unfamiliar with and in some cases a new track. This past weekend I had the opportunity to test with APR Motorsport in their Volkswagen GTI at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). While I have never driven the GTI, I thankfully have raced at VIR before.
Testing is way more than just hopping into a car and putting down a fast lap time. I believe there are four major aspects to every test opportunity; (1) producing strong results in the car, (2) communication, (3) how you carry yourself while not in the car and (4) a driver’s mental state.
Producing results in the car is fairly straightforward. As a driver, you are expected to achieve reasonably fast lap times and keep the equipment in one piece. Not break track records. I have heard horror stories of drivers coming to test who end up crashing the car! At that point it doesn’t matter what lap times you produce, if you crash the car it’s a safe bet you’re not getting invited back any time soon. In my book, even putting a wheel off in a testing situation is unacceptable.
Good communication is also a must for a successful test. A driver needs to have the ability to explain exactly what the car’s characteristics are at every single section of the race track. This includes: what the car is doing at turn in, apex, track out, high and low speed corners, under braking, and under acceleration to name a few. These are all crucial communication elements a driver must be able to relay to the team. Otherwise, not only will the car never get any faster, neither will the driver.
The third major aspect of a test situation is how well a driver carries his or herself out of the car. The ability to represent a team with the utmost professionalism in and out of the car is what puts the “premier” drivers above and beyond every other professional driver out there. Lewis Hamilton, for example, is incredibly well spoken, steady emotionally, enthusiastic and therefore very likable to fans and teams alike. Plus, he just so happens to be blindingly fast, which fuels demand for him even further.
Coupled with this third aspect, is a driver’s ability to integrate well with the rest of the team. You could be the fastest driver on the planet, if you cannot get along with every single person on the team your chances of becoming a desired part of it drastically decrease. No one wants to work with someone they can’t stand. The best drivers in the world would have never seen podium, let alone stood on one, if it weren’t for an amazing team behind them preparing, maintaining and setting up their cars.
James Hunt enjoyed a successful test with APR at VIR. » More Photos
The fourth, and probably most overlooked part of a test situation is the driver’s mental state. The level of pressure to perform is unbelievable especially when you’re driving with the likes of Randy Pobst and such a high caliber professional team as APR Motorsport! I admit I was somewhat nervous going into this weekend, but the second I was buckled in all my nervousness vanished. I have found that the best way to maintain a stable mental state is to be aware of the pressures around me, accept them and learn from them.
The four elements discussed above are not common knowledge, or even something every driver understands and believes. They are, however, the way I was taught to approach test situations. Thankfully, I had my driving coach and long-time friend, Ian Carpenter, at the test with me. I am extremely fortunate to have a mentor and friend like Ian who not only understands how to teach the art of race craft, but also how to teach the mental side of racing both on and off the track. His ability to understand the physics behind what takes place in a race car and teach that information to others, is unlike anything I have ever seen.
With my psyche in check, I hopped on a plane to make the best first impression I could.
My flight felt like an eternity as I was full of excitement, nervousness and anticipation. I spent the entire time reading old track notes and imagining myself doing lap after lap around VIR. Upon arrival, I picked up my rental car and headed to the hotel (it is worth noting that I managed to get myself lost about four times en route to the hotel thanks to the helpful people at the Greensboro airport, who only had South Carolina maps and not Virginia maps; which was awesome).
The next morning, we were at the track at
James Hunt enjoyed a successful test with APR at VIR. » More Photos
The team decided to split the driving time between myself, two other people they had brought in to test and four of their own team drivers Randy Pobst, Ian Baas, Mark White and Dion VonMoltke.
During my morning session I was out on track in conjunction with a driver’s education group run by an organization called Track Daze. The car took some getting used to as the setup of the steering system was something I was unfamiliar with. My first two laps were exploratory to feel the car out, get some heat in the tires and incrementally build speed.
For those of you that have never driven VIR before, there is a section called the “Up-Hill S’s” which is extremely fast with little or no margin for error, and is easily a 100 mph section requiring both commitment and precision. On lap three I was attempting to go through the “Up-Hill S’s” faster than previous laps and had a rather “stimulating” experience. It was caused by the nanosecond delay between steering wheel input and the front wheels turning. I fed the appropriate amount of steering wheel input in at my turn in point and nothing happened, so I added a tiny bit more steering wheel input (we’re talking a fraction of a hair here), and ohhhh did it get interesting quickly! The slightest adjustment in the steering wheel or throttle can really ruin one’s day once a car is settled. I would relate unsettling a race car at high speed to kicking a sleeping bear in the stomach (hope your reaction speeds are quick!) At that point, I was still working up to speed so salvaging this “stimulating” experience was manageable.
The end of the first session was met with smiles as the team was pleased with my times as well as my ability to communicate the cars characteristics. I too was extremely pleased by how much fun the APR Motorsport VW GTI was to drive. Adjusting to the new car was easy as a result of APR Motorsport’s top-notch professional preparation. The chassis is stiff and the handling characteristics are incredibly neutral for a front wheel drive car. APR Motorsport did an incredible job building and preparing the cars. Every inch of the race cars are well thought out, clean and user friendly, not to mention the fact that my 6’5” frame fit comfortably in the cockpit! As the day progressed, I got one more session and was able to produced fast lap times as a result of minimal traffic.
After everything was battened down at the conclusion of day one we retired to relax in the toterhome. What a cool experience! Swapping stories with the other drivers and team members was really fun. The amount of knowledge and experience APR Motorsport has on both the driver and crew side is absolutely astounding. This helps explain why the team has such a bright future in racing. It also helps when everyone is incredibly friendly and outgoing, which they all are.
Day two began with a threat of rain in the forecast, but it held off until after the track was closed. I again had two sessions and was able to run very respectable lap times without issue. They were both smooth sessions and were only moderately affected by traffic from the driver education groups.
After two full days of successful testing and car development I helped load the race cars back on the trailer with a feeling of personal achievement. I had produced solid results behind the wheel, communicated effectively with the team about car characteristics, integrated well with the team and managed the intense pressure associated with testing a new car. I want to sincerely thank APR Motorsport and everyone that participated in the test days for such an incredible opportunity! I learned a remarkable amount of information and made some great friends.
The first impression you make is always the most important because you only get one shot. There is no rewind button; you will never have another first impression with a team. At this point, I can only hope the feeling was mutual and APR Motorsport would like to see me in one of their cars chasing the top of the podium with the support of their amazing team behind me.
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