"In any given day, 80% of a racecar driver's thoughts will be positive thoughts." I think that's how it goes. I'd go double check, but I left my copy of Inner Speed Secrets on a bus in downtown Kyoto three years ago. Anyway, the point Ross Bentley is trying to make is that successful race car drivers condition themselves to react positively to unexpected events. If you sit there thinking about why you blew that last corner, you'll be too preoccupied to take the next one properly. It's simple. It's logical. It's also quite possibly the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

Your initial reaction might be "Why? I don't have a problem doing that. Just calm yourself down and force a smile." That's was my first thought too. But then I realized that if I'm in my car, on a race track, that isn't going to do anything. When my plans collapse inexplicably, I can't calm myself down that quickly. And who's going to play audience to my theatricals? I can't even see my own face in the rear view mirror.

I could very well just lie to myself. Pretend the problem isn't a problem, or that it never happened. But that's a pain to do. I'd have to supplement each lie with a trail of juxtapositions just so it and the event can both reside in my long-term memory. Besides, I have more important lies I need to keep locked up in there.

The conclusion I eventually came to is that reacting positively in a manner appropriate to race car driving requires not only that the driver think more positively, but also be more positive. In other words, a fundamental change to how i perceived the world. Not exactly an easy task.

But it's doable, it turns out. Just this past weekend, I spent a good 12 hours of working time replacing a clutch release bearing that didn't solve a rev-sensitive bearing whine. When the engine fired up and I heard that familiar mechanical whine, my heart should have sank. But my initial thoughts were all of relief (mostly that the engine bay wasn't nearly as cramped as I had originally thought). Even through the debriefing session, I didn't feel any of the usual anger or unhappiness. Normally, I'd be sitting there highlighting mistakes, so I'll remember not to make them again. This time around, they went down in plain ball point, with little more than a punctual remark - "Duly noted."

What little disappointment I felt from that failed exercise is all but gone. Now all I can think about is how much faster I'd get if i could repeat the same thing at the track.

Ross Bentley has some pretty cool tricks up his sleeve.