“You are like this cup; you are full of ideas. You come and ask for teaching, but your cup is full; I can’t put anything in. Before I can teach you, you’ll have to empty your cup.” — Zen Master Ryutan
Having already dipped my toes into motorsports for around 10 years now, I had to constantly remind myself of this particular quote when I arrived at Kartzone for the AAP Motorsports Development Program. This program is a unique grassroots program that is tailored fit for young motorsports aspirants. With the first module being basic race skills, I can’t help but wonder if it is going to be a waste of time and money to take up such a basic course.
But then again, that is the “cup is full” mindset. So I told myself, if I were to learn anything from the two days of lecture and practical applications, I needed to stop saying “I know this already” and instead say “This is an interesting approach, I will try it out.”
And that one paradigm shift made all the difference for my weekend.
The first day started out with a short lecture on the proper seating position and also how being the proper driving position can help counter fatigue and also help the driver maintain control of the car.
Then we moved on to the vehicle dynamics and how we should be always keeping the vehicle balanced. Now, I first thought this was just a passing subject or topic. Only to find out during the actual exercises that BALANCE here should be in ALL CAPS because it affects everything else on car handling.
The exercises were done with our own cars on a closed track (Kartzone). We had to learn how to accelerate, brake and turn… all the while keeping the car balanced.
And as the day progressed, the topics became more and more geared towards being fast while still keeping a wide margin of safety. This is the part which has piked my interest. I always thought that you had to have really big balls just to be able to drive a car fast. I didn’t realize that there was a way that you could drive fast while still keeping safe.
I have to admit though, at first, it didn’t seem that what was being taught to us was the “fastest way through a corner.” It actually went against all the things I learned. But I was here to learn… and I had to try it out before I dismissed it.
The funny thing is, I spent the rest of the weekend trying to prove the theory wrong. I turned on my GPS logger and proceeded to do the laps. First I did it the conventional way of cornering (out-in-out). Then I tried it their way. In the end, I was the one proven wrong. Their way actually yielded a 10-15km/h faster exit speed. And that on a small kart track like Kartzone is a pretty big thing. I was actually faster. No car upgrades needed. And to top it all off, it actually felt safer.
This was just the first module. I can only imagine how the other 8 would go. Old dogs CAN learn new tricks.
The AAP Motorsport Development Program is the epitome of the saying “It’s the arrow, not the Indian.” It teaches you how you can get a car that is showroom stock, and be competitive just by upgrading your skills as a driver. The magic of the program lies in the fact that even though it is a good way for experienced racers to enhance their skills, it is actually simple enough for a new driver with no prior motorsports experience to understand.
So for those aspiring race car drivers, this is the perfect way for you to get started in the sport. All that is required is the willingness to learn and be coached.
Empty your cup.