Closing speed is how fast one car is gaining on another. If the gap is closing quickly, there’s less time to react, which can make crashes more likely.
The FIA is the organization that sets and enforces rules for major racing series. The hosts are saying the FIA needs to step in and fix the problem with the current rules.
A black flag is the race director telling a driver their car is not safe to continue. The driver has to pull in, usually to the pits, so they don’t endanger others.
Race regulations are the official rules that tell teams and drivers what’s allowed during a race. The hosts are talking about whether the rules should prevent dangerous speed differences.
Speed differential just means one car is much faster than the other. When that difference is big, it can be harder for the faster driver to slow down safely in time.
Multi-class racing means different types of race cars run on the same track together. Because they’re not equally fast, faster cars have to pass slower ones, which can get tricky.
Braking is when the driver slows the car down using the brakes. Here, they’re talking about how the timing of braking can make a risky pass either work or fail.
This sounds like a game where you pick real racers and score points based on how they do. If a racer has a bad day, you lose points in your fantasy lineup.
They’re talking about the current year of racing/competition and how their plan is different this time. It’s basically a “new season rules/roles” discussion.
A project manager is the person who helps organize everything needed for the season. They make sure the car build, timing, and people involved all line up.
“Arrive and drive” means you don’t have to handle all the car prep and logistics yourself. You basically show up and drive, while the team takes care of the setup and support.
“Sunday cup” is a track competition format the group races in. The hosts are saying it felt more intense and pressure-filled than HPDE, which is more about learning.
HPDE is a track day format where you learn to drive better with coaching. You’re not racing for a win—your goal is to improve your skills and get more comfortable on track.
They’re talking about how racing pressure can make you feel like you have to go fast right away. In contrast, a learning-focused track day lets you slow down a bit to try things and build skill.
A Honda Fit is a small hatchback. In this story it’s basically the “car you’re trying to keep up with,” and it shows how frustrating it can feel when you’re not matching the pace yet.
A Honda Civic is a popular compact car. They’re saying that at different track events, the cars around you change, which changes how you judge your own progress.
The “moving target” idea is that if the car keeps changing while you’re trying to learn, it becomes hard to tell whether you improved because of your driving or because of the new setup. Consistent testing helps isolate cause and effect.
Ergonomics is about how the driver sits and reaches in the car. If the steering wheel and seat are positioned well, it’s easier to control the car and stay comfortable for longer.
A spacer is a small add-on piece that changes the position of something. Here, it sounds like they’re using spacers to adjust where the steering wheel sits so it fits better.
Rear alignment is setting the angles of the back wheels. On a track, getting those angles right helps the car turn predictably and keeps the tires working the way you want.
Springs support the car and control how much it squats or rolls when you turn. Stiffer springs usually make the car feel more controlled on track, but can also make it less forgiving.
Concept
one-lapped it
“One-lapped it” sounds like they’re talking about doing a lap and using that as a reference point. It’s a way to compare how fast or consistent the car/driver is.
Struts are part of the suspension that connect the car to the wheels. Adjusting them (or their mounting points) can change how the wheels sit, which affects grip and handling.
A new seat is about getting the driver positioned correctly. If the seat fits you well, you can hold the wheel more consistently and feel more stable in turns.
Race tech makes racing seats and related safety gear. Becky says they helped her find a seat that fits her better, and she recommends them if you can’t find the right fit.
A poured insert is a custom piece added to a racing seat. It’s shaped to your body so you sit in the right position instead of having to force yourself into a seat that doesn’t fit.
The AC compressor is the part that makes the air conditioner work. It’s something teams may inspect when they’re changing front-end cooling or ducting.
They’re talking about a Mazda 2 and how it already has a certain amount of power. They haven’t fully measured the exact horsepower yet, but it feels good.
Street testing means evaluating a modified car’s behavior on public roads rather than at a track event. It’s often used early in a build to gather feedback on drivability, cooling, and basic handling before track days.
Shims are thin metal pieces used to make small adjustments. On a race car, they can help the rear wheels sit at the right angles so the car grips better.
After a crash, spin, or near-miss, drivers have to get their confidence back. If you’re still shaken, it can affect how you drive for the rest of the day.
Term
Apex Pro
“Apex Pro” is likely a tool that records your driving path on track. She’s looking at the trace to see how her car moved through the corner.
When she says she “lifted” or “froze up,” she means she didn’t stay committed to the plan. Instead of driving smoothly, she either backed off too much or hesitated, which can cause the car to get unstable.
“Spun out” means the car lost grip and rotated until it was pointing the wrong way. It usually happens when the tires can’t hold the car’s speed and direction at the same time.
A concrete wall is the hard barrier track drivers can hit if they lose control. Even if you’re okay, it can make you nervous and hesitant until you feel safe again.
Track driving means practicing and driving on a race circuit instead of regular streets. It’s where you learn how to handle the car faster and more precisely, usually lap after lap.
A crew chief is basically the team’s coordinator. They help manage what happens with the cars during the event and make sure the driver and crew are on the same page.
Concept
one lap team
A “one lap team” sounds like a setup where you’re trying to be at your best for just one lap. That means you have to get everything right fast—like getting the car ready and hitting your lines consistently.
A dedicated coaching slot means setting aside a specific time to get instruction from a coach. On track days, that usually means you get focused feedback when you need it.
Concept
take up space on the track
They’re using “take up space on the track” as a mindset about racing confidence. It means you should feel like you have a right to be on the track and drive your line, as long as you do it safely around other cars.
Topic
one lap 20 27
They’re talking about a planned track run—basically how they’ll structure the session and who’s driving. The “20 27” part likely refers to a timing/goal for that plan.
A “new motor” means swapping in a different engine. People do this when the current engine isn’t working well or when they want the car to be more reliable for track use.
In motorsports, logistics covers the planning required to coordinate travel, event timing, and getting the car and team ready. Here, the hosts link logistics to their anxiety about being prepared for the next competition.
“Grid life” is the name of a racing/track event they’re aiming to be ready for. They’re talking about getting their car and plans in order before that event.
“Car prep” means the work you do to get the car ready for competition—things like setup checks, maintenance, and making sure the car is dependable for the event. In racing, prep is often the difference between showing up and actually performing.
Term
tint advisor
That’s something on your helmet that helps with how dark or light your visor/lens is. It’s mainly about seeing clearly on track—like reducing glare—so you can concentrate on driving.
Concept
performance goal
They’re talking about a goal for how well you drive, but also how you handle your head when you mess up. On track, staying mentally steady helps you improve faster.
They mean watching recordings of your driving after a session. It helps you see what you did—like where you turned in or how you approached a corner—so you can do it better next time.
“Come off track” means you leave the main racing surface, like going onto the grass or off the pavement. The discussion is about how to think about that moment—either as a failure or as a chance to learn.
Concept
transition from I did bad to I can do better
It’s about changing how you think after you make a mistake. Rather than telling yourself “I messed up,” you remind yourself “I can improve,” so you stay motivated.
They’re talking about the beginning part of a corner—when you first set the car up to go around it. They’re saying they messed up how they started that specific corner (turn 10).
The “exit” is the part of the turn where you start accelerating again. If you rush it, you may not be lined up correctly, so the car can’t speed up as well as it should.
They’re using recordings and driving info from the track to figure out what went wrong. That way they can fix specific mistakes instead of just feeling bad about their driving.
“In the mix” means you’re not just driving around—you’re close enough to other drivers to actually compete. They’re saying success is about making small improvements so you can stay near the front group.
In racing, “tenths” means fractions of a second—like 0.1 seconds. They’re saying the goal is to be close enough that you’re only off by small amounts, not by big gaps.
This part is about the episode’s main idea: really committing to racing. They talk about staying focused, practicing your mindset, and using feedback to get better.
They’re saying they watch and think about what happened after each track run. The goal is to figure out what to change next time so you get better lap by lap.
Concept
preseason over the off season
They’re talking about the time before the season really ramps up. People use that period to get in shape and prepare the car so they’re ready to compete.
They’re talking about practicing in a video-game-style driving simulator. It helps you learn the track and practice your technique without using the real car.
They mean training your body—like strength and endurance work—to be better prepared for driving hard at the track. It helps you stay focused and feel less worn out.
They’re saying the car is prepared and ready to go run at the track. They also argue about whether the other person needed it ready so they could work on it, or just to know it was ready.
It means driving so hard that the tires start to lose grip. When that happens, the car can feel unpredictable, so the goal is to learn how close you can get to that edge without going past it.
They’re saying that if you go too far and it gets sketchy, that doesn’t automatically mean you failed. It can be a way to learn what the car does and how to handle it better next time.
Autocross is a timed driving event on a cone-marked course. The turns are usually tight, so you have to be precise even at lower speeds than on a track.
Time attack is a racing style where you’re mainly trying to set the fastest lap time. Instead of racing side-by-side, you make runs and compare how quickly you can go.
Watkins Glen is a well-known race track. Cars need different setups there because the track has both fast sections and hard braking.
Company
Race Sense
Race Sense is a brand Becky credits around the time they’re measuring tire temperatures. That kind of measurement helps drivers understand what their tires are doing during a run.
Company
G lock
G lock is a brand Becky thanks for helping her team. The exact product isn’t specified here, but it’s something used for track driving.
Tire temperatures tell you how the tires are being used during a run. If one part of the tire is getting hotter than the rest, it can mean the car needs adjustment.
They’re talking about a company called Race Deck that sells racing seats. The point is you can order seats through them and try them at the track to see how they fit you.
“Track walking podcast” is used as the show’s identity/segment context, indicating the episode is part of a track-focused discussion format. It’s more about the podcast’s structure than a technical automotive concept.
LIVE
Hi, I'm Scott. And I'm Seth. And I'm Becky. And we are Track Walking. Tonight, we have
my wife, um, who is back on the show because she's going to be doing a thing this year. And
I have questions. Yeah. And maybe I said, he's going to drag things out. I really wanted her
back on the show because yeah, I have questions. I haven't been on the show in a couple of years.
And I feel like a lot has happened since then. So I'm ready to talk about some things.
That's what I'm here to find out. So before we do that, we were having a discussion
because it's kind of top of mind and it's going to be old at this when this comes out a little old.
But that's the closing speeds and the bearman incident from the F1 race. And that's Zuka.
So just real quick, Seth, what's your take? My take is that the FIA has to fix what's going on
because if, uh, Cappellino, how do I pronounce his name? Colopinto. Yeah, Cappellino, whatever.
That guy. The speed his car was going, they, in a normal race, you would have black flagged a car
for going that slow. You would have been like, this car is broken and it's not safe for it to be on
the track. Okay. And you, how do you create race regulations that, that basically have cars
with a speed differential so much that one car needs to be black flagged?
They need to fix something. Okay. Becky. I agree with Seth. It's like they're multi-class racing,
but they're switching classes periodically throughout the race and all on different schedules.
My take is that speed was absolutely a factor or the speed differential was absolutely a factor,
but bearman fucked up. Um, that was never a move that was going to work in a million years.
And I get like, you don't want to check up that much, but like
going into that high speed right into an immediate braking long duration left,
that move was never going to work. So in my opinion, given the rules being what they are
and everything he had, he should have checked up or like at least checked up before so that he had
the speed differential on passing him when they were braking, not as they were exiting that high
speed ride. There we go. Sure. Mistakes were made. Yes. But one of those mistakes can be fixed
through regulation and I think it should be. And one should be bearman should be shaken and be like,
bro, what are you doing? Young, young eager kid. But yeah, bearman wrecked his car. Like he,
like he already faced the consequences. Yes. So, and he's been killing it this year.
Yeah. Like what a house is doing well. Bizarre. He's on my fantasy team. So I was a little bummed.
I mean, I was bummed for him too, but also for me because he didn't win any points.
Let's see how this affects me. Uh, bearman, you fucked up. Fucked up. Back to you.
All right. So we're, I'm, I'm going to largely let Seth kind of do his thing,
but I'll, I'll occasionally chirp, chirp in and, and stuff like that. So
Becky, why don't we start with what are you doing this year?
I'm going to try hard this year. I mean, we always try hard in what we're doing,
but we changed kind of like our, our whole dynamic. We changed our whole dynamic for this
season. And can you hear me now? Okay. I could hear you the whole time. I don't know why Scott is
trying to mansplain microphones to you in sign language, sign language mansplaining.
Okay. The microphone is touching my face now.
Do you still, okay.
You're, all of it is good. Scott needs to stop.
This season we're focusing on me as the competitor, which is the big shift
from all of our other seasons. There's a lot of reasons for that. It just happened to be the
nexus of time for me to do this. I mean, Scott's car is for sale. So he's not
competing this season, um, focusing more on coaching. It just seemed like the right time
for me to seize the opportunity to have my competitive season.
Yeah. You, you are, you are already talking about your season different than Scott used
to talk about his seasons because Scott was going racing and when he talks about it and,
and when you're going racing, you say we're going racing and
it's not that, not that Scott put himself first more, but it's, I, I think you're more aware
that this is a team like, I don't know, it's different. You and Scott are talking about
different. You're using different words. So I want to, I want to probe, I want to probe that
at some point during this. And a big difference is Scott has always been the leader of this team.
And even now, even though I'm competing, he's taking the lead on my car build, um, replacing
the engine. He's the project manager of my, my car in this season in a lot of ways. Um,
okay. So I think for me, yeah, it's more of a different dynamic, dynamic, like when he was
competing, he was still in charge and I was a more supportive role. And when I'm competing,
just because of his experience and being able to coach me and knowing what the car needs,
he's still, he's not, I'm not the star and he's supporting me. It's like, it's more of a team
effort when I'm competing, I think. Okay. Yeah, that makes, that makes sense. You're comfortable
with that? Like, are you comfortable with, I don't say the support, but, but being more of a,
you're closer to being an arrive and drive driver than Scott ever was.
Because you have, um,
you've got a larger bank of technical support with Scott backing you than Scott had with you.
Yeah. I don't, I don't make that sound, it sounds terrible when I say that out loud,
but it's a different. No, no, it's, it's true though. Like Scott was driving before I was even
into this stuff and like I learned it all through helping him. And when I'm the driver,
he brings a lot more experience to supporting me than I did to him.
Okay. Yeah. That's, that's kind of what I'm thinking. So even if it's in a different way.
Yeah. Yeah. Um, so in the past, whenever you did things, you did things sort of in the,
uh, under the umbrella of, of what the team was doing for the season. Yeah, for sure.
Um, and I think a big difference for me that I've had to get used to this season is
I'm still in a supporting role, but I've never been the one that's the focus of the support.
Right. You've always had to slot in where time was available.
Right. And that was like, I want to make sure this is clear. That was by design
and like by my own choice. So it's not like I got sidelined, but no,
I felt like you were where you were comfortable in the past, especially, and I want to, I want to,
I want to, yeah, I want to talk about that because you did, you did Sunday cup
in the heyday of like right when Sunday cup was turning into serious business,
you did some Sunday cup rounds. I think it might have been three years ago.
22, I did a few Sunday cup, 23. I did mostly
HPDE, but we did Scott and I split the car for a few in Sunday cup. Right.
Mid Ohio and Lime Rock. Mid Ohio and Lime Rock. Yeah. Right.
But you intentionally, you intentionally stepped away from Sunday cup though, right when things were,
it felt to me like there was a time when Sunday cup was like a bunch of buddies going out and
driving and we had like a super good time because we're buddies and we're going driving and then
it got to be like, we're buddies going driving. Also, we're all going to die because we're doing
this super fast and we might take you with us because that's just kind of the game we're playing
today. Right. And it got really big at that time too. Like the Sunday cup field in those years
was huge and it just, like I've been thinking about this since I'm going back into Sunday cup this
year and I really think going back to HPDE was the right move for what I needed at the time to
build more confidence really and more experience in a different and an environment that is made
for that. So that's what you needed was just a place to get inside your own head better or
what were you looking for? Like what were you not getting in Sunday cup that you were getting in
HPDE? I think since you're now going to go back to it. That's what I'm curious about. Yeah.
I think a big thing was track time. Probably a big mental part of it for me was not having the
pressure of competition. Not feeling like I had to like drive better, like try harder. More of a
when you have to immediately go fast, right? You're like this counts. So I have to go fast
right now. I could step it back a little bit and be like, I'm here to learn in part of the
learning process is trying different things which might make me slower for a time. Right.
And not feeling like I was losing out on something because of that.
Also in HPDE sometimes if you're in competition all the time, you're hopefully with people who
are competitive with you. And I think a big confidence builder for me was to be with other
drivers of all different skill levels so I could really see how I was progressing in the range.
Yeah. Cause the, I mean the top seven or eight guys in Sunday cup and I say guys as a non-gendered
midwestern term but also they all happen to be dudes right now. Like they're good at driving.
Yeah. And I think it's, I think it's difficult to remember that you can, and this is, this is not
for you. This is for, this is for a whole bunch of people driving Sunday cup. It's difficult to
remember that like you can be 10th in Sunday cup and still be really good at driving. Yeah. Like
if you're struggling to catch up and keep up with a bunch of Honda fits, that can feel like
garbage. And then you go to an HPDE and you're like civics now. Civics too. Yeah. That's a,
that's another discussion. But then you go to a track date and you're like, wow, I'm faster than
that Porsche. Right. You're like, oh, maybe I'm an okay driver. Yeah. So you're in Sunday cup,
you went to HPDE, but you didn't stop developing the car.
No. And that's a, that's where Scott's really been huge in all this. Because I,
I don't have enough experience and I haven't spent enough time looking into like car building.
Okay. Like I can do, I know how to do a lot of stuff, but I don't know. I'm really bad at
decision making when it comes to like, which direction do I go? Like I'm more likely to
go on a gut feeling or like take the first advice that somebody says, but Scott's really good at
researching all of the options and helping direct that. So the car has been developing
with Scott taking the lead on that. Yeah. He's good at race engineering stuff and going,
what's the next step? Yeah. Like in moving a car. It seems like.
Yeah. And I think I get caught up in like one area. Like I'm trying to develop my driving,
but then I don't spend much time thinking about the other side of it, which is the developing the
car too. Right. I do that too, because I kind of emotionally want the car to stay static so that
I can get better. Yep. And I hate the moving target thing where like if the car changes every
event, I have no idea if I'm actually getting better. That's just, that's a me thing. And
it's good to know that maybe that's a you thing too, because it feels weird in the track world to
feel like that. Well, as an example, the steering wheel was higher than ideal. Right. And Becky just
kind of dealt with it. But when we were kind of looking at ergonomics and stuff like that, it's
like, you know, we can change this. Like we can get spacers longer bolts and drop the steering
wheel mount a little bit to make it better. Like you don't have to live with hardly anything. Like
as long as it's inside the rule set, like we can change almost anything to work. I just need to
know like, and I think that's one of the things that has been specifically the past year, I think,
that's been developing and Becky is like the sense of like, this is what the car is doing.
Here's what I would like it to do based on how I'm driving it. And that's that I think for me
is going to be the, the interesting challenge for Becky this year, because like we can change
the rear alignment now, we're going to maybe see what stiffer springs feel like, like we're going
to be trying stuff here. So it'll be interesting.
So Becky, run me over a list what you've got in your head of what has changed on
Mooncake since kind of since I last hung out with you guys for the last time you one-lapped it.
Like, where is it gone? Because it was not a slow car then. Frankly, Scott kicked my ass.
There was the time you spun behind me and still almost caught me.
Like, the car was not slow. So what have you done? Yeah, it's a good car.
Since then, man, I had so many things have changed, like a lot of a lot of little things.
I got more camber. I slotted the struts to get more camber, a lot more camber.
What numbers are you at? Or can you, is it too secret? Hmm, is it too secret?
A lot. A lot. I love this. It's like Formula One. Go.
Let's see. I got a new seat that fits me really well. Like, Scott didn't even help in picking it.
Last time we picked a seat, it was like we need one that's going to work for both of us.
And this time it was like we need one that fits me perfectly. So.
As a woman in racing, how did you find a seat that fit your hips and shoulders?
That was so freaking hard. I don't know how many seats I sat in. It was a lot.
I sat in all of the seats really. Like, we went to as many stores as we could.
At PRI, we sat in like all of them, even if they weren't on our radar. It was like,
there's a seat. Might as well try it.
Sometimes the cars that were on display, like if the door could open, Becky was in and sees.
Oh yeah. And at track days, I was like going up to people we didn't know and saying,
hey, can I sit in your car? I need to try out as many seats as I can.
So yeah, that was really tough. If it fit in the hips, it didn't fit in the shoulders.
If it fit in the shoulders, it didn't fit in the hips. It's just all, it was hard.
And then even when we found the seat, it wasn't even the one they had. It was like
back at the hotel at PRI and they were like, oh, we didn't bring that one because
that doesn't fit anybody. But you're like me. Yeah. I was like, well, can I just try it anyway?
Race tech. Race tech. They were really helpful and great and have a seat that fit me. And I think
some other women that we were with tried it and liked it too. So if you're a woman listening to
this podcast and you can't find the seat that fits, try out the race tech.
Okay. Yeah. Cause a lot of women have to go to like a poured insert or like they have to take
a seat that's built for men and do something completely different to make it fit women.
And that's just sort of the horrible truth of women in racing. So I would love it if there
were more. Which is kind of wild because where most women race is actually drag cars and circle
track and circle track seats are wildly modular and customizable.
Well, you just bend them till they fit. Bend them and like it's foam. Like it's a lot of
custom stuff. And so like if you need this size ribs with this size hip, like
they're modular. So you just do, you just do that. But in the world of FIA approved carbon and
fiberglass seats, like these are all dudes that they're basing them around.
Right. So that's really exciting. That is exciting. So you got a lot of camber.
And you've got a seat. You got a seat.
Yeah. I got some cool parts for the shifter so that it's closer to me. So I was actually
shifting with like the ball of my hand, pushing it all the way into the far gears.
Little t-rex arm problems. Yeah. Well, that and just the seat position
is better in my new seat. But in my other seat, it was like as far forward as it could go. And I
was still reaching. Yeah. Yeah. We got a custom battery mount, lightweight battery mount specifically
for my car that allowed me to take some battery brackets out of there.
It's from Velcro Engineering. They're great.
Yes. Scott said that I saw things. Scott said you get to move because of that,
you get to move weight from the front of the car to the back of the car. Yep.
Added some ballast plates in the back of the car. So it's much better corner balance now.
We checked out the AC compressor and condenser. We added some radiator ducting.
You don't need to add any power, right? You're already making as much like with that stock
massive Mazda 2. Yeah. All the powers. We don't know how much power this engine's making yet.
We haven't. How does it feel? It feels great. What's the butt dino say?
Well, I haven't driven it in anger yet. Okay. But it feels, I took it for a little test drive
today. It feels very happy. Is it still street legal with air quotes? Yes. Okay. So you can still
do street testing with it. Yeah. That's all we've been able to do.
We're, since we live in the frozen north, there haven't been any track days around yet.
Oh yeah. Probably hasn't even been warm enough to worry about it because there's no grip because
it's, everything's too cold. Yeah. Today might have been okay, but this is like the first day
so far that would have been any good for it. Okay. Yeah. Suspension wise, you're other than
than camber. Are you, what's going on? Real quick, while I grab the mic, one of the big
focuses this year was to lighten up the car as much as we reasonably could. There's some stuff
that we can still do, but so that we could ballast the car where it needed it, which was the right
rear. So we managed to take out about 50 pounds worth of weight. And again, we can still take out
more, but that allowed us to put 50 pounds of ballast where it really needed it to
make it more, you know, turning left and right more similarly,
because it was pretty light on one of the corners. So, yeah. That's probably the biggest
change that we made. Okay. Other suspension wise, is it lower? Is it stiffer? Is it, what's it doing?
No, nothing changed there yet. I want to drive it with the changes we've made first,
and then see what I want it to do. You've got shims for the rear axle? We do. We haven't put them in
yet. Okay. Yeah, you got to see if you think it needs that question mark. Yeah. Okay.
So, I guess the big thing, and I've talked to Scott about this, is
like, why? I mean, what's... Why do I want this? Yeah, like, why do you want it? Why? I mean,
and that's a question I have for everybody who races. Like, what is this,
like, what do you expect to get out of a year of competition that you're not getting in your life
otherwise, that justifies this sort of effort and, you know, I mean, the argument on the show is
that the effort is the thing, but why? Yeah. I think it's changed a lot over the years too.
Like, I wouldn't have wanted to do this a few years ago.
I think, you know, like in the beginning, I just wanted to see if I could do it,
because I didn't think I could do it at first. I thought I'm going to be too scared. I'm not
going to be able to drive that fast. I would ride along with Scott, and I would think, wow, I can
never do that. I feel the same way when I ride with Scott. And then, you know, I did the Sunday
cup thing for a little bit. And then I think doing the one lap in my car a few times with
other Sunday cup drivers and cars really gave me a lot of confidence. And not just in performance
too, but in mental state. Like the first time that I drove it, how it on the one lap in my car,
it was raining and I spun out and it took me all day to mentally recover from that.
Like I just felt like I don't belong here. That was horrible and embarrassing. And what am I doing?
And then the next time we went back to Halit with Sunday cup, I spun again in a different place.
And I laughed so hard and I looked at my trace on the Apex Pro. It did a little loop-de-loo.
And we all had a great laugh about it. There's a picture of me
like full throwing up dirt formula drift. And it was just like so different.
My mental attitude towards it really shifted. So that gave me a lot of confidence.
Where did that come from? Like what changed? Because it wasn't just that you were driving
faster. Because driving faster doesn't justify mistakes. Like oh I made a mistake but I was
driving faster so it's okay. But you made a similar mistake and at one point it was a huge
problem and at the next point it was just something you do.
I think the reason that I made the mistakes was different. In the first one I made the
mistake because I was scared and I lifted or I froze up. And in the second scenario I think
because I was feeling really confident and I was feeling like a do-more. And even though I
spun out I never felt out of control. So you made a mistake because you were going fast
instead of making a mistake because you were going slow?
Yeah well I guess
there's gotta be more. There's gotta be more to it. There's a change. Like
it's a different like between those two years you did Sunday Cup it was a different Becky.
It's not just like the first mistake was a failure. The second mistake
didn't feel like a failure. The other thing that's in my head is the first time we did the Sunday
Cup on the one lap that was your first year of split driving like 50-50. And so there was
the whole thought with Becky about like
contributing to the team equally. Like the overall result would be a true dual effort.
You know the year prior with the Kamiata she drove two tracks but the first year of Sunday
Cup was split track. And so I think there might have been some mental stuff there. But when we
came back it was familiar. You had driven the tracks or you were more familiar with
kind of what you needed to do. I think a lot of it was in the familiarity of the contribution
if that makes sense. I think it also helped that
I just was had more experience and was like compared to the other people in my group
in the Sunday Cup group felt like I was performing well. So that when I did make a mistake and lose
some time it didn't feel like such a failure. Like there wasn't. I still knew I was doing well
overall. Was your regular HPDE offseason like not one lap driving feeling the same at that point?
Is this something that you developed there and then brought to one lap?
I don't know which one came first. I'm trying to think of the track days I did back then.
I think I also had a little bit of a dip in my trajectory after we did Sunday Cup at mid Ohio
and I crashed coming out of turn one and hit the concrete wall there. It wasn't that bad
but it just shook my confidence a little bit and I think
doing the one lap helped me work back up from that.
Having also hit a wall before. It does take a little bit to convince yourself you want to do
scary things again. The next step from that was when Karen, Scott's mom and I did the one lap
and in that scenario I was the performer and I was the one who knew what I was doing.
I wasn't in the supporting role so much as the leading role. Just doing that successfully
making it through the week that gave me a lot of confidence too.
Yeah. I think a lot of people knew you were capable of being the captain of the ship before
you did. Yeah. That's generally true in my life. That happens more than just at the track?
Yeah. Like a few days ago I was telling you about a situation about that at work.
Yeah. Okay. So this is a Becky thing. Yeah. It's interesting. I don't hang out with you enough
socially to know these things about you. I'm really good at acting like I have a lot of
confidence too. Like projecting that. Are you? I think I am but maybe I'm not.
Yeah. And again, most of my time with you has been at the track and honestly most of my time.
What's that? I ask you a lot of questions. So you- Right. And so you're like, I don't know.
Like you're very publicly going, I don't know this. Do you know this?
Yeah. Which I'm okay with that. Definitely. Yeah. But I think you know more than you know.
Yeah. Probably. I suspect you know more than you know.
So yeah. Does that happen at work? I mean you said that you were saying that happened at work.
Does that, do you find that happening at work? Yeah. I don't remember the specific of it now,
but there was something at work where I thought that like I view myself as kind of a junior
in my field. Like that's my perception of myself as a bookkeeper.
Okay. And we interviewed somebody. I'm leaving one of my clients and they had me help interview
my replacement. And it was like somebody that was a little older, more my senior,
and I just kind of assumed that they would know all about what I do there and have an easy time
coming in and just taking over. But this person was really intimidated by hearing
what I do on a weekly basis and like that I am in charge of all this stuff just myself.
And it just, it really shocked me that like maybe I do have a lot of experience and a lot of skills
here. That was you driving Mooncake and coming across a Porsche and being like,
oh, I'm faster than you. Yeah. This is, there's how you do anything is how you do everything.
Yeah, for sure. Getting pretty hard right now. Did we ever get why you're doing this?
Like, did we ever answer that question? Oh, man.
I guess, okay, working up my progression of thinking I couldn't drive on track
and then learning that I could and maybe not so bad at it and gaining some confidence.
I think another step in that would be the one lap last year because
that was going into it. We decided that Scott was going to do all of the track driving.
And I loved my role that week. Like I really got into that supportive role and I feel like,
like I just killed it that week. And she was the crew chief for all three cars for sure.
And that was another moment. I've heard that for more people than just Scott, by the way.
That was another moment of me going in and being like, well, there's all these other great drivers
on these cars. So I'm just going to be the like junior member of the team. But then finding out
that like, well, I have a lot more experience doing alignment on these cars. And like, I know how to,
I'm the one to take a lead on that because I know what I'm doing and I know how to do this
efficiently and have experience doing it. So that was, you know, like what we were just talking
about another moment like that. So that really built my confidence. But also just kind of seeing
Scott be, he's going to hate that I say this, but the star of the show.
It's annoying, isn't it? I mean, just a little bit.
Well, no, I'm super proud of him and I'm glad that he is. But I also like being a star.
Right. That's the annoying part. Like the annoying part is he's actually really good at it.
It would be better if he had to work harder to be good at it. I mean, he is working really hard.
I don't know what you're talking about. Working my ass off over here.
He really does. And I see a lot of that. So he's, he's, he's very nonchalant about his,
his success. And that's, it's, I don't know if it's that Midwestern thing going on. But
yeah, but I kind of back to me. Scott's uncomfortable. Good. I love that.
So I, I saw him doing that at the one lap and thought, I wonder if I could do that.
So like that's been the whole progression of like, I wonder if I can do this track driving thing.
I wonder if I can be the leader of a one lap team. I wonder if I can be the star of the show.
So you kind of have to do that. Like you have to do this then.
Like for who, what do you mean? Well, I mean, like if that's the, if that's the progression,
you can't not do this because it would leave questions in your life. You'd be like,
I don't know if I can be the star of the show because I never tried.
I don't know though, because
sometimes not trying is easier than easier than trying and failing.
It's always easier. That's, that's what I love about not trying Seth. Like the season
haven't even started and this has been a lot of work. I'm tired.
Well, right. But if you, but if you hadn't made this decision, whatever it was five months ago,
you could be totally well rested just being like, whatever, Mooncake's fine. We'll do some
HPDEs. Like if the motor doesn't get in until, you know, May, it's not a big deal.
Yeah. Well, talk about the conversation and your thought process and leading up to you
talking to me about this year. Cause I know that was a hard thing.
Yeah, it was really hard for me to ask for,
and I guess this is a big reason why I'm doing it too, because
there's not a lot of frivolous things that I do for me. And I think that's
just what a lot of adults experience when you have a family and a job, a household,
it's really hard to have anything that you, that I'm doing because I want it and for no other reason.
You know, yes. And like, God, like it's, it'd be so easy to be like, yeah, I'll do my conditioning
workouts once everything else is done. Like if there's time, and that's been kind of
where my driving has fallen. Like I'll drive, if it's convenient for us to bring my car,
I'll get coaching if Scott has time left over at the end of the day to coach me.
And like I said, this was all by design. Like that's what we decided for other seasons.
And I thought this season, Scott's not driving, we're going to bring my car.
This is the time I want to do this. And it was hard for me to ask
Scott to save a dedicated coaching slot for me at all the events, because I know that's
asking him to not have a client so that I can be his client. Right.
So you are bringing up a lot of big feelings in me about my parents' relationship.
Because my mom had a very hard time doing things for my mom. She did things for the household.
She did things for the kids. And then my dad did things for himself.
And I saw that a lot in growing up. I saw it was it was rare to see a couple where
the husband had a big hobby and racing is a big hobby.
And the wife did anything other than support them in their hobby. And I can't think of any
situations where I saw my any of my friend's mom, maybe one. One of my friend's moms had a big hobby.
And I probably had 30 of my friend's moms who did not.
And that's always kind of bothered me. It's bothered me with my mom because I felt like
my mom couldn't stand up for herself and want to do the things she wanted to do because my dad
was busy taking those resources to do the things he wanted to do. Yeah.
And is do you have some of that going on like that you're you don't feel like you can take
the same and this this is predates your relationship with Scott too. But like to feel like you're okay
to take up as much space in the world as the people around you.
So. Yes.
And it's a big it's a big question. And I'm I'm not answering this for Becky but
my recollection as well when Becky first started getting out on track in my car.
This was even before Mooncake the whole notion of like you take up space on the track.
You pay for it. So like your car your dedicated track space like you
you deserve to be out there like you belong out there. That was a
consistent thing for quite a while and maybe it still is to some degree.
Yeah. That's a good example. I was actually thinking about
a big reason. I think I'm very other people focused. Okay. And I think I've always been that way.
Yeah. I think there were a lot of things growing up that were like
I needed to be other people focused.
And I think that has been something hard for me to take up space for sure.
Okay. I was thinking about before
we knew that Mooncake needed a new engine because Scott did a lot of the work over the
winter putting the engine in a big part of it was because I had made some commitments
to do some volunteer construction projects
before we knew we were going to do the engine project. So like Scott was putting in the engine
in my car while I was out taking care of other people.
But you couldn't not take care of those other people. No.
I mean that's what I'm saying. Could you have though? I mean that's the
thing if it would have been not taking care of those other people or not getting the engine
done in time which one would you have chosen?
I'm loving this conversation.
I think if it came down to having to make the choice I could have
said no we need to put this off. But that would be like a last. I would think about it forever.
Don't be ashamed of who you are as a person. You got to learn to live within the bounds of who
you are as a person. You know what I mean? Yeah. But yeah I find the idea that a lot of women
in motorsports who come to motorsports through the men they're hanging out with
don't feel comfortable taking up the same amount of space as the men they're racing with.
Yeah. And usually if like if I went racing and I brought a buddy of mine racing which I've done
many times they grow into that space. And I don't know if that's just because it's a friend thing
and so you know your friends will naturally have a tendency to grow up like that but in
in relationships I don't see the women growing to take up the same amount of space as the men and
bothers me. Like as someone who has a daughter in racing who knows now through my daughter's
friends a bunch of young women who are in race engineering at Purdue it bothers me that the
women in motorsport a lot of the women in motorsport don't take up the same space as the men
and everybody seems fine with it. You started to ask me earlier if it was uncomfortable for me
to be the one who's being supported. Yeah. And it is super uncomfortable.
But I figured we'd come back around to that. I don't know like it shouldn't be.
No. You put a tremendous amount of effort into supporting Scott. Like the one lap
last year like it was all effort into supporting Scott. But if you flip those roles
are you comfortable with that? Like if Scott said let's do one lap. Let's do one lap next year.
Let's do one lap 20 27. We'll do it in mooncake and you'll be the sole driver and I'll do you
I'll do the race engineering because like I can't fit you know Scott can't fit in your driver's
seat anymore. But if you wanted to go if you both wanted to go you had the funds
how would you feel about that level that same level of support from Scott?
I think if you would have asked me six months ago it would have been a lot harder for me to say
I'd be okay with that. But like it's already it's already been happening these last couple months.
Like Scott's in the garage working on my car. A lot. A lot. And I've worked on the car a lot too
but sometimes he's out there working on it and I have to be doing something else and that's super
uncomfortable. Right. I've told him that. But when he used to work on his car without you you were fine.
Yeah.
But I mean I'm just saying like if like Scott put a new motor in his car
and you were like. I know like what you're saying is logical and makes sense. I get that.
Okay. But it's it's uncomfortable it's it's been I know that's that it's okay.
Okay. And then I can wrestle with being uncomfortable about it but it's still what we're
doing and what we've planned on doing and what I want.
There's a meme and if you've seen it you've known it. It's a clip from a some cartoon but it basically
preface it with how comfortable are you asking for help and it's this little game boy with arms
and legs and it grabs two AA batteries lays them on the ground opens its little battery compartment
takes it out dies falls back onto the batteries that are put there reboots and then gets up
and we laugh very hard at it but like that's Becky.
Don't worry. I'll take care of myself.
Yeah.
That is 100% what I would do if I were that game boy.
All right. So are you what's what's your personal level of hype versus apprehension
for this season tiny little bit of hype huge apprehension like the hype is starting to work
its way in as we're getting closer but also we're going on spring break in a couple days and
when we get back from being at Disney World for nine days which is a whole thing. Oh my god.
You're gonna be at Disney World for nine days. Well, we'll be at different parks like well
Universal will be will be there for nine days. That sounds like a lot and then we get back from
that we're home for three days and then we haul down to CMP Carolina Mortar Sports Park for the
first competition with good life. So the apprehension because of that schedule logistics is very high.
I wouldn't even be able well I'm not sure I enjoy Disney anyway but like I would spend the whole
time at Disney thinking about the fact that racing is coming up. It would drive me nuts.
I think I'm better adjusted than I am. We have we have worked a lot over the last
couple of weeks and months and like we're trying to be ready to go to grid life before we leave
for vacation to make that easier but also I think I'm more of the it'll all work out with
logistics kind of person and won't think about it on vacation. It'll be fine and Scott's a better
planner than I am and has been making making sure that we are preparing ahead of time so
I think it'll be okay. You can lean on Scott for that. He loves that. He does. He does. He does.
So what what does success look like for the season?
I think
you want a solid goal but I'm going to give you mushy answers.
I roasted her about this before we got on the podcast already.
Okay like Scott and I did not plan this at all. This is coming from me 100% for me.
Okay success has a lot to do with knowing what I put into the season ahead of time
and knowing that I'm not giving myself any excuses. So like feeling like I did my best.
Okay because you're not half assing car prep or your prep.
That is one thing that I think I'm pretty good at is whole assing whatever I do.
So that means like what are your own standards you have to live up to then?
I want to okay like not crying was legit on my list of goals like to not have a performance
that I feel so bad about that I cry about it all day.
Do you have a tint advisor on your helmet? I do.
Okay that's probably a good thing if that's a concern of yours because you're the only one
who knows what's going on inside your helmet. Yeah and that's like a that's not just a performance
goal that's a mental performance goal as well of like even if I mess up I want to have the
perspective to know that it's not the end of the world that everybody doesn't hate me now
that Scott's not disappointed in me that even that is acceptable.
How do you refocus that energy like how do you refocus a disappointment from
those those negative thoughts and those negative things towards I don't know any literally anything
else? I think focusing on what the plan is for the next time helps me. Okay um
a little treat a little treat always helps.
I mean somebody needs to follow you around with like butterscotch candies and just like
coffee usually coffee the caffeine helps.
I actually think as much as I hate it talking to other drivers
or reviewing video or like getting other people's
feedback helps as hard as it is for me because I want to just like hide those things.
Right like where's the where's the transition from I did bad to I can do better like
because that's the thing when you come off track and you've done poorly I certainly have lived that
like that's been my my driving life but but you you come off track and there's there's two
ways to think about it you're like god I was bad at that or man I've got room for improvement.
Yeah and and those are like those are the same reactions to the exact same performance
and I'm not sure I think I've gotten better at it shifting towards one than the other but how do
you like are you prepared to make that thing have you thought about making that difference
between those two things? Well I think overall I've gotten a lot better at that over the last
couple of years like having those days and getting through them and knowing
that I've done it all those times helps me know helps me reflect on that and see that like
it's happened before it's going to happen again it's no big deal.
The other thing is she has also been getting much better at over particularly over the last
year with coming off track and saying it went okay but I know of a few things that I need to tighten
up like I know of a few places where I can improve and so that she's not like she doesn't get off
track very much anymore and just say it felt bad I have no idea what's happening can someone help
me sort of thing it's a lot more of it wasn't the best but I know I was messing up the entry of
turn 10 I know that I was rushing the exit here or something like that and like honestly we have
data we have video so like an immediate review of that stuff if I feel like something went really
bad is like let's look at the facts you know let's look at what actually happened what did I do
that caused that rather than just like wow I'm crap at driving you know.
So you need a practiced response like in order to get into this particular headspace I practice
getting into this headspace and then get better at it yeah for sure okay so that whole like learning
to be nice to yourself thing yeah or at least not be mean to yourself so we haven't gotten to what
success looks like yet like you haven't answered that question all right not crying not well not
crying like that's the first the first step but this gotta be more to what is being in the mix
like I don't want to be I want to be in the competitive mix okay I want to be
looking for where I can find a couple tents to go faster than the next competitor you know
not looking for whole seconds well maybe well I mean like well that's that that's the hope is
that you're you're not multiple whole seconds off people that are at the point yeah exactly
you're not like I want to be looking for tents not looking for seconds it's a good okay way to put it
okay scotch referring me to our talk that we had at the end of last season and what I said my goals
were oh this is good what were your goals at the end of last season well committing to competition
is something that I think is already in my head so I I think I've already in my headspace
committed to competition but it's really easy to just go to a track weekend and think I want
to do my best and I want to feel good whatever happens whatever place I'm in I don't care I
just want to have fun but I decided this season that I want to try to be competitive and like I
said not give myself any excuses like I'm just having an off weekend it's okay if I this is the
best I can do but like okay not just settle for that like work during the weekend to see
what I can get better at okay so it's reviewing I mean I told Scott I want to review session
after every session to have something to work on for the next session
so when you say commit to competing that's also like a that's like a season thing
that's going like I'm gonna try hard this time but I also have another event that I'm gonna try
hard at and then I have another event that I'm gonna try hard at and like I'm doing the whole
season and I'm gonna try hard the whole time yeah and like even preseason over the off season
has been part of that too like doing sim work doing conditioning workouts working on the car
that's all that's terrible what all of that sounds terrible it's hard yeah dude every day
that's the hard part almost every day yeah so in that sense like I've already been
successful in that sense in that I feel like I'm in the mindset of competition like
we're whole ass in this we're trying we're we're doing all the things
so the the car's ready almost ready back he's ready back he's ready
Scott's doing his thing I don't know if that means he's ready or not Scott's ready Scott's ready
yeah so no I think Scott's ready to go back to the track and like end of January
just yeah he's he's been a little weird in antsy about that sort of thing so like him
him not competing this year is a whole other podcast and his mental state associated with
that so we don't really need to talk about that I think he really needed my car to work on
I'm not sure that's true at all I'm gonna be
I think he needed your car to be ready yeah you're right but I'm I'm not but
that's the the question is did he need did he need him to get it ready did he need that
the control where he was like it's ready because I did it or does he just need to know what's ready
that's the million dollar question tune in next I can answer that right now are we doing this
yeah sure answer the question no the I worked on the car because I knew that two things would
happen one it either wouldn't be done in time or I'd be I don't want to say getting bugged but
like I would have to have a hand in it at some point right and so me taking the lead role that I
did in some ways was not my choice and in others like I don't like to be as we've discussed I
don't like to be prepping a car super heavily a week two weeks before an event do not like it
poor planning poor preparation and so I knew and this isn't us I'm not trying to be a dick
to Becky because she knows but like that is my specialty over hers is planning and preparing
and getting things ready that's the inevitability as your as your role on the team is you were
going to do that so yep okay I have one more thing that success looks like to me we've talked
about this a little bit in just my progression but feeling in control at or over the limit of the car
on track okay like being comfortable with that
so you have to know in order to know what's too much you have to get there occasionally yeah
and not view that as a failure right just as an exploration to the other side yeah okay it's hard
to do it's hard for me to do Scott and I've talked about this a lot it's hard for me to do in
fast areas I can make mistakes in tight parts of the track all the time like I'll I mean that's
what I'm good at but but making mistakes where it's fast big fast sweeping corners big fast
braking areas those give me the heebie jeebies yeah I'm not good at it um and I suspect you're a
little bit like that too I'm a little bit like that too yeah it's it's the big I'm the opposite
right right that's why Scott hates autocross because it's like making mistakes when you're
slow it's dumb but um um Becky and I briefly because we just recorded that podcast about
hopes versus goals and so Becky does have a few hopes for the season as well oh good what are your
hopes I hope to be on the podium that's my first hope at least once at least once at least once
yeah okay do I have to tell the other one you don't have to say anything you don't want to say
but I will ask you I hope to be in the top five for the season okay which of those two do you think
is more realistic I think I think I can get a podium okay I think you can be the season
you can be fast on one day but maybe not as consistent as you hope to be no not that I won't
be consistent but the season depends a lot on who else shows up and for how many events I think
and I don't have any control over that this is true because we're I'm only doing four events
so like a bunch of people go to all six events and do well
also if anyone is selling a time attack ticket for Midwest Festival Lime Rock Park or Watkins
Glen holler at me because Becky needs tickets for those three or me holler at me too if you know
yeah I feel like those who should have been bought before the season but what do I know
that you can't always they sell out really fast I tried
um who do you want to thank I mean Scott but thinking Scott is lame like
yeah but like he really he really has put in like so much work and not just work but planning and like
his experience and like knowing what to do and knowing what I need and when to push me and when
to make me think harder about things that I wouldn't that I would normally avoid thinking about so
that's really a huge thanks to Scott uh I want to thank Valkyrie Engineering they're just so
so great like making custom parts for my car and helping us solve little strange problems
race tech love my new seat they've been great to work with G lock always is really good to us
race sense I'm actually going to have somebody taking my tire temperatures
oh it's gonna feel so weird I want to thank Chris Taylor huge thanks to him he's like
I ask him so many questions all the time I'm constantly pestering him and he's helps us
get parts and all all the things so he's been he knows so much about these weird little cars
yeah and he's so great just always willing to help me so yep
cool is that it is if I is there any questions I haven't asked Scott where where can people
follow along to oh yeah where can people follow us um Robertson Racing all that stuff my my own
Instagram is yeah underscore Becky underscore Polly his Polly was my goat in high school
she was my best friend so yeah YAH underscore Becky underscore Polly um that's probably about it
you can follow Terry track cat underscore murder mittens it was his one year birthday
yesterday we had a birthday party such a big chunky boy now he is he's almost 18 pounds
that's absurd and he's not fat like he's actually like kind like he's not skinny but he's
he's lanky the dude's just huge yeah um I'm gonna ask for you to put in the show notes like the
specific model of that seat if you have it because if any other women have listened to this um like
that they can at least go I want to sit in this model of seat and see how it fits me so we are also
a race deck dealer so we can get seats ordered and shipped and anything anything race deck we can get
dopey or like come find me at the track and put your butt in my seat
unless you're Scott because you can't fit in the car I don't think he can yeah
what cannon I did a lot of you dudes can't fit in my seat
good he shouldn't stay out of there
well we are at track walking podcast on facebook instagram discord is where we hang out
where you can see cat and car pictures and uh we had a good discussion on f1 recently and some
arrows stuff but yeah um that's kind of where we generally hang out and stuff so it'll be
interesting and exciting to see uh to see what happens this year with Becky and uh all that good
stuff so it's gonna be good I'm excited good are you excited I'm excited too five percent excited
20 percent nervous 75 percent not there yet hangry that might that might be true too well
that's gonna do it for us this week thanks for listening and uh yeah really appreciate it do all
the uh liking and subscribing and sharing and stuff like that it genuinely does help us and
we enjoy being helped for the three of us here I'm Scott and I'm Seth and I'm Becky have good week
we'll talk to you next
About this episode
Becky Robertson describes a season built around her as the driver, with Scott shifting into coaching and car-building support. The conversation moves through confidence-building track time, ergonomic and setup changes to Mooncake, and the mental work of learning to judge progress without constant car changes. She also reflects on balancing family, work, and racing, and sets clear goals for the year: stay in the competitive mix, review every session, and keep improving without excuses.
Becky is going to try not to cry... Seth asks all the hard questions... and Scott gets uncomfortable...
Becky is going to compete in Sundae Cup (Club SC) this year, so we talk to her about taking up space, how the change from feeling like a failure to identifying opportunities, and what she's hoping from this venture.
