Did you you know?
Karting, a.k.a. kart racing and go-karting
/ˈkɑːrtɪŋ/./kɑːt ˈreɪsɪŋ/./ɡəʊ ˈkɑːrtɪŋ/
Cole Hooton, professional racing driver, is living proof that our LEARN-PERFORM-TRANSFORM is more than a company motto – it’s a way of tackling goals. Cole, who’s working towards becoming a world champion, has been using this methodology in his approach.
He’s been learning the terrain for each race, scoping out his competition, and figuring out what he and his team each bring to the table… All of which helps him hone his performance come race day. And from there, he takes key learnings so he can transform his game as a driver.
We’re proud to have so much in common, and to be able to sponsor him on his way to greatness.
Read on to hear from Cole about his exciting racing experience!
ADAPTING FOR SUCCESS - A BENCHMARK STORY
BY: COLE HOOTON
This July I competed in the third round of the Motomaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship at the Canadian Mini Indy in Hamilton Ontario. Tight, bumpy, and physically demanding, the Canadian Mini Indy possesses a unique challenge compared to other tracks I’ve driven, as it requires an unorthodox driving style to extract fast lap times. Here, one mistake can be all the difference in winning or going home empty-handed.
When attacking new challenges, I begin with identifying the unique elements of a track and my weaknesses that I’ll need to improve. I knew that to come away with a podium that weekend I must grasp the unconventional track surface and corners combined with adapting my driving style. However, I couldn’t accomplish this on my own. Throughout the event I worked with a race team of mechanics and driver coaches to help me perform at the top of my ability. They were the difference makers for me as we started out the week on the backfoot and by working together we managed to close the time gap before the weekend.
Each race was a gruelling test of what I had learned during the week. With 15-lap prefinals and 30-lap finals, there was little room for error, I had to be as consistent as possible. The first day my hard work paid off, as I came away with a great podium finish and momentum for the next day. Day two threw me a curve ball as after a solid qualifying, I broke down in the prefinal causing me to start last for the final race. Then taking what I learned of the track and my strong racing knowledge, I performed a hard-fought comeback. I transformed my last place (16th) starting position into a 6th place finish, winning the driver of the day award, and ending off the weekend accomplishing my goals.
Going through the process of learning and adapting for each track allows me to grow as a driver. What I have learned from this weekend I’ll need for other challenges that arise, allowing me to adapt to succeed wherever I go.
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