Saturday Night Lights

The rumble of the engines vibrate the ground under your feet and get your heart pumping faster. The smell of fuel and atmosphere of heat from the cars fills the already thick air. The world around you blurs in the speed of the moment. The lights, the fans and the team motivate you. This is why we race. This is what it's like on a Saturday night at the track.

Riverhead Raceway, Metro New York's NASCAR home track, hosted drivers in their Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series on Saturday, May 8, and we were there. It was an exciting race day, to say the least. It prompted me to share some advice with fellow drivers and future drivers as well. People ask me all of the time how I get my head in the game and stay focused during a race. Things certainly happen fast, so the best advice I can share is: Stay calm.

Remaining calm helps you think clearly. Stay focused during each lap. Talk to your team and spotter, or eyes in the sky. Handle your car the best you can, with the track changing from the afternoon to night time conditions. Sometimes you hit it just right and other times you learn what not to do. It's a constant process.

If you're a driver or a part of a race team, how do you focus before or during a race? Please share in the comments.