All of that said, I want to now focus on what happens after the race. Coming home after these huge events requires, at least for me, a sort of decompression time-out. We are constantly on the go at the track with little time to reflect on what is happening, so after a race I am starting something new for me.

I take a little time out to be thankful for all of the people who love and support me and the sport of drag racing. I then recall all of the good things that happened at the race. It’ s easy to recall the things that didn’ t go your way, but appreciating all of the things that did work out for you can be huge in changing your attitude.

I used to get home and think about how things could have been better or how I could have won that round, and very quickly I’ d be down a rabbit hole of what-ifs. Of course, my goal is to win every race I enter, and being prepared mentally and physically always leads to more success. After the race is where I can think about how I could be better while being grateful for what we have accomplished.

Beating yourself up does nothing but set you up for future failure, whereas taking time to reflect positively will help you better yourself. The key here is to focus your mind on what’ s good. When we focus on the good, our actions, attitudes, and behavior will follow, with us being grateful, not regretful.

I am so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life, and that is where I focus. The Winter Series races brought on-track success and off-track success – relationships were formed and friendships strengthened. The choice to make the day better for someone else is always a victory and makes you feel great doing it.

In short, if you’ re selfish and racing is all about the on-track results, you will probably be miserable most of the time. Why not choose the true victory that comes from being grateful just to be there? Drag racing round wins can be decided by thousandths of a second – don’ t let your attitude be also.

All the money in the world won’ t buy you peace and happiness. Just look around and you will know what I mean. Here is what a guy I met at the races told me. He said,“ People always ask me why I never win, and my response is that just being here and enjoying what I do already marks me as a winner.” Needless to say, we got along very well that weekend.

So start reflecting on what’ s good in your life and just see how things change for you. The way in which you view yourself will make you a winner or a loser. As always, that choice is yours to make. DI

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