Are you one of those people who look around the pits and does what everyone does? Do you set your car up just like the guy next to you? Do you have the same springs in the car as the leader? Do you run the same stagger as everyone else? If this is you, I pose this question, “Why follow everyone else?”

Doesn’t a racer want to win? So why not lead, instead of follow? Why not as ask why?

In today’s racing world of crate motors, store bought cars, spec tires, etc., why not strive to be more? If you have a true passion for racing you should be pushing yourself to the limit, be on the cutting edge, look to be different, not just follow the herd. But alas, this is what the majority of the racers do. They see someone buy an engine from so and so and they go out and buy one too. They put it in and run just like they did with their old motor. Why, why did they just spend all that money and not gain anything? Maybe they should have asked why to begin with?

If you are racing, shouldn’t you be spending time focusing on why something is done instead of just what is being done? Asking “why” is a powerful question. It forces people to think deeply. It forces you to tear back the layers and get a better understanding of what it all means.

Asking “why” seems easy enough. It’s just a little word, after all. So, why don’t racers ask this powerful question more often?

In my many years of racing, I have seen a lot of racers go to the local hot shoe and inquire about their winning setup and then proceed to put it in their car as is. They don’t try to understand why the hot shoe runs this particular combo of springs, shocks, etc., the racer just puts it in with the anticipation of running better. There is the occasional time when it works, but most times it doesn’t because the racer does not know why it should work.

This leads to the racer having a tough time distinguishing between why to do something and doing just what you’re told to do. When you ask why, you now commit yourself to spending the time revealing the real issue or effect. Now, you will be able to take the appropriate action in an educated manner, because you know why.

So you should not only ask “why”, but then also give an appropriate amount of time and effort to determine the real answer. It could be as simple as taking a few more measurements or a few minutes of thought or perhaps you will need to spend some time thinking about the issue. Reach out to knowledgeable people who will give you truthful, honest answer, research the reason for the issue or change, and sometimes return at a later time with an answer. When you spend the time asking “why”, it turns a “you should do” into a highly productive learning method.

When you challenge yourself to think it is what stimulates discovery, solutions and growth. This is what we at DDR Motorsports Development are all about. We want to teach you the why. There are many programs out there that will have you pay for the “solution” but never really give you the solid foundation to build on. We want to be different. Please feel free to reach out us with any question or comments as we are here to help.