Originally Posted by
railer80
Don't rely on your setup, you have to adapt to the car as well. I see guys at the track spending forever changing setups because they think it'll magically change the cars characteristics. Setup does, but it won't change what kind of car you drive.
+1...and it won't change the fact that you're punched everywhere.
Ever wonder how guys get 10+ mins a tank? It's not magic - tune plays a big part, but so does your trigger finger. You should only be at full throttle maybe once a lap, if your track has a big long straight. Maintaining momentum is the key.
Also, learn to gauge your abilities against the top level drivers in your area. For example, I was at Hemet this past weekend for a JBRL and watched Adam Drake make a section only about half the time. I know that if he can only make something 50% of the time, it's really not even worth it for me to try to make it at all. Yet I still saw the majority of the sportsman guys gun it and hope for the best - lap after lap. Be realistic in your abilities and don't think you need to quad everything to be fast.
One last thing, don't let one mistake snowball into several. I see a lot of guys crash once early on, then strap it up and drive over their heads to try and make up time. It's impossible and usually leads to guys blowing out. Don't let a mistake frustrate you. You will make mistakes. Everyone does, we're human after all. My Dad has this saying that if you get marshalled, roll the next jump then get back into rhythm.