Be the Complete Racer: Be Mentally Tough

Number 2 in a countdown of things racers must do to be successful is to be mentally tough, shutting out outside influences in order to concentrate on the job at hand.

Seldom do the things you want in life just land in your lap. Success requires a lot of hard work. It also requires giving some things up. Racing happens on weekends, often far from home. So travel and a lot of missed events are part of the lifestyle.

A racing driver better be prepared to hear about all the great parties, the weddings, the life, they've missed. A racing driver who wants to make it to the top better be hard. A racing driver has to be mentally tough.

"You've got to think of it this way: There are a lot of drivers out there what would kill for this ride," says Tristan Nunez, driver of a Mazda SKYACTIV Prototype int he TUDOR United SportsCar Championship who, at 19, is at an age where most of his peers are in college and living the associated lifestyle while he's been pursuing this dream for years. "I'm very fortunate to be where I am. The things that I missed out on - like prom or a regular high school experience - it doesn't really faze me. I have a lot of passion for this sport, what I do, and I wouldn't give anything up for it. But, again, there are a lot of life lessons I haven't learned yet. Being thrown into a professional atmosphere, and being thrown into the business side of it as well, without having a full college degree - or just life skills in general - it's been a challenge."