This past weekend on October 14th, I had the pleasure of attending Petit Le Mans 2023 at Road Atlanta. This 10-hour race got me thinking about the lessons we can take away from the event and apply to our lives both personally and professionally.
In this article, I'll highlight the lessons from two perspectives 1) The driver/team and 2) the audience.
- Endurance: the endurance race isn't short and it's about how long you can go and come out on top. More than that, in this championship race, it isn't just about winning this race, but having enough points accumulated over the season to win the championship (and maybe get an invite to Le Mans in France the following year). So even if you're down, you have to fight not to be out.?
- Teamwork: each car has a team of drivers that switch on and off throughout the race. Together, the teams literally race to the finish based on how they strategize to use the strengths of each team member. There is a larger team supporting the driver's efforts including the pit team that can make or break the race.?Having an aligned strategy as a team with constant communication is key to coming out on top.
- Focus: each member of the team must focus on their role and execute with excellence. Losing focus can cause damage to the car, themselves, and the win.?
- Respect: at Petite Le Mans, there isn't just one group of cars racing at a time. There are different classes of cars that have different speeds and capabilities, yet they all race together during the 10 hours. During the race, when a different class of car is trying to pass you, they flash their lights or you get a flag reminding you to let them pass. This respect supports the efforts of both cars within their class and doesn't put anyone down for how fast they can go.
- Competition: as it is a race, there is competition. Sometimes there is competition within the same larger team when an owner has multiple drivers across different cars in the same class. This competition acts as a catalyst to excel. In our lives, we often gamify everything in order to make it a competition, even against our past selves.
- Paying dirty is penalized: while it is awesome to see different classes of cars racing together, sometimes one car can cause another car from a different class to wreck. This and other actions are penalized in accordance with IMSA rules. Playing by the rules of the game is important. We can challenge why a rule may exist and try to enact change, but adhering to the rule while it exists is still important to equity and safety.
- Sometimes you win under caution: In the final minutes of the 2023 race, a car caught fire and caused the race to be completed under a white flag caution. Sometimes you don't get to race to the end you thought you had in mind, so plan for unknowns as you strategize.
- Spectators not in the track: there was such a large audience that showed up for the big event on Saturday, more than I've seen in years. Many spectators were there in awe of the teams, the cars, and the race. Some spectators may have felt they could do it better, but it's really about the people in the arena (or the track).
- Security/Safety: in a crowd this large, one can feel a lack of safety; however, this large collective generally respects boundaries. Whether is respecting people's belongings (chairs, tents, etc.) or having a willingness to adjust when attendees may not understand the etiquette of the track, it is a reminder that there is still good in humanity in a world full of chaos.
- Enjoy the ride: we're all here to do one thing - have fun! Some sit at their RV all day, others head to Spectator Hill, and others move around the entire track and have a morning run. The 4-day motorsport racing event (including the main 10-hour championship race) is an opportunity for people from everywhere to gather together around a common joy and participate how they want to. It was a joy to be able to watch the race surrounded by friends and family (and a lot of strangers) all excited for the journey to the finish.
