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NASCAR BGN: The Psychology of Daytona; One race, one shot at a successful season?

9 February 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.-- Major League Baseball players have more than 162 games to get it right, NBA players play over 80 games to perfect their slam dunk and NFL teams get at least 16 games under their belt before championship playoffs begin.

But in the NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division, the season-opening event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway is their "Super Bowl."

"If you can come out of the box and win Daytona, it makes your year go by a lot easier especially knowing you've won one of the most important events of the season," said Randy LaJoie, winner of last year's NAPA Auto Parts 300 and driver of the No. 1 Bob Evans Chevrolet.

"It gives the guys on the crew an extra pat on the back, because it reinforces the belief that their hard work over the last two months has paid off," the two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion added. "They seem to carry that momentum throughout the season."

Why do drivers, teams and owners put so much emphasis on this season-opening event?

"NASCAR is Daytona and Daytona is NASCAR, it's as simple as that," said LaJoie, who begins his second season with the Bob Evans team. "It's the most prestigious race of the year, but it's also the first race of the year."

With that much pressure right from the start, a team's mental preparation is every bit as important as its physical preparation. The team's state of mind is key to its success over the 32-race schedule, according to Dr. Rick Peper, organizational psychologist and president of RJ Peper and associates in Charlotte, N.C.

"The first race sets mental momentum for the rest of the season," Peper said. "Our culture has decided that Daytona is so important that how you perform there will dictate how you feel about yourself.

"Motivation is a continuum," Peper added. "We tend to see each race individually, but that is not the way it works. Motivation builds on itself from race to race."

Just as a strong finish can spark a team, a poor showing at Daytona can be a setback to a team's hopes at the beginning of the season.

"If you have a bad week, a lot of guys are walking around with long faces," said LaJoie.

"The guys have been waiting months to show what they can do at Daytona."

So, what makes Daytona different?

"I think there are more distractions in Daytona, because you've got more media attention, more sponsor obligations and more team responsibilities," said Jacques Dallaire, Ph.D., of Human Performance International. "It pulls at them more mentally because of all the distractions. Intuitively, we all want to perform well under any circumstance."

Concluded LaJoie: "Daytona sets the tone for what the drivers anticipate down the pike. Racers are racers they want to win."

Springboard to Success

NASCAR Busch Series drivers who have had success at the season-opening event at Daytona the past few years have finished in the top-10 in points, including Randy LaJoie, who won the race and the title in 1997.

Year Race Winner Points Position

1999 Randy LaJoie 10
1998 Joe Nemecheck* 39
1997 Randy LaJoie 1
1996 Steve Grissom* 45
1995 Chad Little 2

*Denotes NASCAR Winston Cup drivers who did not complete the full NASCAR Busch Series season.

Text Provided by Cotter Group

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