I also knew it would be a difficult race. But I wanted to win that title as badly as anything in my life. I had worked hard at it all season, and knew I could do it. That s where visualization came into the picture. The evening before the race, when everyone had gone home, I let my mind relax.
Racetracks can be one of the most peaceful places in the world when there s no racing going on.
This is especially true at sunset. There s all that real estate out there, and the track just quietly waiting for the competitors to come out and challenge it. That night, alone in the motorhome, I closed my eyes and played out every scenario I could think of for the coming race. I knew where Kenny was faster, and where I had the edge. I also knew where he would try to make his move.