I don’t really like dwelling on the past, nor on much that would be considered negative. Still, you can learn from the past and stuff that did not go so well… such as a crash. Particularly, how to move on from a crash. The following is a fairly lengthy piece; I wanted to put a lot of thoughts and advice in one place for you (just in case).

Recovering From a Crash

There are two kinds of high-performance and race drivers: those who have crashed, and those who will. Okay, a third type, too: Those who are crashing right now (stop reading this and get back to driving!).

I know it doesn’t take the sting out of having had one, but the very best drivers in the world also have shunts every now and then, so you’re in good company. Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton… all crashed (and in Hamilton’s case, will continue to crash until the day he retires). Everyone makes mistakes, is the unlucky target of others’ errors, or has to deal with a car problem that leads to a crash.

Now, before I scare or depress you, think logically about this.

How many track laps have you driven in your track-driving "career"? Your number doesn’t have to be super accurate, but make a good estimate. Actually, write that number down. Then estimate how many corners you’ve driven through fast, based on that many laps. Make note of that number, too. Now, write down how many times you’ve crashed. I’m guessing the number of corners you’ve driven is fairly large compared to the number of crashes you’ve had.

I suspect that when you think logically, the odds of crashing are actually quite low (probably lower than being in a crash on the road in your everyday driver).

Still, **it happens.

It’s how you recover from a crash that matters most.

So, you can crash. And that can cost you money, time, and maybe even personal injury. It can also be a bummer, something not easy to get over and get back up to speed. It may create some mental challenges for you.

That’s what this is all about: getting “back on the horse,” back in driver’s seat, back on track, and back up to the speed you were at before. As the title says, it’s about recovering from a crash. I’m not going to touch the rebuilding or replacement of your car; I’ll stick strictly to how you can regain and rebuild your confidence and get back up to speed.




Immediately After a Crash
Before getting into how to move on from a crash, it’s important to go over what you should do *immediately* after having one.

First, stay in your car, unless it’s on fire. Youʻll be safer staying where you are than if you try to get out of the car (where, possibly, other cars could lose control and hit you). Plus, you may not even be aware of an injury until youʻre out, and having the track safety crews there to help can minimize further injury.

If your car is on fire (and I’m speaking from personal experience here), get out as quickly and as safely as you can. But before you do, activate your onboard fire extinguisher, if you have one (if you’re in wheel-to-wheel racing, that should be standard equipment). The number of drivers who are unclear on where the button is to activate the extinguisher, and who haven’t practiced using it, is far too high (again, speaking from personal experience).

The track safety and medical personnel will check you over, but even if they’ve signed off on you and said you’re okay, be aware. I know of too many drivers who thought they were fine (had even been told by track medical personnel that they were), only to feel sick or in pain later that day or the following day. They had concussions, or broken bones, without knowing. In the stress and panic after a crash, it is easy not to notice symptoms that you would if you weren’t in shock (even a little bit).

I’ve also heard of far too many drivers who didn’t want their spouse at home to know anything about the crash, so they don’t mention it. And in a couple of the situations I know of, the driver had fairly major issu