By Dane Simpson
Dane – Being a returning driver, what is something you took away from your 1st season that will give you an edge?
Abhi – My first season is what I’d call disastrously-successful! I learned a lot! Mostly, what NOT to do! I knew there was a lot more to racing than just being able to do a fast lap. My first season definitely confirmed that! To be fair, I was learning more than just racing, I was also learning the software in general. I have much higher expectations for my 2nd season. I am still not confident if I will be in the top two to make it into premier, but I think I can put up a good fight this time. I know how to manage a race better now. I know how to pace myself and let the race come to me, work with the tendencies of the car, and manage to get to the end in one piece.
Dane – D series is varied, did you find that experience in a variety of disciplines helped your overall ability?
Abhi – 100%. I would have probably debated that before running the season. But then I noticed after running a few ovals, I had so much better throttle control and was able to use that to drive better in the road courses. Also turn in, ovals really help you learn the art of turning in…something I didn’t pay too much attention to, but now I realize how critical it is. I also found that I really enjoy dirt track racing. As the season went on, I started to get the hang of keeping the car in control and that also taught me a lot.
Dane – You had a chance to run some of the Premier races, did you take any experience away from those races?
Abhi – Yes I did. I learned that the Premier guys are insanely-fast and consistent. I learned how they managed races, despite adversity and it really taught me a lot. They are fast, but that is probably the least important of the skills. They just know how to manage a race and think a few steps ahead. They are also consistent, something that can break your will when you are trying to keep up with them. Yeah I can pull off a few lucky fast laps, but they just keep doing that again and again, beating you up. I also learned that they are not invincible, they make mistakes for sure. They just have a way to minimize the damage of those mistakes, which I thought was impressive too. I hope to get into a few premier races this season and I hope to give them some heartburn!
