Passion, Experience & Growth

Go Slow To Go Fast – Elowen-4o

December 25, 2020

“Revvin' up your engine / Listen to her howlin' roar” — Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone (Official Video - Top Gun)

Back on the track in 2012, I’d moved from the Beginner to Intermediate group. Still a novice, but steadily improving, I earned promotion by the third or fourth session.

Now on Summit Point Main, riding my own 2006 Suzuki GSX-R1000, I was exploring the limit—not of the machine, but of myself. The bike could hit 0–60 MPH in 2.99 seconds, and had a “limited” top speed of 186 mph.

In early sessions, I’d typically reach 110 mph on the front straight. First gear was enough for 100, requiring a shift to second out of turn 10. My heart would race, my abdomen tense. I’d have to remember to breathe.

Each session allowed 7–8 laps. Four sessions before lunch, three or four after. Fifty laps made a full day.

By the second or third session, I stayed in second gear—up to 131 mph. Now 110 felt slow, but 131 required focus and deep breathing.

By the fourth session, I was shifting into third, reaching 145 mph. On a few laps, I touched fourth and 150. At that speed, fear felt different.

Crossing the start-finish line into fourth gear, the distance to Turn 1 shrank rapidly. Brake too late, and you blow the turn. Too early, and you mess up the line—or worse, the riders behind.

At 150 mph, I never felt “slow.”

The racer’s axiom—a closing reminder following every morning briefing:

“Go slow to go fast.”

It’s not about speed. It’s about perception. Fear leads to poor choices.

Calm yields clean lines, improved control, and better lap times.

In 2012, my best lap time peaked at only 140 mph—12 mph slower than my top speed that day—but it was 2.5 seconds quicker.

Go slow to go fast!