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IndyCar drivers lose far more than they win, making it difficult to find “success.”
But as with golf, finishing second every weekend doesn’t make you a loser like it does in individual sports – in fact, it would be the most successful season ever.
“It’s tough, because obviously there can only be one race winner every time we race. So it’s not easy,” 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson said in a recent interview with PK Press Club Digital.
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Chip Ganassi Racing driver Marcus Ericsson (8) celebrates victory in the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500, Saturday, May 28, 2022, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Grace Hollars/USA TODAY NETWORK Syndication)
And for this reason, Ericsson has its own personal “mental coach” who gives it daily exercises and advice on different goals.
In the morning, Ericsson will note what he has improved on, where his focus is, and where he has had success. At night, he reflects on the positives he had throughout the day.
“It takes a lot of thinking. What’s interesting about mental training and personal coaching is the thinking part. It’s not only that the questions can be quite simple, but you also have to take the time and be present and think about things. That’s what’s really powerful,” Ericsson said.
“A lot of people are so caught up in life, there’s always something happening, the next thing, and you keep going. If you stop every morning and every evening, sit down for 10 minutes and think about your day or how you feel, what’s going on in your mind, I think that’s very powerful. Putting pen to paper and writing it down is also a very powerful thing.”
Driving at a speed of 200 mph is a mental challenge in itself. Given that Ericsson does this for hours, he must be very locked in, and that’s where his partnership with Allegra comes in.
Marcus Ericsson has teamed up with Allegra to keep him sharp and focused as he fights for another Indy500 victory. (Scott Heins/Courtesy of Allegra)
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“It’s just really important in what I do. You have to stay alert, you don’t have to have brain fog or anything like that. That’s where Allegra really helps me,” Ericsson said, noting peak allergy season. “Helps me stay alert, helps me stay locked in. So that’s very important to me.”
By practicing his mental game, Ericsson had to train himself to understand that success does not equal victory. In fact, sometimes even not finishing in the top 10 can be considered a positive.
“It’s something I work on a lot with my coach too, the biggest thing I’ve learned throughout my career is that success comes from performing at your highest level and feeling like you’re maximizing yourself in the present,” Ericsson said. “Sometimes it can be 12th place, fifth place, because there are things out of your control with the car and other factors.
“If I sit here and say I have to win every race, most of the time you will be frustrated and disappointed because you can’t win every race. So it’s about focusing on performing at your highest level every time and striving to be at your highest level, understanding how to get there and not making mistakes.”
Marcus Ericsson, driver of the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, goes to his care before practice for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 22, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
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Clearly, Ericsson enters every race with the intention of winning. “It’s still there,” he said.
“But I think it’s easier to focus on performing at your highest level consistently,” he continued. “If I can do that, I know I’m going to win races. I know I’m going to have good results. So it’s more about that, that’s what I’m trying to focus on.”
