Motorsports

Dedication and practice and preparation key to master a sport

Sandton-born motorsport driver Keagan Masters says whereas he could have been “born and raised” on the circuit, his wins are down to pure dedication and practice, and preparation.

“I bought into motorsport via my father, Wayne Masters, who has been competing within the sport since 1993. He has been my inspiration since I used to be born. His work ethic and resilience inspire me. My dad at all times pushes me to my limits, however by no means lets me get forward of myself. It’s really been a twin profit for me – being out on the observe permits me to spend extra time with my dad,

Keagan Masters

Keagan Masters proves his dedication and practice philosophy

Born in March 2000, Masters graduated from Pecanwood College and nonetheless lives in his hometown of Hartbeespoort. He began his racing profession in 2007 with karting group PCR.

“The biggest leap I made was when I started competing on the national Karting level in 2008, and at that level we were at the track nearly every weekend constantly practising and preparing ourselves for the races. After moving to main circuit after a successful year in Engen Polo Cup 2016, receiving Rookie of the Year and 3rd place in the overall driver championship, I was lucky enough to sign with Volkswagen Motorsport in 2017 to compete in Global Touring Cars 2,” says Masters.

Masters races for Volkswagen Motorsport South Africa within the SA Endurance Series, the place he will likely be racing on Dunlop tyres. The collection kicks off in March on the Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria.

“Competing in the highest level of motorsport in South Africa is a major accomplishment for me. I love the competition of the sport, but at the same time it’s a competition or challenge you have with yourself. I am always searching for maximum performance from the car and myself, as these are the factors you consider when you’re out on the circuit. I also really enjoy the technical side of the sport as well,”

Keagan Masters

Challenges make you higher

While difficult your self to carry out higher each time is necessary, Masters says, it’s the technicians who play one of the vital necessary roles within the sport.

“Most of our time is spent with the technicians. As a team, we are constantly trying to find the best solution for the car and your driving. In this relationship that drivers have with technicians, honesty is key, because you must be open-minded to what your technician is telling you and have trust that they have the knowledge,”

Keagan Masters

Masters describes his hardest race because the second win on the Mugello Circuit in Tuscany, Italy, with the Porsche Cup Car in 2022, the place he remembers Diego Bertinelli proper behind him placing strain all through the race.

Masters describes his hardest race because the second win on the Mugello Circuit in Tuscany, Italy, with the Porsche Cup Car in 2022. Photo by Sumitomo Rubber

“I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. My cooling system inside the car wasn’t working, so I was incredibly hot and struggling for oxygen which made it a lot more difficult to drive. It was worth it in the end, but I wouldn’t want to go through that combination of factors again,”

Keagan Masters

There are at all times onerous races, however then there are good ones, and Masters says one in every of his most memorable races was his double victory on the Redbull Ring in Austria in 2017.

“It was my first international win in Audi Sport TT Cup, and what made it even more special is that I had my family and friends at the track to experience it all with me,”

Keagan Masters

During races, Masters focuses on perfecting what he’d practiced within the preparation main up to the races.

“During practice is where you have to think about where you need to improve the car or your driving. We normally test the car weeks before to find a baseline setup to start the race weekend with. My favourite saying is “let go of perfection, trust the process” as a result of I consider in practice and preparation. On race day, you’ll be able to solely accomplish that a lot, you should have already put within the work beforehand. For my health, I prepare a lot on the simulator known as iRacing, and maintain match on the health club with cardio exercises. Thereafter when it’s time to take to the observe, you might have to belief the method and use your previous expertise to focus and carry out,”

Keagan Masters

Published by Sumitomo Rubber on MotorPress

For extra information on native racing drivers and motor sport, observe our motorsport web page.


Source link

Related Articles

Back to top button