Testosterone
Several years ago I saw a documentary on the effects of testosterone levels in racing. Levels were measured in men & women. Low T levels produced poor results. Those with slightly to moderately elevated T faired the best overall. Assertive enough to be fast & able to remain calm after racing incidents and recover to win. Highly elevated T drivers were very fast & aggressive. However, when it went wrong during the race, they lost there cool & over-drove or simply sought revenge instead of the win.
The results demonstrated that slightly elevated T levels produced the best overall racers. In my own anecdotal experience, I must concur.
I've a racing buddy who has very high T. He's an asphalt short track racer. One Saturday night he qualified poorly. Started at the back & drove up to 4th in a few laps. There's a strictly enforced no contact rule. He gets black flagged for contact & is sent to the back per the rules.
He's truly peeved. At the restart, he runs thru the field like a man possessed. Incredible drive ! Passing on the inside or outside, seemingly at will. However, instead of going for the win, he slams into the rear of the car he thought had rammed him who was running in fourth. Black flagged, again.... victim of High T.... did the same thing on the next restart
I'm certain that High T is a major contributor to the on & off track altercations we all too often witness.
I had the pleasure of watching two drivers that I know race in IMSA at Road America this past weekend. Incredibly fine young men. Incredibly nice guys. Representing the very best qualities of humankind. Calm, cool, persevering. Qualifying last in their class. Starting well back in the field. Driving thru the field in a car understeering at corner exit. Pressing hard thru major shunts happening right in front of them. Finding their competitors weaknesses. Making clean passes. All for nearly 3 hours with mixed classes. Nose to tail. Side by side. Rarely a lap without heavy traffic, to finish on the podium !
Truly inspiring ! Guys made of the right stuff !
Also, witnessed several High T incidents in the paddocks. We humans are complex beings.
Another highlight ! Met & chatted with David Hobbs during the race. Another truly fine human being.
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