The Art of Racing in the Rain

by Garth Stein

Hands are the windows to a man’s soul. Watch in-car videos of race drivers enough, and you’ll see the truth of this statement. The rigid, tense grip of one driver reflects his rigid, tense driving style. The nervous hand-shuffle of another driver proves how uncomfortable he is in the car. A driver’s hands should be relaxed, sensitive, aware. Much information is communicated through the steering wheel of a car; too tight or too nervous a grip will not allow the information to be communicated to the brain. They say that senses do not operate alone, but rather are combined together in a special part of the brain that creates a picture of the body as a whole: sensors in the skin tell the brain about pressure, pain, heat; sensors in the joints and tendons tell the brain about the body’s position in space; sensors in the ears track balance; and sensors in internal organs indicate one’s emotional state. To voluntarily restrict one channel of information is foolish for a racer; to allow information to flow unfettered is divine.