IndyCar driver discusses the mental challenge of IndyCar racing, why winning isn't his only measure of success

IndyCar drivers suffer a batch much than they win, making it hard to find "success."

But similar golf, coming successful 2nd spot each play doesn't precisely marque you a loser similar it does successful idiosyncratic sports - successful fact, it would beryllium the astir palmy play ever.

"It’s tough, due to the fact that obviously, determination tin lone beryllium 1 victor successful racing each clip we spell racing. So it’s not easy," 2022 Indy 500 victor Marcus Ericsson said successful a caller interrogation with Fox News Digital.

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Chip Ganassi Racing operator Marcus Ericsson (8) celebrates winning the 106th moving of the Indianapolis 500 connected Saturday, May 28, 2022, astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Grace Hollars/USA TODAY NETWORK Syndication)

And due to the fact that of that, Ericsson has his ain idiosyncratic "mental coach" who gives him regular exercises and prompts with antithetic focuses.

In the morning, Ericsson volition constitute down what he's improved on, wherever his absorption lies, and wherever he's had success. At night, helium reflects connected the positives helium had passim the day.

"It’s a batch of reflection. What’s absorbing with intelligence grooming and coaching yourself is the reflection part. It’s not lone that the questions tin beryllium rather simple, but it’s astir taking the clip and being contiguous and reasoning astir things. That’s what is truly powerful," Ericsson said.

"A batch of radical are truthful caught up successful life, there’s ever thing going on, the adjacent thing, and you conscionable support going. If you halt each greeting and each evening, beryllium down for 10 minutes and bespeak connected your time oregon however you feel, what’s going connected successful your mind, I deliberation that’s precise powerful. Putting pen to insubstantial and penning it down is besides thing that’s precise powerful."

Driving astir astatine speeds of 200 mph is simply a intelligence situation successful itself. Given the information that Ericsson does it for hours connected end, helium needs to beryllium other locked in, and that's wherever his concern with Allegra comes in.

Marcus Ericsson has partnered with Allegra to support him crisp and focused arsenic helium vies for different Indy500 win. (Scott Heins/Courtesy of Allegra)

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"It’s conscionable ace important successful what I do. Got to enactment sharp, you can’t person immoderate encephalon fog oregon thing similar that. That’s wherever Allegra truly helps," Ericsson said, noting the tallness of allergy season. "Helps maine enactment sharp, helps maine enactment locked in. So it’s been ace important for me."

In practicing his intelligence game, Ericsson has had to bid himself that occurrence does not adjacent winning. In fact, sometimes, not adjacent finishing successful the apical 10 mightiness person to beryllium considered a positive.

"Something I enactment a batch with my manager connected arsenic well, the biggest happening I’ve learned passim my vocation is that occurrence comes from performing astatine your highest level and feeling similar you are maximizing yourself successful the present," Ericsson said. "Sometimes that mightiness beryllium 12th place, 5th place, due to the fact that determination are things retired of your power with the car and different factors.

"If I beryllium present and accidental I request to triumph each race, you’re going to beryllium frustrated and disappointed a batch of the clip due to the fact that you can’t triumph each race. So it’s astir focusing connected trying to execute astatine your highest level each clip and striving to beryllium astatine your highest level, knowing however to get yourself determination and not marque mistakes."

Marcus Ericsson, operator of the #8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda walks to his attraction earlier signifier of the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway connected May 22, 2023 successful Indianapolis, Indiana. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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Obviously, Ericsson goes into each contention wanting to win. "That's ever there," helium said.

"But I deliberation it’s easier to absorption connected performing astatine your highest level connected a accordant basis," helium continued. "If I tin bash that, I cognize I’m going to triumph races. I cognize I’m going to person bully results. So it’s much astir that — that’s what I effort to absorption on."

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