Working Out

Destin, Fla. – As part of the Team USA Scholarship program I recently was given the opportunity to visit the popular PitFit training center and RaceCraft1 simulation training center in Indianapolis.

I was able to train with Jim Leo in his specially designed training center for racing drivers over the course of two days as well as working with Kelly Jones in his racing simulation program for three days. When I arrived the first thing we did was get myself setup with the sims before going to the gym. Once we finished I did a one-hour training program (which felt much longer!) with Jim Leo. I also bumped into two other former Team USA Scholarship drivers, Matthew Brabham and Spencer Pigot. The program consisted of many exercises I had never even seen before in a routine that was pretty unique. It was really cool to be able to work out in a way I never have before. Sure enough after only a few minutes the sweat was rolling down our faces and the fatigue I was feeling reminded me a lot of what it feels during a race, which is what Jim Leo designed this entire program around.

After we finished the workout, I headed to Kelly Jones’ RaceCraft1 classroom where we did a short interview about what I primarily would like to work on and how we can improve my driving. It was interesting because we discovered certain things about my driving style that even I didn’t know. Once we finished we hit the sims and began working on the basics and progressively moved up with more advanced cars and tracks. By the end of the first day I was very pleased with the progress we made. The next day we focused more on racing rather then practice and lap times. Later that same day I had the chance to battle it out with Kelly as well as several other Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda drivers that showed up for some training. We had some pretty epic battles and wrecks but I had a great time being able to go all-out and see what I could and couldn’t get away with. The last day we did a bit of wet weather and oval racing to prepare myself for Lucas Oil Raceway, the only oval race in the USF2000 schedule.

After training with Jim Leo and Kelly Jones I feel much more prepared going into the first USF2000 race at St. Petersburg. It was a huge learning experience that I’ve gained a lot from and want to thank Team USA Scholarship, Jeremy Shaw, Jim Leo and Kelly Jones for making this possible.

Thanks for reading!
Jake Eidson