Chapter 18: Second Day Sharpness
Sunday, April 12th, 2009 – Apeldoorn Kart Track
The sun was already up when Alex stepped out of the van. The sky was clearer than the day before, but the breeze still carried a bite of early spring chill. He tightened the strap on his racing suit as Victor wheeled the kart out of the trailer.
It was the second day at Apeldoorn.
Yesterday had been intense. Fast laps. Feedback. Mistakes. Recovery.
Today felt quieter—but not easier.
He was still tired. Not the kind of tired that sleep could fix. More like the ache of a brain that had been working nonstop. Remembering lines. Braking points. Adjusting. Focusing.
Victor noticed. "You're walking slower than usual."
Alex blinked. "Just… still thinking about yesterday."
"That's the real fatigue," Victor said. "Your body can keep going. Your mind's the one that needs pacing."
Alex nodded and grabbed his gloves. He didn't feel sharp, but he wasn't about to say no to another day of training. Not with the tournament coming up.
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First Session – Clean, But Cautious
The engine roared to life and Alex rolled out onto the familiar circuit.
His lines were clean. Each corner looked like it did the day before, and his kart moved steadily through the curves. He braked smoothly into Turn 3. Accelerated cleanly out of Turn 5. Glided over the curb at Turn 7.
But something was missing.
When he pulled in ten laps later, Victor didn't have a stopwatch in hand.
"How'd it feel?" he asked.
"Fine," Alex said. "No mistakes. Everything felt okay."
Victor nodded slowly. "That's what I saw, too. It was... safe."
Alex looked down at his gloves. "Too slow?"
"No. Actually, this was more important than being fast. You were consistent. Predictable. That's race intelligence."
Alex looked up.
Victor smiled. "Fast drivers impress coaches. Smart drivers win championships."
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Second Session – A New Challenge
Victor leaned against the kart and spoke with a tone that made Alex pay attention.
"This time," he said, "I want you to alternate laps. One lap, full push. Next lap, calm and smooth. Then again. In and out."
Alex frowned. "Won't that mess up my rhythm?"
"That's the point. In a race, you don't get rhythm. You get traffic. Incidents. Pressure. You need to switch modes without falling apart."
Alex climbed back in, a little uncertain.
The first push-lap felt great—tight lines, quick hands, fast exit speeds. But then came the 'calm' lap… and it felt awkward. Sluggish. His brain didn't like the sudden shift. He misjudged Turn 2 and clipped the inside curb too hard. The kart bounced, throwing off the entire section.
Frustrated, he tightened his grip on the wheel.
When he pulled in, he was frowning.
Victor handed him water. "What did you learn?"
"That I hate inconsistent laps."
Victor chuckled. "Good. Then make them consistent—even when switching styles. That's mental control."
Alex sighed. "It's harder than it sounds."
"Everything worth doing is."
---
Feedback and First Talk About Setup
They sat on folding chairs under the canopy, the kart cooling beside them.
Victor leaned forward. "You're starting to feel things, right? When it slides. When it grips."
Alex nodded. "Yeah. Like... sometimes the rear feels light in Turn 5. And Turn 3, I still lose some speed."
Victor raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. That's feedback. Technical feedback."
Alex blinked. "Is that about the kart, or me?"
"Both," Victor said. "But in time, you'll learn how to separate them."
He pointed at the kart. "Right now, I'm still doing the setup. Tire pressures. Rear track width. Axle stiffness. But after the tournament? We start teaching you how to feel what the kart needs."
Alex's eyes widened slightly. "You mean I'll set it up myself?"
"Eventually," Victor said. "Some drivers never get it. The great ones? They need it. They build their speed on instinct and understanding combined."
Alex didn't say anything. But he looked at the kart differently after that.
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Final Session – Mental Fatigue, Real Growth
Alex strapped in again for the last run of the weekend.
He didn't push too hard. He didn't drive slow, either. He just drove... present.
Each lap, he focused on one thing: keeping his hands relaxed. Controlling his breathing. Being aware of the kart without forcing it.
Ten laps in, he felt the same feeling he'd had last week in Eefde: flow. Not perfect laps, but steady. Not spectacular, but sustainable.
When he returned to the paddock, he didn't smile.
He just looked up at Victor and said, "That felt... calm."
Victor nodded. "Good. You need days like this. Not everything is fireworks. Sometimes, quiet growth is the best kind."
Alex climbed out slowly. "I'm tired."
Victor placed a hand on his shoulder. "That's the point. You trained the part of yourself most kids ignore: your mind."
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Back at Home – Quiet Satisfaction
The ride back was quiet. Even Victor didn't say much. Alex looked out the window, eyes drifting across passing trees, road signs, farms.
At home, he showered, ate dinner with his parents, and curled up on the couch. He didn't talk about lap times or kart settings. He didn't need to.
His mom noticed. "Long weekend?"
Alex nodded.
"Did it go well?"
He paused. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Really well."
Later, in bed, he stared at the ceiling, his arms behind his head.
The tournament was still weeks away.
But today, something had shifted.
He didn't need to prove anything today. He just had to show up and learn.
And he did.
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