Uncovering the secrets of high performance driving by exploring the science behind going faster and the psychology behind performing our best.

Welcome to Beyond Seat Time

I am fascinated with the psychology of learning and motivation, and happen to be an avid performance driver who spends way too many hours every day thinking about all the nuances of driving faster. This website is built around the premise of challenging the tired old adage that “seat time” is the only thing that matters. While seat time is absolutely critical to bettering our execution, perfecting execution is only half the battle. The other half involves uncovering new insights and gaining a deeper understanding of all of the nuances that go into shaving off as much time as we can from our lap times.

There are thousands of books and websites already devoted to the study of how to go faster. Many of those books and websites are authored by people with more experience, flashier credentials, etc. But I don’t think any of the ones I have come across go far enough. I don’t think talking about taking a late apex line is enough. I don’t think talking about left foot braking vs right foot braking is enough. I don’t think discussing smoothness and aggression as if they are mutually exclusive is enough.

I think we can go much deeper, and uncover more insights than the ones usually discussed. I think we can develop more intelligent mental systems for how to think about driving and go about learning. And even for the topics that have been covered a million times, I think we can express them in new ways that resonate a little better. That’s what this website is for. I am going to lean on brilliant minds from within (and outside) the racing world to explore every aspect of high performance driving in as much detail as possible, with the goal of making all of us just a little bit faster than we were.

Who am I?

My name is Vivek Goel. I have been involved in a couple of different forms of motorsports over the years. My primary focus since 2005 has been autocross. Racing did not come naturally to me, and I had to figure out ways to learn and understand the nuances of the sport more intentionally and cerebrally. I have been fortunate enough to have some tremendous mentors over the years, and have learned a ton through books and courses.

A particularly educational experience was getting the opportunity to spend 2 days at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya driving a Le Mans GT3 Ferrari 458 while being coached by 2 championship winning GT drivers.

I have several wins at national level SCCA Autocross and Pro Solo events, including winning multiple Pro Solo Season Championships.