Phantom Clutch
The reason why I like Rally racing so much is because its a non-perfect art form. Where other forms of racing reward, and very critically punish non clinical driving, Rally is the exact opposite. You still need to know the basics like braking zones, driving the correct lines, apexes, and so forth, but then on top of all of that you start bending the rules. You drift around the turns because you simply cant make half of them while the car is in traction and the other half you drift through because you are driving on gravel, snow, and wet mud, so there is simply no other way.
On top of that there is no perfect run because every car that passes through the track kicks up the dirt and gravel and sends it flying, so on each pass the track is completely different. Where you used to be slipping now you have grip. Additionally you have to set yourself up for things in advance, half of the time you are thinking about the second turn, not the immediate one coming up, so you start to get into a specific drift on the first turn only to discover it isn't working out as you planned and so you have to bail on it and create something else on the spot.
As my instructor says Rally is a very optimistic sport. The second that you doubt yourself you can't do it, half the time you have to commit yourself to things that normally you wouldn't because to a rational mind it seems like you are driving into a tree or hill instead of around it. On top of that you cant beat yourself up over things. If you set yourself up for a pendulum and it doesn't quite whip around, well then you improvise on the spot and add some hand brake. The spirit of never give up is the essence of rally.
Today I saw an old video of a car that literally flips over and lands on its wheels and as the crowd rushes over to make sure the driver and navigator are ok, the guy simply pulls back, gets back on the road and keeps going even though every single part of his car looks like its completely destroyed.
In life a lot of things are the same way, like stock investment, or playing poker. Its important to separate yourself from whatever momentary discomfort you experience so that you can reset yourself and move on to the next hand, the next investment, or the next turn without giving yourself a huge mental handicap that is usually impossible to overcome.
That is why my instructor tells me that the best rally drivers are usually artistic. Because its all created on the spot, you have to go with the flow, literally. If something doesn't work, create something else, if you see an opportunity take advantage of it.