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At the 1968 Summer Olympics, gold medal winner Bob
Beamon soared 29 feet in the long jump - a leap nearly 3
feet longer than the previous record. Beamon excelled in
jumping across a sand pit - but if jumping to
conclusions were an Olympic event, I have no doubt that
a drag racer would win the gold.
Jumping to conclusions is an occupational hazard in
racing. We want our cars to run faster, more
consistently, and more successfully. The pressure to
perform is intense, and often we allow our emotions to
overrule our common sense.
During my days as a math student, I learned there is an
important difference between a conclusion and an
assumption. A conclusion is a judgment based on
deliberation and reasoning; an assumption is a statement
that is accepted without proof or demonstration. So when
I hear someone make a statement like "that
carburetor's no good," or "the torque
converter is junk," what I am usually hearing is
really an assumption - an opinion stated as a fact.
It's said that assumption is the mother of all
screw-ups. I wouldn't disagree, because the proof is all
around us. For example, you arrive at the track and
discover that the spare rearend |
is
missing from the trailer. You hear yourself saying,
"I thought you put it in," while your partner
replies, "I thought you did." Both assumed
something that wasn't true - and now the gear ratio you
need is sitting on a bench at the shop.
In my roles as an engine builder and a racer, I'm very
familiar with the cost of jumping to conclusions. When
an engine doesn't perform properly, I run through a
mental check list of possible solutions. It doesn't
matter whether it's one of our own Pro Stock engines or
a customer's bracket motor - the troubleshooting
procedure is always the same. Ignition system OK? Check.
Fuel system all right? Check. Valve springs good? Check.
But when everything is
"perfect"
and the engine still doesn't run right, someone has
obviously made a false assumption. If every component
were functioning perfectly, there wouldn't be a problem!
After decades in racing, I'm still learning how to avoid
jumping to conclusions. I've seen brand-new batteries
that were faulty, crank trigger magnets with reversed
polarity, and carb floats that sank like stones. But
just when I think |
