As racing drivers, nutrition is your hidden advantage. Nutrition is about putting yourself in the best position to achieve peak performance, sharper focus, and faster recovery. Here’s how to ensure your body has what it needs for the demands of the track.

Fuel for the Work Required

Start by understanding how much energy your body will need for race day. An easy way of doing this is by wearing a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor. Although the off-the-shelf fitness trackers may not be 100% accurate, they can help you get a sense of calories burned, which varies for each driver and racing category.

Knowing your typical energy expenditure allows you to fuel appropriately – meaning you have steady energy throughout the day and a faster recovery afterwards. I have used a Garmin watch ever since I started racing to keep track of the important performance metrics of each track each session - it gives me a breakdown of my average heart rate, intensity, and estimated calories burnt based on my information (weight, height, age, etc.).

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Hydration is Key

Hydration is often overlooked but can make or break performance. Dehydration has serious effects on your racing performance. Including:

• Reaction time

• Endurance

• Decision-making

Even if you don’t have a hydration system onboard, you can maintain good hydration throughout the day. Start by sipping water early and consistently. Aim for a steady intake all morning, slowing down just before the race to avoid an urge for a toilet break. Consider adding an electrolyte drink or salt to your water, especially on warmer days, to help keep your hydration balanced.

Avoid Stomach Troubles

Stick with familiar and easy-to-digest foods on race day. The last thing you want is stomach issues taking your physical and mental energy away from the race.

Fatty, spicy, or overly-rich foods are best avoided. Aim for carbohydrates (rice, pasta), lean protein (chicken), and simple fats (nuts) to provide fuel without causing discomfort. A simple, balanced meal helps keep energy levels steady and avoids unpleasant surprises during the race.

Smart Caffeine Intake

Caffeine can boost focus and alertness, which can be especially helpful during qualifying or the race itself. About 60 minutes before the event, consume caffeine in a form that suits you – whether it's coffee, tea, or a low-sugar energy drink. Avoid taking too much, as excess caffeine can lead to jitters, energy crashes, and digestive issues.

Caffeine isn't essential, so if it doesn’t work well for you, avoid it.

Carbs Are Your Friend

Carbohydrates are your go-to fuel on race day. They provide the quick, accessible energy your muscles need for intense activities. Carbs can be taken throughout the day in meals and snacks.

In the morning, eat complex carbs like oats or whole-grain toast (with 15 - 30g of protein), and keep a stash of easily digestible carbs (like bananas or energy bars) for quick energy boosts closer to race time and for instant recovery after each session.

Fuel to Perform

A performance-oriented diet isn’t always the healthiest diet. I will always preach that athletes should prioritise health over performance, but there are few occasions when it is necessary to fuel for the activity.

Foods like pasta, rice, or sandwiches can give you more lasting fuel than lighter options like salads. On race day, it’s okay to prioritise foods that provide energy over low-calorie, low-carb meals. Long-term, balance health and performance – but short-term, a fuel-focused meal helps you hit peak performance.

Post-Race Refuel

Once the race is done, your body needs nutrients to recover quickly. Within an hour of finishing, have a meal or snack with a good mix of carbs (to restore glycogen), protein (to support muscle repair), and fats. Some options include:

• A smoothie with fruit and protein powder

• A rice bowl

This post-race fuel sets you up for faster recovery and better performance next time. Think one step ahead when it comes to nutrition.

My Race Day Nutrition as an Endurance Kart Driver

I compete in the Endurance Prokart Series at Clay Pigeon in Dorset, England. I live 2 hours away from the track, so it is usually a full-on day with a 90-minute practice, 20-minute qualifying, and 90-minute race (sandwiched by the travel). This usually means that I’m out of the house for over 12 hours, leaving early and getting back late.

In the best-case scenario, I plan my nutrition the day before the race and prepare anything I need that is easy (I don’t have access to any way of heating up or refrigerating food or drink on race day). However, the more I have raced, the more of a routine has formed.

8 am - Double egg muffin, hash brown, and a large latte from McDonald’s

10:30 am (just before I am due to go out for practice) - carbohydrates like a sip of an energy drink or fruit

11:30 am (beginning of qualifying) - another hit of carbohydrates

12 pm (immediately after qualifying) - a sandwich which has a balance of carbs, protein, and fat (aiming for 30g of protein) and a salty carbohydrate snack.

12:30 pm - black coffee

1:45 pm (just before my race) - high-carbohydrate snack (eg. energy drink, energy gel, fruit)

4:30 pm (immediately after the race) - high-carb, high-fat, high-protein snack to replenish the energy I have used.

This is all supported by regular sips of water throughout the day (3 - 5 litres) and a big meal in the evening when I get home.

Final Thoughts

As with any diet, you need to enjoy it. If you spend all your time stressing about the food and drink you put into your body, you’ll miss out on the joy of food and it will take energy away from the most important part of the day - the racing. Sometimes (most of the time) things don’t go perfectly to plan (ok, every time), and a rigid approach to your race day nutrition will only have negative effects on your performance. Work with the resources and facilities you have.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced driver, a race day nutrition plan tailored to you is one of the best ways to gain an edge.