1. Breath!
2. Keep your mind busy.
3. Check your car over; tire psi, fluids, all the basics.
4. Watch other groups running, talk to other drivers, look at other cars, or take a walk.
5. Nervous anticipation can burn up a lot of energy, so you must eat. Eat GOOD food and drink water ALL day. No Red Bulls or other energy drinks. These will only compound your nervous energy and make you burn out that much quicker.
6. Nervous anticipation, often, comes with stomach issues. So, any rumbling of the stomach, use the bathroom NOW.
7. While sitting in the car waiting with your helmet on, be sure to keep your shield up to get some air flow and keep your head and face cool. A personal, battery powered, hand held fan (Amazon, $13) is great for keeping your head cool; also great for claustrophobia.
8. Once you’re on track and moving in your group, all your nervous anticipation should go away within the first one or two laps then, you will be focused 100%.
9. On your cool down lap, you may feel like you just cheated death and you might of… so CONGRATS!