[Noah930]

When did you become a car guy (or gal, for Dixie)?

This question was inspired by my 11-year-old just now. He's watching F1 clips on YouTube. We were talking about Suzuka (and Yuki) this weekend. So my little one (my son, not Yuki) just asked me at what age I realized I liked to watch auto racing. Which, I realize is a slightly different question from the one I posted: when you realized you were a car guy. He obviously realizes his interest is at least due to exposure from my interest. He realizes he plays with his toy cars whenever I turn on racing on the TV. So it got me thinking.

I've been a car guy from childhood. According to my parents, I've loved toy cars from the age of 2. As I got older, I could name all the different marques and models from the backseat as a kid. So my love for cars existed even before being able to drive.

But why? Why did I like cars from that early on? My parents obviously didn't share my interest. I didn't see cars as any representation of "freedom", such as when a 16-year-old gets a license. It wasn't the physical experience of driving, like we're always talking about regarding our 911s (and other cars, though usually to lesser degrees). Was it the look or styling? Even a blind person can discriminate that a 2nd generation Camaro is a prettier car than a Ford LTD or Dodge Diplomat. The sound? Not sure. Possibly. You've gotta make car noises when playing with toy cars, right?

Then, as I got older and was able to drive, there was the zoominess of driving. Driving just came easily. And it was fun. I can recall an article in Road & Track about racing. They interviewed various race car drivers about when they realized they "had it." I'm no Sam Posey, but I recall how he replied that when he was a kid, he wasn't the smartest kid in school or most athletic or best with the girls. But when he got into a car, it was suddenly he who was ahead of the pack, and everyone else who got left behind. In that same article, Paul Newman commented that he had tried other activities--skiing, ballroom dancing, tennis--but it was racing that made him feel graceful.

And so when/why did I come to like racing? I can remember watching Indy, when they didn't show the race live, but rather on tape delay on Sunday night. I can remember watching IMSA, NHRA, NASCAR, and even SCCA showroom stock on ESPN. Again, all before I knew how to drive. Was it the sport (competition) of it? The sounds? The look of the cars? The strategy of racing? I didn't have parents who liked any of this stuff or encouraged my interest. They thought it was all just a phase. And then of course, actually driving on a track (or even go karts) is ridiculously fun. OK, passing is fun. Getting passed, not as much. But cars and racing are things that have always quickened my pulse.

"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty." -P. Egan.