A Good Driver

[Instrument 41]

So tell me what is it that makes a good race car driver? I have known many other club racers that were excellent drivers but just never made it to race for a living. So whats the difference?

[cstreit]

Even the top levels of club-racing are still like playing for the local small town AAA league. I know a few guys who "made it" and got rides that they don't pay for.

1. Married rich, could afford to buy his way into the spotlight. He was a good (not great) driver and a real schmoozer. He also stiffed me for $300 for tires on a shared ride and then went on to rent a pro-car. Jerk.

2. Club racer... ...but was a muckity-muck in a corporation and could mingle with the right folks. Better driver than #1, but also older. Still isn't full time.

From those I've seen that "made it"... They had to be good, but more important? Right place, right time. Know the right people, get the right chance, or get the right luck.

[legion]

It kind of blows my mind that racing teams don't seem to scout at DE's and other small-time events.

[Joeaksa]

What makes a pro driver?

Smoothness... Us old timers remember Jacky Stewart taking a Ford Escort around a track with a salad bowl bolted on the hood. Inside was a tennis ball or the like. He drove at top speed around the track and the ball was still there when he completed the lap.

Drive and courage also helps but natural ability works wonders.

[BertBeagle]

Originally posted by legion
It kind of blows my mind that racing teams don't seem to scout at DE's and other small-time events.

http://www.scenedaily.com/stories/2003/10/27/scene_story4.html

[FastCarFan]

Driving well at a DE does not necessarily mean you would be a good race driver. Race drivers have to drive well, but they also have to outbrake/pass other cars, make their car "wide" to defend their position, avoid getting caught up in accidents, drive at 10/10ths instead of 8/ or 9/10ths at a DE, be easy on the equipment, know when to go fast & when to cruise, be good at race strategy....

DEs are great, but they are not races. And I don't mean to take anything away from great DE drivers/instructors. I have seen & ridden with some very, very talented drivers at DEs. My point is simply that DEs & racing are different animals.

[IROC]

I've thought about this alot and you know, it seems to me that one of the common denominators among professional drivers is...money. They (or their parents) had the money to get them started in motorsports (karts, etc) at a young age. Look at how many sons, etc., are racing out there today. Is it because of some elusive racing gene that the Andrettis all have or is the fact that they had the opportunity to get some good seat time throughout their lives?

Don't get me wrong - I know these guys are talented (and at the very top are simply incredible), but I also think that there are many of us out here in the DE/club racing world that could be just as good given the right "opportunities" growing up.

[Jims5543]

Its all in a name. Racing series where all the cars are supposidly the same are not. The ones with the deepest pockets and good last names get the faster cars.

I was talking with some of the "Pros" at the Mazda Rev it Up a few years ago and one of them said he got to see his telemetry agianst say a Rahall and he car was slower in a straight line indicating the guy with the last name had a tweeked car when they are all the same. When he was cought looking over a shoulder at the telemetry it was shut off really fast and he was shood away.

[KFC911]

Originally posted by IROC
.... They (or their parents) had the money to get them started in motorsports (karts, etc) at a young age. Look at how many sons, etc., are racing out there today. Is it because of some elusive racing gene that the Andrettis all have or is the fact that they had the opportunity to get some good seat time throughout their lives?

Don't get me wrong - I know these guys are talented (and at the very top are simply incredible), but I also think that there are many of us out here in the DE/club racing world that could be just as good given the right "opportunities" growing up.

I think this applies not only to racing, but to many endeavors (i.e. sports, musical ability, etc.). I'm not sure it's necessarily directly tied to money, but for whatever reason, those that are exposed early and given the opportunity to hone those skills have a decided advantage over the general population imo.

[BertBeagle]

Originally posted by IROC

Don't get me wrong - I know these guys are talented (and at the very top are simply incredible), but I also think that there are many of us out here in the DE/club racing world that could be just as good given the right "opportunities" growing up.

I believe this is true.

Among the good DE drivers, what seperates the potential pros from the rest is the single minded determination that could be compaired to, say, some small business owners or any highly focused individuals. That type of focused determination seperates the DE guy who is good but only on the weekend from the DE guy who is good but also thinks about it and works on it 24/7/365 to create opportunity. Having the ability to also talk up and promote yourself is a requirement and invariabily the successful drivers that started out poor have this talent as well.

A guy I know was a successful grass roots pro driver who moved to Charlotte from Florida 20 years ago to get to the next level. He was a pro in that he was paid to drive other peoples cars and had won several NASCAR Late Model stock track championships. He got a tryout in a Cup car for a well known owner against several other drivers. The owner was impressed with his driving and after talking for a while the owner said "You have the tallent to be successful as a driver, no doubt, but you will never be a big winner in Cup for one reason" When asked to explain the owner said "because you aren't a big enough prick". The driver said well if that's what it takes then you are right and and he did not get the job. Not long after he quit driving all together and concentrated on family and raising his two children. True story.

[FastCarFan]

Bert makes a very good point -- the "single minded determination".

For example, I would love to race, but I haven't. I could say that I can't afford it, but that is a cop out. I don't have the single-minded determination.

In my case it comes down to choices. I have limited income & I have chosen to put $ toward retirement savings, vacations, college tuition for my sons, house payments, etc. Heck, I recently even spent $ on new dining room furniture! I have "chosen" to not spend my $ on racing.

I could also buy a much smaller house, trade "down" to a cheaper daily driver, etc.

And it is not all $ -- it is also about time. I have chosen to spend my time on things other than racing, such as spending as much time as possible with my family, working on my career, etc.

I am not saying that those who race do not do these things, but rather, in my case, it comes down to choices & the decisions I have made.

Bottom line, I would love to race. However, I have made a conscious decision to not spend every possible $ & all of my time on racing. To be the best at anything usually requires a total commitment.

Those who have made it did so -- in part -- by making a total commitment of their time, $ & lives to racing. Money (family or sponsor) makes a huge difference, as does luck. Luck on the track (including not getting hurt), luck finding sponsors, luck choosing the right series & equipment, etc. In fact, talent is also a matter of luck.

Great conversation...Keep it going.

[pwd72s]

Race driver: "Check out that car, he's cheatin'."

Tech official: "How do you know he's cheating?"

Driver: "Because I'm cheating and he's faster than me!"

I agree with the posts above...money and connections have a lot to do with it.

But the driver better have the skills to back it up...