The Glitz and glam....

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend and for all of my international readers, hope you had a great weekend. It has been an interesting couple of weeks for me as I have gone back and reread some of the posts and believe I could share more on certain aspects of my racing career along with dive deeper into the personal side of racing and the friendships I've built over the years traveling the world. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what post you would like me to dive deeper on, share more insights on from my career or parts you just want to just simply hear more about. Feel free to email me on here as I am always reading the feedback and kind notes received from many of you.

As you all know, racing is a sport that involves very low costs, inexpensive vehicles, and very few people involved to make it happen. JK. It is very much the opposite. Motorsports has long been known for the glitz and glamour of it and the wealth that surrounds it. At any race weekend you can are guaranteed a free car show in the parking lots or paddocks of the race events. The airport private terminal is full of private jets, harbours full of multi-million dollar yachts, infields filled with million dollar RVs, and all the latest in fashion. Also to say it is an expensive sport, is an understatement, as most weekends there tens if not hundreds of thousands will be spent getting the car there and running it. There is no denying that racing is a showcase of the ultra rich and is a weekend full of great food and fun and with social media, we usually tend to see all the glitz of that. When you think of one of the most ostentatious events is Monaco Grand Prix and it is one that should be on your bucket list to at least see once in your life. If you think you have seen or are wealthy think again ;) The reason I am sharing all this is yes racing is a glitzy and glamorous life for the most part but in the early days of your career, and on days where weather just doesn't want to cooperate it is the total opposite.

Throughout my career, I have slept in a trailer, been stuck in the parking lot covered in mud, had to just sit in a car in the pouring rain waiting for the officials to say the race is postponed or too dangerous to drive, and have to deal with hours of just sitting and watching snow come down on a track you were hoping to test at. But it's in those times you realize that it can be the simple things in life we sometimes forget. Ie when we had a snow storm during testing one time, we took the rental cars out in the parking lot with ropes tied to them and went sledding behind them (one of the many reasons you don't want to purchase a rental car, can tell you plenty more stories with rental cars but that's for another post), during a heavy downpour, we would have competitions with other mechanics racing plastic bottle boats or boats made out of anything to race down the water streams in the paddocks, and so many more fun times in these. It's about making the most of it.

Back to the glitz side of it though, as that's what we love to see and hear about, I have had the opportunity to have some great loaner cars from manufacturers, friends, and get the opportunity to drive some amazing cars. I know many of you might be thinking, you get to drive race cars which yes those are amazing and would take one any day over the road going versions but I don't get the chance to take the race cars on the street very often. I've been lucky enough to drive pretty much any car you can name out there outside of some of the very elusive classics and rare 1 offs or ultra rare limited production cars such as an F40/F50, Rimac, Apollo, Detomasso, and many more of these very unique cars which one day I hope to get the opportunity to take out. I have been contemplating creating a youtube channel where I take these exotics out almost in a Top Gear Stig style and share the beauties of these cars on the edge, as yes they are great cars but what makes them have the passion and soul, what makes them unique, what makes them something to aspire to. Thoughts?

One of the hidden secrets though of racing is, the opportunities that come from knowing and meeting some of these individuals that attend the races. For example, have had the opportunity to explore a nuclear power plant from top to bottom, attend events as a VIP, get to go places many don't get to go etc. It's these experiences that are honestly what made racing at the top levels so special. It's been amazing to see and do some of the things I have had the opportunity to do. As they say, there is lots of glitz and glam that surround motorsports and well it is pretty awesome to relive some of the memories and opportunities it has offered me and makes me continue to push myself more and more to live in the moment as these opportunities don't come up all the time. Very thankful to have met and still close with so many amazing and inspirational people who have been very successful and are willing to give me the opportunity to enjoy their amazing cars, planes, and yachts with them.