You Dumb-Assed Shit Fuckers

OMG thank you cbfs! Now I have to look up all the old GP videos on youtube, lol!

Another piece of bravery.

And another.

 

Yeah, that Monaco chicane was insane (it rhymes!)! And the leapers at Donington! You can't beat houses, lamp posts and trees when it comes to stopping cars that have gone off the track... %)

(So beautiful machines too, like sculptures on wheels! )

 

No it wasn't.

Now if you can see some "old" formula races like Tazio Nuvolari in the 1930's racing the Alfa Romeo; 425 horsepower with drum brakes and tires about 300mm wide.
Now THAT'S bravery.
However think about it: risking life and limb for just the 'sport" of it?
In the greater course of human events, I would be ashamed if all I became was a famous race car driver.

 

Yeah, it's sacrilege to do something that one really enjoys, and - heaven forbid - getting money for it. Are we not adults?!

 

Ok, I guess I'll go around shouting 'YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF FOR NOT HELPING HUMANITY' over the graves of dead racing drivers (even though they did, indirectly - it's not hard to imagine how). I don't know about you, but driving around unsafe tracks with skimpy helmets and your legs as the crumple zone sounds terrifying to me. They had their own reasons for doing this - I would actually be glad if they were doing it for the 'sport', since this attitude is so rare nowadays. Are you claiming that early fliers were retarded for not taking parachutes with them? They wanted to fly and noone would stop them. Racing drivers on the other hand wanted to go as fast as they could, in whatever conditions were available at the time. I choose to respect their choices.

In the greater course of human events, you and me are but specs of dust. Unless you want to claim a piece of greatness that I haven't heard about and happens to be greater than that of a famous racing driver.

 

Well;
Maybe after you spend a few years at it. The countless hours of running in circles. you may ask yourself (just like that old 'Talking Heads song that comes to mind)some questions about Life, the Universe and everything.
Then, you may realize it may not have been and end to itself but rather a means to other goals.

 

We are not talking about NASCAR though.

 

LMAO!

 

Neither am I. I am speaking of closed courses rather than rally racing.

PS:

I would NEVER drive NASCAR.

I do not consider that "racing cars" although I was shocked to find out how much money one can make in those events.

 

Actually, if I had to do it all over again, I would have gone into music; rock and roll , blues slide guitar.

I would trade all those years to be able to do one Robert Johnson tune, Muddy Waters or heck, even Slim Harpo!

 

NASCAR is as tough as anything on a racetrack.

 

"toughness" has nothing to do with it.


It is a question of skill sets and preferences.

Of those drivers who had come from road racing backgrounds and raced NASCAR the vast majority have been on average more successful than the NASCAR only drivers.

Now sprint car driving is a whole other world.

I find the true sprint car driver a breed apart from the NASCAR crowd.

However for my own personal choice I could not engage in any race car driving where there are only left turns even though there was/is an amazing amount of money in driving that machinery.

 

The thing I don't know is why you quit motorsport.

If one day you woke up and thought you 'took the wrong turn' in life (pun intended) and regretted doing all this, I can only say that choosing racing was ultimately a wrong choice for you. It happens! Great drivers wouldn't simply quit like that, because racing was their life. You make it sound like it was some office job that was pointless and grew far too boring to continue.

There are however other reasons one may stop racing. They may be killed. Horribly injured (Lauda - he continued racing!). Have their best friends get killed instead (Stewart). I really can't say anything if that was the case.

Like great musicians inspire people with their songs, great drivers can provide inspiration with their effort, fighting spirit and (in the past) defiance of death. You can't deny that it took guts to do what they did!

(The NASCAR part was said tongue-in-cheek about the 'circles'. I would never call Nurburgring or Spa a circle!)

 

Racing is young mans sport. G-forces etc. You know. Everything is nowadays. Which is sad since I'm a god behind steering wheel. And full of wrath (wife/kids will testify this )
Besides, older (succesful) drivers tend to have so much money it'll harass their motivation.

There are exceptions, of course. Mansell as one of them.

 

Damn, people... Are you absolutely uneducated over there?! Rush for money and tendency to risk in order to get extra adrenaline injection -- it is NOT heroism which is a selfless act by definition. I do respect race car drivers, but I respect them for their competence, cold blooded thinking and professionalism. Don't fool yourself, don't mix the notions.

 

Paris-Dakar is for you.

 

I am talking about grand prix drivers from 40 years ago and that it was something that needed balls, hence they were brave. You are describing me the current state of motorsport. And where the hell did heroism creep in?? Can't you read?

 

No, it isn't at all that way.

OK, I'll open-up a little bit here:

From a very young age the most I ever wanted to do was be an astronaut. Next was a combat fighter pilot and after that a test pilot.

Many circumstances did not allow me to enter those ranks.
Baring all that being a professional race car driver was the next best thing and I made it.

There are many skilled persons that enter the field but it is mostly luck and money that get you to the top.

I know many guys that were MUCH faster than some of the top names in racing but they had family money and connections and that got them to enter the 'big leagues'.

The most gut-wrenching feeling is when you beat someone by 11 seconds in a test and they tell you all you need is $250,000.00 to get the "job".
$250K? But I BEAT Mr Fabulous by ten seconds!

Yes, Mr Fabulous's father gave us $500K. For that extra $250,000.00 we will get Mr Fabulous enough practice so he can become nearly like you.

That's the reality out there.

I was luck enough to get up to a certain level with the maximum of 'talent/passion/good timing'.

Make no mistake, there is NOTHING I like better than to race cars:

Competition, the adrenaline rush, the concentration, those g-forces, the sounds, the smells, the sights, nothing like it.
Man and machine against man and machine against the clock.
(Well there are a few things that come close, ahem.
and I hate driving a car that has more than 4 kilos per horsepower.)

My favorite was team endurance racing. I could live at the track 24/7.


Maybe it's just that I'm older. Maybe I don't need to prove anything anymore, that I know myself and I know my skill/talent-whatever you call it.

I want to go on to new challenges , new frontiers.

If the opportunity arises that I can get into a race car, I'm there.

There is that fantastic realization and near guilt trip the very first time:

"You mean I get the drive this car as fast as I can AND you're going to PAY me too?" "I MADE it!" YESSSSS!!!!!

There are some GREAT memories and friends too:

I was given a hat worn by Aryton Senna. I keep it in a zip lock bag.

One day a VERY famous French driver comes up to me and says in a horrible French-English;
"Ayee, looseleaves, I yam tyured of deese garelle frend, do yoo wont er, yoo caan ave er. take er." She was a gorgeous model.
I was aghast but we laughed just the same.


In the meantime, when I see so much in the world that I feel needs changing, somehow being "just' a pro race car driver seems a bit shallow and even selfish, no?

Who knows maybe I should be writing a book of true confessions- Pulp Racing. Confessions of the race car drivers' life.

 

brave is not heroic
heroic is not brave

heroism is self sacrifice in favor of relatives survival.
extremal altruism in extremal situation.
despite Maksimenko believes it's senseless.

however, the proverb "in peace time, heroism of one is carelessness of another"... imho it's related to wartime as well.

 

@looseleaf: didn't abarth use to to be a mechanic in a racing team before he was found out to be a excellent driver (motorcycle side, my memory might betray me aswell as my enklish skills (drunk again))

so back in 40 years ago it wasn't about money but speed.

Modern days he who get s the best car wins despite of the money (f.ex. Villeneuve, Couldthard, Salo, Irvine, Hill (the latter one))
Driving Williams and Ferrari they were at the top but when after they changed team they didn't succeed.

(I don't consider American open wheel series to be competitive with F1 or even F2 sice Zanardi won the Indy series. Hell, even Mansell won the serie inrookie season and he was old/fat at that time... )