INDIANAPOLIS – I watched Justin Grant climb out of his USAC Silver Crown Series car after a 100-mile grind at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds, and I knew what was going to follow.
In nearly every situation possible Grant puts his primary sponsor front and center. He is going to open a can of NOS, spray the contents in the air and replace his helmet with the appropriate baseball hat. If you follow Grant on social media, it isn’t unusual to see a photo of the inside of his truck as he heads down the highway to the next race with the drink right there on the dashboard.
In his interviews he manages to cover all the bases without it seeming overly forced. He knows he has a good sponsor and he is going to do what it takes to keep them happy. It is simply good business.
We all may lament this aspect of the industry, but we aren’t going to be able to turn back the clock. Racing is far too expensive and competing in the big league requires more money than what the local tavern or garage can provide.
Drivers such as Grant and Brian Brown get this. It is a simple proposition really — help your sponsor help you. Certainly, there are people who support racing out of the goodness of their heart. We can’t survive without them. No matter how big or small a check someone provides it is incumbent upon drivers and teams to not just be takers, but to also give back.
As I go forward from here, I am reminded of an incident in the early days of my academic career. I was asked to observe the classroom of a new college professor and it so happens that on that day she was ticked off. The issue was attendance. She became so angry about the number of students who had skipped class that she launched into a 10-minute monologue.
It was much later when I stopped by her office and casually remarked that the problem with her lecture was that it was delivered to the wrong people. The students who showed up weren’t the problem.
I am about to be a bit guilty of the same thing. We live in a different world. The print magazines that I once wrote for have gone away. There was a reason for that. Various social media platforms have become a new way to reach people and drivers and teams that are on top of matters use these to their advantage. Many participants need all the exposure they can get.
That means when an opportunity presents itself to do an interview, be the subject of an article or show up at an event, you jump at it. Sure, Max Verstappen doesn’t need to do a live remote at a local Piggly Wiggly. I get that. Max also has “people” who manage these things for him. Your average short-track star doesn’t have that kind of infrastructure behind them or Fortune 500 companies salivating to be involved with their team.
Fifty to 75 percent of the time when I ask a driver what they are striving for they say they want to be a full-time professional racer. It is a worthy goal, but one that requires work. Here’s the rub: The lion’s share of that work is not behind the wheel. It is often what you do in the time away from the track that will set the course of your career.
It is very important to be in the shop. Everyone gets that. However, there are other important aspects of professional life that can make or break your career. Are you getting your name out there? Are you taking steps to improve your interviewing skills? Have you worked up a presentation for a potential backer? Are you devoting attention to your personal appearance?
I get it. I can hear all the protests that follow these type of statements. However, if you think going the extra mile in the shop or the gym matters, why stop there? I commonly find that drivers delude themselves about one basic thing. Seriously, I don’t know how many times I have heard someone say that their record speaks for itself. It doesn’t.
OK, if you are one of those individuals who are at the very top of the talent curve you might not need to do a thing to have doors open for you. That simply isn’t true for everyone. Unless you have an unlimited source of funds, you’re going to need someone to believe in you. Odds are almost everyone in the upper echelons of short-track racing can remember a driver who had far more talent than they did but never got a break. Yet, what we call breaks are often the culmination of doing the extra things and persistence.
Which brings me to my ultimate point. I am amazed how often racers will not return calls or texts and blow off set appointments. I hear stories about this from public relations officials, team owners and other media members, and have experienced this first-hand more often than I can count.
Over time, reputations are formed — for better or worse. Consider this: When I am the one reaching out what I am offering is 100 percent free publicity. What I am asking for ranges from five to 45 minutes of a driver’s time. Here is a newsflash. Everyone’s busy including the one making the requests. Sure, all of us have messed up an appointment or had a task slip our mind. That happens. I am talking about a pattern.
It is true that racing is an unconventional lifestyle that operates on an entirely different clock and schedule than the norm. However, there are those who are critical to a driver’s future who operate in a different world, with different expectations. To survive it is often best to play by their rules.
I routinely ask drivers about their post-racing plans. Many speak to owning their own team and developing new drivers. Here is some free advice. If you can’t respond to people, be on time and learn to interact effectively with the media and potential partners you would be wise to take your life in a different direction. It isn’t going to work.
Successful people do all the little things right. If you don’t, you can rest easily because the phone will stop ringing.
No matter how hard one works in life there are no guarantees. However, there are things in your control that you can do to increase the odds that you will meet your goals. When it comes down to it, you must first help yourself.
This story appeared in the Oct 4, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
