When I was young, one of the things that really got me excited was competitive racing. Maybe it started because of those Need for Speed games, but then Formula 1 and NASCAR really took over, to the point where I used to tape these races to watch them over the weekend. One of the things that really amazed me, other than the cars, obviously, was the sheer skill behind driving at that breakneck speed, the attitude of the drivers behind the wheel and the passion towards a sport which has such a high risk factor. So when they announced there was going to be a session with pizza, soda and actual racecar drivers, guess who was first in line? Well, it wasn’t me. I barely managed to get a seat in the densely packed classroom, and didn’t even get a slice of pizza.
Seeing the sheer number of people there stunned me. The session started with an introduction to the Lake Superior Rally and the team members involved in planning it, along with safety instructions and volunteering opportunities. However, the videos of famous rally racing incidents such as Pat Richards’ Brockway mountain jump or Travis Pastrana’s Colorado crash being shown in the background and the statement, “When you’re rally racing, it can go from top of the world to holy shucks really quickly,” further enhanced my realization that this was a dangerous sport. That made me more desperate to meet the minds behind those driving these vehicles.
After a while, teammates and rivals from the Subaru Rally USA team, Pastrana and David Higgins were introduced. Now these were the men that I’d come to see! Rally drivers and crazy souls. The moment they walked in, you could sense an excitement in the crowd.
Their session started with a draw to decide what position they’d take at the start the race on Saturday. Pastrana won that and chose starting behind Higgins, so that he could follow the line Higgins follows, marking every weak spot and trying not to make the same mistakes Higgins does. After this initial period, it was time for Q&A with the teammates. The questions ranged from “How do I become a racecar driver?” to “How do you guys become mentally prepared for this kind of event?” Being the gentleman that they are, Pastrana and Higgins answered these questions with utmost sincerity. The one real astounding thing about these two was their humility. No one would think that these guys are combined 12-time champions! Pastrana told us some of the funny incidents that have happened with him, which included crashing into trees multiple times, whereas Higgins was a bit more open about how he moved here from the U.K. and how he evolved into the race car driver that he is right now. One thing is for certain: these guys are amazing teammates, and better rivals. They complement each other’s styles perfectly and from my first impression, they reminded me of famous F1 rivalry between the spontaneous James Hunt, in this case Pastrana, and the knowledgeable Niki Lauda, similar to Higgins. Of course, this comparison might be complete hogwash, so please don’t pelt me with tomatoes after this. After the session, these two gave autographed posters of their cars to each of their fans who showed up, and were more than kind in obliging for a photograph. And with these autographed posters and a photograph with them, I completed a childhood dream of mine: to try and understand the mind of a person who can compete in competitive racing; and enjoy every little moment of it.
