To make this clear, NewzVroom’s #1 goal is to give drivers the exposure that they deserved by getting the job done on and off the race track. Racing is a very humbling sport where you can be the best driver but the biggest asshole and you will never get your shot. Equally as unfair you can have little to no talent but a big paycheck and get every shot at being a professional driver. These are  facts of racing that are true now and will always be true. To make sure a driver gets the reps they need on the race track so they have the talent to make it to the next level, they also need a solid supporting cast. That supporting cast can be a driver’s family or friends but their job is to groom the driver into a solid individual that can represent a sponsor or a brand one day. All of that can go right for a driver, but unfortunately the one thing that the driver cannot control is that supporting cast and that can cost a driver everything.

Parents, family members, friends, fans and other supporting cast, this article is really just for you. Let’s look at the statistics at making it professionally in racing from my own personal experience. Over my 22 years of racing, I have probably raced against about 700-800 drivers in go-karts, micros and midgets. Of all those drivers, about 10 have made it to NASCAR at any level (only 3 have made it to cup), about 4 have won a World Of Outlaws Sprint or Late Model race and maybe about 12-15 get a paycheck to support racing as a full time job. If we break down those numbers, at best your son or daughter has about a 1.7% chance of being a professional race car driver and that is being extremely optimistic, therefore I hate to say it but more than likely your driver isn’t the next Great American Driver. This may come as a shock but yelling at officials, blaming drivers for wrecking your driver or blasting tracks on Facebook don’t improve those chances, they all about eliminate their shot of making it. 

This has always been an issue in racing but over the last month, the reckless nature of name calling and dehumanizing behavior is getting out of hand. Most of these claims come from teams that “their” driver got taken out or even better yet, nobody on the track can drive.  If you break down each accident (which I have been lately) I would say 90-95% of all on track accidents are 50/50 deals. The other 5% are just bad breaks and you just have nowhere to go. Seeing that about 90-95% are 50/50 deals, that means that your driver was a part of the problem. It is a driver’s responsibility to make the right decision on every lap and every second of the race. Part of making the right decision is knowing your surroundings. When I go onto a track, I know which drivers are going to give me room, which ones are going to run me towards the infield tires and the ones I am not going to be able to catch. If you don’t do that, then you are at least 50% responsible of the accident that your in. If you are just going to flat foot it around the track because your car handles and another driver moves up and you don’t move then you are equally at fault. I can confidently say this because if you look at the top drivers in any standings, guess what they don’t do, trash their cars or get caught up in pettiness. When evaluating drivers especially for which ones that we feature or interview, I really pick apart their race. How many times did they try to pass too early or when did they miss their line. Those that minimize those mental mistakes make it to the front. 

By going on this rant this does not make me innocent and my team (yes me including) are guilty of these actions. I am being gracious by giving everyone a once a year pass to be pissed and be “Frustrated Keith”. If this is happening to you week after week, you need to look no further than working with your driver. This does not mean that you yell at the driver or threaten to stop racing if they keep wrecking. The ideal support cast analyzes what the driver is and is not doing and helps them understand how to make better decisions so they finish up front and not on the tow truck.