Recently I had the privilege to compete in Top Sportsman at the PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park, and let me tell you how fantastic that show was. Cars were running in excess of 320 mph while fans packed the place full. It was an exciting race to watch and compete in. Several of the professional teams showcased their new equipment, cars, and drivers in anticipation of the 2025 race season.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #193, the Interview Issue, in March / April of 2025.]
Noticing how close the fields are now getting, I started to think back. When we started racing Pro Modified, we had a usual spread of over two tenths of a second from No. 1 to 16 qualifiers. This allowed for a couple of easier rounds to start the race if you happened to be qualified at the top.
Today is a completely different story. Thirty-two-car fields separated by less than a tenth of a second leave everyone on edge. And as a driver and tuner, you never know who is going to win because everyone who qualifies has a legitimate shot. Most teams have amazing tuners and the parts that run fast are readily available off the shelf. The cost has risen significantly and has given way to the mega-budget teams to fill many of the fields. Teams are spending a lot of money and time developing their engine program, maintenance, top-notch rigs, equipment, and, of course, getting the best tuner they can.
All this said, there is something, in my opinion, that is lacking attention. This one crucial piece is the driver! As a driver, I have been in many different race cars and driven for multiple teams throughout the years. Some teams were great, while others not so good, but the one thing that remained the same was my commitment to being the best I could be in the driver’s seat no matter how good the car was or was not.
This may ruffle some feathers, but I do not believe everyone who is driving should be! Sometimes money and pride take the place of common sense. I have seen amazing teams and great performing cars never do well because of driver issues. This in no way demeans the person, it’s just at the level our sport is at, I believe you need the driver to be as good as the rest of the components to make the team the best it can be.
Complaining about not winning and blaming everyone else when you as a driver are not pulling your weight or trying to improve your game is ridiculous. As a driver, I believe you owe it to the team to be your best or get out of the seat and get someone that can be. Getting to bed early, not drinking alcohol at the race, eating clean, exercising, and getting quiet time to practice in the car alone or with a practice tree are all key components to being better, yet seldom do I see these practices in place.
The fact is that some people can just flat-out drive better than others. Good drivers practicing better habits will be great drivers. This does not in any way make them better than you as a person, it only demonstrates that we all have gifts in certain areas where some are better at certain things than others.
This is where as a team owner/driver you need to evaluate if changes need to be made in the driving department. I know for sure that if your tuner was not very good at what he or she was doing, you would probably make some changes. It’s no different when talking about the driver. Awareness is key to success in this super-competitive racing that we are involved in. Need to make some changes? The choice is yours to make!
This story was originally published on May 8, 2025. 
