From the editor
Greetings readers. As a motoring enthusiast, the question, “Why do we do what we do?” has been in my thoughts lately. Many enthusiasts know they love driving but don’t spend nearly as much time contemplating why they love it. I was drawn to motoring relatively late in life, in my 20s, although I did have an obsession with speed growing up. Movies like Days of Thunder saw to that. Same deal with track athletes, fast bowlers and so on. The science of what made something or someone fast fascinated me, as did the thrilling end result of the speed.
From the first moment I climbed behind a steering wheel, I took to driving with ease and enjoyed the sensation of controlling the vehicle, applying power smoothly and manoeuvring through traffic. One day – I’ll never forget it – I was walking down the sidewalk in Cape Town and a blur of blue bodywork and gold wheels swung around a nearby traffic circle, engine howling and tyres squealing with grip. I barely had time to register it as a Subaru WRX STI as it powered away, yet, it left an indelible impression on me … that a vehicle could be propelled so quickly and confidently.
Acknowledging I knew very little about driving, I began to systematically improve my skills by attending driver-training schools, reading books like Ross Bentley’s Speed Secrets – which I can recommend – and following motor racing to see what techniques I could pick up. I converted the first vehicle I bought when I was at university into a track-day car and attended any event I could at my local circuit, Killarney Raceway. Now, decades later, my passion for driving is my career. I pinch myself every morning …
To answer my question, why do I drive? On a racetrack, speed is the ultimate goal. You need everything to come together. Methodical preparation of the car, total economy of movement in your driving, even the weather needs to be just right to get that perfect lap. This requires intense focus so that when the time is right, you can perform and get the maximum out of yourself and the vehicle. A mentality that stands me in good stead in life and working at CAR, too, I suspect.
Nevertheless, I hope the next time an impressionable young kid on a street corner somewhere sees a CAR test vehicle flash past, they will be inspired to drive, learn more about the art of driving and become an enthusiast. If they do that, take it from me, the sky’s the limit.
Enjoy the issue.