Motorsports was something which, regretfully, I had little contact with whilst growing up. In fact had you asked me ten years ago my thoughts on cars in general, I would have a pretty sour opinion. So while this hobby was unable to mold me in my youth, it did introduce itself to me at an incredibly opportune time. While fresh out of college I had been on a job hunt for some months and growing listless. It was becoming clear to me that an interesting job which could give me some greater purpose was far and away out of reach. I would have to settle for something lesser, and that thought terrified me. Perhaps I just needed some hobbies.

The answer was a rabbit hole, which began at a very innocuous start, an arcade cabinet and Japanese import, Initial D: Stage 8 Infinity. An arcade in Seattle’s South Center mall hosted two of these machines (both of which have sadly disappeared since.) One of my friends was a big fan of the Initial D anime and challenged me to race him.
Now I’ve never been one to play racing games. Outside looking in, they just seemed too monotonous to me, but these virtual mountain passes seemed different. The amount of precision looked far greater than a highway or track racer. Narrow roads, tight corners, and a full wheel and pedal control scheme looked like an interesting challenge. Race after race these challenging elements came together to ignite a fierce competition which I had not felt before. Defeating my friend, who’s smug aura and casual demeanor on the neighboring cabinet made him an easy villain, was a rush that I wanted to hit again and again. Losing only made this desire even greater.
Surely this is some common experience people feel toward a backyard sport in childhood. Had I this same experience with football or baseball at a tender age, perhaps I would be having normal water cooler talk at work.
Instead I developed a racing itch. One I was not going to satisfy by going to an arcade every day. The next step was Forza Horizon 5. Now I was racing my same friend for time trials, lap races, and of course driving mountain pass roads. Through this videogame I was learning about different brands, different models, and the thrills of racing on average road circuits. Hardly a hobby just yet, all of this was just some fascination, but not for long.

One day while passing through the living room I find my brother watching Netflix’s Drive to Survive, a series which follows Formula 1 season by season hamming the drama along the way. The driver interviews and personal stories were a snooze, but when it got to the racing, I was enthralled. The sounds and speeds of these cars seemed unreal. Constant cutting to interviews and whatever side plot was happening alongside the race irritated me to no end.
“Why can’t we just see the cars race? Who cares about all this melodramatic nonsense?!” I exclaimed.
To which I received the obvious reply from my brother, “Just watch a race then.”
So weeks later, I tuned in for the Japanese Grand Prix of the 2023 season. Instantly I was sold. The strategy and craft on display was something I could never have expected. Incredibly late to the party but I had finally found a sport to sink my teeth into and grow a hobby around.

I spent 2024 following Formula 1 almost exclusively. I couldn’t get enough of it. Then the off-season hit. I was like a junkie looking for anything to get my fix. Watching WRC clips online, researching simulators, and looking for other series. IMSA was the first to fall into my lap with the 24 Hours of Daytona. The Daytona 500 followed, and then Indycar. To my shock there was a whole world of motorsport out there, almost all of it was just fantastic. The discovery of new series and races brought me such joy, but also some sadness. There are many folks who will hitch their wagon to a single series, and never break out. These folks are missing out, and they don’t even know! That to me was such a profound shame.

So that is the reason I decided I wanted to begin writing a motorsport blog. To both share the excitement of my discoveries, but also to perhaps expose readers to series, formats, or events that they may be missing. So whatever experience with motorsports you may have, I hope that my enthusiasm will come through to provide for some fun casual reading through this blog! Truthfully I have been meaning to create this blog all the way at the start of the year, updating the blog as I attended live events along the way. Now it is October, and I’ve some catching up to do. Next writings will likely be a year in review, or maybe I will split all my thoughts into individual posts. Till next time!