Order your Slow Car Fast eBook Today
Hill climbs, model cars + watches and the business of building a racing career.
Happy Race Day, especially to 50 Cent and his subtle, tasteful new vehicle.
Last week we showed you the cover of Slow Car Fast, the debut eBook from Carrara Media. The response was overwhelming. Thank you to all those who preordered a copy! It’s deeply meaningful to me in a way I can’t properly explain yet.
Preorders will continue up to the August 19 release date so snag yours today! And here’s a secret: use the coupon code RACEDAY at checkout to get the $11.99 special for subscribers.
Much more Slow Car Fast news coming soon. Keep your calendars open.
Culture
I think often about the changing nature of car culture. At its core, to me, is the car show. The opportunity for people to come together and celebrate their passion together. The community. It’s a beautiful thing. And I love that it keeps changing.
In this newsletter we’ve covered the influence of Radwood, merging car culture with pop culture nostalgia. We’ve covered Gridlife, a racing festival incorporating live music and camping. And an anime-inspired drift car reveal with a ramen bar.
The picture above is from last year’s Purist holiday toy drive. To me it illustrates the modern car show. Different backgrounds. Different activities. More to do.
Over the weekend, one car show didn’t even have any cars. It was AutoConduct, the rolling pop-up show profiled in the very first Race Day issue, celebrating diecast models and vintage watches in a collaboration with the L.A. watch shop Craft And Tailored. These small, carefully curated auto-themed events aren’t really car shows. But I would bet they continue to grow in number and influence. Quickly.
Video Reel
Ken Block is your host on a tour of the bonkers Donegal Rally in Ireland:
Want to know why we geek out over the old days of rallying? Here are vintage clips from the 2001 Safari Rally in Kenya, an event since retired. “Slippery. Slippery and very tricky,” said one driver. Exactly how I like it.
Really cool analysis of a really boring race. Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer breaks down some of the battles going on during the French Grand Prix. The phrase “Hulkenburg really was a bit naughty” is cracking me up.
Race Results
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb: Hundreds of racers attacked a 14,000-foot mountain in Colorado, setting up incredible visuals like this one. The beauty is in the variety that shows up, from motorcycles to modified NASCARs and wild trucks.
The fastest time went to a group of former Faraday Future engineers who built a racecar in their garage. BBi Autosport from right here in Huntington Beach took second in its modified Porsche 911:
The hillclimb sounds dangerous because it is. Motorcycle racer Carlin Dunne passed away after crashing down the side of the mountain on the final stretch of his run. Condolences to the Dunne family.
Formula One: Finally! A boring F1 season gave us a fantastic Austrian Grand Prix. You had young drivers showing huge talent. Wheel to wheel racing. Mercedes knocked off its perch for the first time in 2019. A long drought over for Honda. And a daring pass for the win in front of a frenzied crowd. I’m really liking the idea of a Verstappen/LeClerc rivalry for the next 10 years. [Highlights here.]
IMSA: It’s hard to overstate what this weekend meant to Mazda. The team has been plugging away for years with its Daytona prototype cars to little success. At the Sahlen’s Six Hours Of The Glen the team finally did it. In a 1-2 sweep no less! I’m especially happy for Tristan Nuñez, who’s featured in Slow Car Fast and sees his years of service with the team rewarded. Mazda does it right. Well deserved.
Ask A Millennial! Dakota Dickerson, 22
Lots of people say they want to drive racecars. Dakota Dickerson has answered every challenge in his path to actually do it. He and his family are working hard to help the promising San Diego native fulfill his dream of racing in IndyCar. I had the chance to catch up with Dakota following his win in the F3 Americas series in Pittsburgh. Here he is passing six cars in one lap. And here is an excerpt of our conversation:
My first car ever was a Mazda Miata. I can race it, it’s fun to drive and super affordable too. My friends and I drive through the mountains and then head to the beach. They drive a Civic and an Impreza STi. It’s a lot of fun because we all have such diverse cars.
My perfect day of driving is with the soft-top down, rallying with friends. Nobody else on the roads. We drove up the coast to Concorso in Monterey one time and that was super fun. When you get to the final destination you see all these badass cars.
There are a lot of responsibilities outside of physically racing the car. You have to support yourself and your career. You have to be an adult. Reaching out to sponsors is a full-time job. It’s a little bit of the chicken and the egg: you’ve got to be on the racetrack to get attention, but you need new partners in order to get on the racetrack. You spend a large majority of your time looking for new partners. That was there in the 80’s and 90’s but it’s certainly more of the focal point nowadays.
When you’re driving a racecar there’s nothing else going through your mind. On a great day you’re able to be on the limit 100 percent of the time. Out of control and in control at the same time. It’s exhilarating. And then with people a few inches away, going for the same thing as you. That’s what I’m addicted to. It’s the feeling people chase in every sport. That feeling, in a racecar, is beautiful.
We’re currently racing in F3 Americas and the goal is to win that championship. From there I’d like to move on to a series like Indy Lights which is basically the training grounds for IndyCar. I would love to be in Indycar in the next two years. Participating and hopefully winning the Indy 500 would be a dream come true. I’m living out a life that most people would dream of having so I’m not afraid of the work. It’s got to happen if you want to do it. If you put in the work it’s definitely possible.
This Weekend
Another stellar lineup of car culture events on the docket. This time it’s arguably the most influential car show on the planet: the Goodwood Festival of Speed. A celebration of not just cars, but hard driving, immersing attendees in the sight and sound and fury of automotive icons. Follow us on IG to watch it unfold.
On the other side of the spectrum is Culture Clash, a collaboration between the mad scientists at Hoonigan and the fashion brand Fatlace. Drifting. Drag strip. Simulator racing. Just general insanity. Should be fun.
And Finally…
What time is it? Van time! Everyone I know is gaga for vans lately. Volkswagen took note and reimagined an old Microbus with a crazy twisting style called Generative Design. Apparently it uses AI to fill shapes in empty space. I’d like to hear more about how that can be used in the future. But for now check out the sweet van action.
Drive hard and be safe.
Want your event included? Shoot me a note with subject line “Race Day” at ryan@carrarabooks.com.