Do you have a pre-race ritual, routine or superstition that you stick to?
I definitely have some little ones! I generally eat the same things before and on race days, as well as wear the same clothes under my race suit!
What’s the most “real” feeling you’ve had in a sim thanks to D-BOX?
I've got two answers to this one! The day that I got my D-BOX simulator I tried Hickory Motor Speedway because it's a track that I've ran a lot at in real life, as well as a track that has a ton of character. It was almost unbelievable how realistic the D-BOX system picked up the bumps and imperfections in the track. It felt just like real life! Additionally, Canadian Tire Motorsports Park was really cool as well, as there are so many elevation changes that the D-BOX also picks up. These are certainly two of my favorite places to use my rig at, but I've not been disappointed anywhere that I've tried it!
What inspired you to start, and how did you turn it into a professional career?
I’m actually a third-generation driver, so it runs in my family! I was pretty much at the race track since the day that I was born while my Dad was racing. Obviously racing has always been something that I was passionate about, but it really turned into a more realistic professional career when I started finding more success!
H2: Has your dad ever tried your simulator? I imagine he didn’t have that technology when he was driving, so I would be curious as to what he thinks about it!
Unfortunately he has not yet! It’s one of my goals. He had tried iRacing years ago prior to the D-BOX system, but he struggled with it and said it wasn’t for him lol.
If you weren’t a driver, what do you think you’d be doing right now? Do you have other hobbies or passions that we don’t know
That’s a really good question and a tough one for sure! I think I’d still be involved in racing to some extent, maybe as a crew chief or a driver coach.
Given that you grew up around racing, what’s the biggest ‘shock’ you experienced on your first big race that you weren’t expecting?
I would say the adrenaline. You can be nervous prior to the race and even right up until you hop into the car, but as soon as you are strapped in the adrenaline takes over and you can’t think about anything else!
How do you use D-BOX to prepare for different types of terrain or track conditions?
Last year I raced at a lot of new tracks and practice is generally limited on race weekends. So D-BOX helped me a lot to find my line prior to actually getting to the track on race day. I would know where the different bumps were and where to go to avoid them. Makes the learning curve much quicker when racing somewhere new!
Who’s the coolest driver you have raced against?
I raced against Dale Earnhardt Jr. a couple times last year, that was pretty cool!
Want to be part of the next AMA?
This was just one of many exciting things taking place on the D-BOX Discord. If you’re passionate about sim racing or just want to connect with other like-minded individuals, our community is the place to be!
