Champions Traits Story and photos by Dwight Drum
© 2004-7 Dwight Drum Web work by Larsen & Drum
NHRA POWERade Champions
THE QUESTION: Do you believe motorsports champions have commone traits and abilities and if so could you identify a few?
Tony Pedregon Gary Scelzi Tony Schumacher Angelle Sampey
"We race every day, and if you don't do it, you're not going to win."
John Force, NHRA Funny Car champion
"It's all about people…use their abilities to help you."
Joe Amato, NHRA Top Fuel Dragster champion
"A coach or manager is only as good as his players."
Tony Schumacher, NHRA Top Fuel champion
"You eat, sleep, drink it. We're not robots."
Tony Pedregon, NHRA Funny Car champion
"Always have your head on straight."
Jeg Coughlin Jr. , NHRA Pro Stock Car champion
"It's definitely a lot of work to try and accomplish it."
Andrew Hines, NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion
"I think we think a lot faster."
Geno Scali, NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion
"You don't see common people become champions, you see uncommon people become champions."
George Bryce, NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion team owner
Champion Traits Quest
Two active seasons in top sanctions gathering nearly 150 answers from highly skilled motorsports racers to one champion-traits question has produced many thoughts and no simple solution.
The basis behind the single question is looking for a way to measure the complex human ingredients it takes to produce a top sanction champion. If found there would be a mad rush to buy the formula. As we know life and science works in other ways.
That knowledge didn't stop the question or the answers.
One question never needs asking. It takes a very brave person to have the fire to fly on a solid racetrack. The question asked results in many reasons in many minds. The only consolation to this dedicated quest is the more answers, the better.
Jeg Coughlin Jr. Andrew Hines Geno Scali
Top Fuel Dragster Champions
5-time NHRA Top Fuel championJoe Amato
"I think they focus on what they're doing. I think anybody who has the ability to success whether it's in business or a major sport. You can see they dedicate their lives to doing it. They don't just do it on a whim.
"And if you're focused enough and you surround yourself with the right people, that's the key."
What traits do you think you have that helped you to earn so many championships?
"I think I'm good at picking the right people and motivating them, putting my energy in then right places and focusing on the job at hand. That's been my life, to be successful with business and a racing career side by side. You take the luck factor a little, you need a little luck too. But it's all about people and being able to motivate them and use their abilities to help you."
3-time NHRA Top Fuel champion
Tony Schumacher
"First and foremost, one huge trait, if you want to call it that, is having a great team behind you, like I have with the U.S. Army Top Fuel team. Just a like a coach or manager is only as good as his players, that goes the same way for a champion driver. He or she is only as good as the people surrounding him or her. Also, he or she has to be able to handle pressure and big-time moments. Case in point was what happened in Pomona, Calif. last Sunday. We came down to the final round at the final race and not only did we have to win the race, but we had to set the new national elapsed time record to win the world championship. Well, as you know by now, we accomplished the mission. That was a history-making experience."
Funny Car Champion
Gary Scelzi, Mopar/Oakley Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car
"I think they do because I think they are not satisfied with anything but
winning. And you live, breathe, sleep winning. And I think everybody I know
who has won a championship, and even some I know who haven't won a
championship, have that feeling, but all of them are successful."
1-time champion
Tony Pedregon
"Yeah. There's no doubt that in this industry regardless of what type of racing it is it's so competitive that there are several components that earn you that title. Not a lot of people have the opportunity to put themselves there. One of the biggest keys is that when you do have that opportunity and you have competition when it comes down to the wire I think there are certain things. I think people as a driver that have the ability to stay focused and block all the other distractions. I think that takes a lot of mental preparation.
"On a personal level I think a person not necessarily even have all his personal well-being intact. It's really something you can't buy. It might be something you can help someone with but I think that a lot of it is instinctive. What drives a person? What motivates a person? I know from my experience it's tough to do. It's not a good feeling. It creates a lot of stress. You eat, sleep, drink it. You wake up and really the fear and the not so pleasant part is just the fear of losing. The fear of not being able to deliver and wanting to win. I think in a way that drives a person.
"At the time you may not know it, because I didn't realize myself. I found myself as I got closer in Vegas in 2003. It was by no means a runaway. I had the guy I was racing had taken the points a couple of races before the event. We came in with two races left knowing whoever comes out on top is going to have the edge going into the last race. I didn't realize and never thought about what could happen and before I knew we were staring at one another in the final round and I thought this can all go down right here. I think it's important for a person to phase that out.
"By nature you're going to think about it. We're not robots. I wasn't strong enough to think about flying a kite and then get into the car. So I allow that to come in make me a nervous wreck. I try not to make it appear that way. I think every driver has a different little routine, but what's important is to be good when it counts. The driver has a lot to do with it when everything is on the line. But then there is everything that surrounds that, the good team, good management, good support, all of those things matter. It really isn't just one thing when the weight is on the driver's shoulders when the driver has to perform. There are so many different variables and so many things that can go right so many things that can go wrong. When all of those things are in place, the end result is good.
"What makes this such an exciting sport is that there is a lot of talent, a lot of money being thrown around out here. A lot of good car owners with a lot of big bank accounts. So really it's no different than the NFL, or baseball, there's talent everywhere. What you have to do is put all of those pieces together and create that little magic. It's not magic. I don't believe in magic. It's that hard work, the dedication, the continuity and that special something that makes anything a success. It's people."
Pro Stock Car Champion
2-time champion
Jeg Coughlin Jr.
Do motorsports champions share common traits and abilities and if so could you identify a few?
"I'm sure champions in any form of motorsports or any sport for that matter do share common traits. I'd say the ability to focus is probably key, right up top. You've got to have a great team behind you, no matter what. In the motorsports world you're really only as good as your team. A driver can certainly make a difference here and there, but at the end of the day you need to have a good chemistry, a good balance of talent. I'd say there's a lot of commonalities whether you're racing here for win lights or racing for a checker flag. You've got to drive aggressive and drive smart and always have your head on straight."
Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion
3-time champion
Angelle Sampey:
Do Champions have common traits and abilities and if so could you identify a few? "Common traits. I think they are all common. We just have an extra gene in us that somehow never quits no matter what. It's something I think every champion is born a particular gene that says 'I will not quit. I will not quit, no matter what.' I'm not going to quit is the line of a champion. I think everything else is normal though. I think we're exactly the same. Normal people enjoy a normal life with family back home relaxing and hunting and fishing and doing whatever and doing what's fun. But when it comes time for racing and get on that racetrack there's something about us that we just won't accept defeat no matter what."2-time champion
Andrew Hines
Do motorsports champions share common traits and abilities and if so could you identify a few?
"I'm not really sure if champions have common traits and abilities. Everybody just goes out there and do the best they can. They say some people are born with it and some people strive to get it. My brother has been a champion. I've been a champion. My dad's been behind everybody as far as making champions. I'd like to say I was born with it, but it's definitely a lot of work to try and accomplish it."
Pro Stock Motorcycle Champion
1-time champion
Geno Scali
Do motorsports champions share common traits and abilities and if so could you identify a few?
"I think so. It's a God-given ability. You're born with it. Everyone has a destiny. If you can find what your destiny is and do it. Just like race car drivers, motorcycle racers with God-given ability. I think we think a lot faster.
"I can be going down the road in our semi with one of the crew driving and I see things a lot faster. I feel like I'm a backseat driver, but I have to slow myself down. I see and react faster.
"If you interview any other racers, you'll notice that they see things, compute it and react faster. Maybe everybody sees it the same, but by the time they compute what to do, that's a different story. A lot of folks have lag time. Racers don't seem to have lag time. That's my opinion.
"I don't care if he drives a Formula 1 cars, NASCARs open-wheel cars, drag racers, motorcycle drag racers or road racing, if you start at a young enough age, they can do it. As long as you are the right size and you have to be fit."
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