LAS VEGAS – Scott Velocity has almost completed all of it with regards to auto racing.
The Purple Bull driver was one of many few American drivers to compete in Formulation 1. He is raced on ovals in NASCAR and gained a number of championships in Rallycross.
Velocity competed for Scuderia Toro Rosso 28 instances between the 2006 and 2007 seasons. He was one of many final Individuals to compete in F1 races earlier than Alexander Rossi and Logan Sargeant.
At the moment, the USA Grand Prix was a fixture on the Formulation 1 schedule, and it wasn’t till 2022 when the Miami Grand Prix began and, final 12 months, the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
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Scott Velocity (USA) throughout apply for the 2007 Grand Prix of Nice Britain at Silverstone July 6, 2007. (GEPA footage/Franz Pammer by way of USA At this time Sports activities)
Since 2023, the U.S. has hosted three Formulation 1 races as the game’s recognition has skyrocketed.
“It’s uncontrolled. It’s so, so completely different,” Velocity informed Fox Information Digital Friday. “Truthfully, it was type of nicer as a result of I’m a little bit of a reserved individual. So, after I got here again to America after my Formulation 1 profession was over, it was fairly good truly that nobody acknowledged me or knew me. I might type of identical to begin over from scratch. I truthfully actually loved the anonymity.
“Now, clearly, it’s cool as a result of there’s so lots of my fellow Individuals and so lots of my family and friends right here now that know what Formulation 1 is, they usually’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, you probably did that?’ And that’s fairly particular to have the ability to share with them. As a fan of motor racing usually, I’m so glad that, whether or not it was the Netflix present or a whole lot of elements, it’s grown right here and that’s actually cool.”
Velocity didn’t have the success of Mario Andretti, however attending to drive on the pinnacle of open-wheel racing is a serious win.
Competing in opposition to the likes of Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa is not any simple process.
“Formulation 1 is the head of motor racing, proper? However there wasn’t actually a path in America. So, it was type of like an bold purpose, and I used to be very lucky to have a chance with the Purple Bull America driver search to have that chance to maneuver to Europe and to truly have a pathway from the Purple Bull Junior Improvement program to truly get there.
Formulation One driver Scott Velocity (USA) throughout apply for the 2007 Grand Prix of France at Magny-Cours Motorway June 29, 2007. (GEPA footage/ Mathias Kniepeiss by way of USA At this time Sports activities)
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“My greatest recollections are simply how particular it was to have the ability to maximize these alternatives and truly get there.”
Velocity mentioned some of the troublesome components of Formulation 1 was to go from successful rather a lot or competing within the entrance within the feeder collection to racing onerous in opposition to one of the best of one of the best. And never at all times discovering victory lane or the rostrum was a “troublesome factor to get used to.”
“Formulation 1 is tremendous particular, and the vehicles are unbelievably quick. I feel essentially the most particular, I imply, all people will bear in mind the primary time they pull out of a storage in a Formulation 1 automobile. And, for me, that was Barcelona in a V-10. So, I used to be additionally fortunate to have the reminiscence of the engines they usually sounded superb. Many nice recollections.”
Velocity raced in NASCAR for a number of years earlier than getting one other alternative to compete in one other completely different type of racing – Rallycross, which takes place on a closed mixed-surface circuit.
Scott Velocity drives the No. 41 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle through the Purple Bull International Rallycross race at Daytona Worldwide Speedway June 21, 2015, in Daytona Seaside, Fla. (Brian Cleary/Getty Photos)
The Purple Bull athlete gained three consecutive International Rallycross championships from 2015 to 2017 and the Americas Rallycross championship in 2018. He informed Fox Information Digital he wished to provide himself a problem and race in a collection exterior his consolation zone.
“There’s so many choices that may have been rather a lot simpler and possibly extra of a pure match,” he mentioned. “I actually wished to problem myself and do one thing completely different.
“It’s in all probability the choice I’m most completely satisfied about as a result of it led me down a path of exploration and studying other ways to drive a car. And I fell in love with that side of motor racing – away from being good at driving one kind of automobile a method. I fell in love with, ‘Oh, this automobile, I have to, as a driver, do a whole lot of various things to optimize the car.’ And I fell in love with that.
“With Rallycross after inventory automobile racing, it was one other evolution of that like, ‘OK, this requires one thing else,’ and I’ve simply been at all times in love and fascinated with what it takes to attempt to maximize the physics of the autos. I’ve been fortunate to have these alternatives to have the ability to go from all these completely different disciplines.”
Velocity additionally supplied recommendation to younger drivers seeking to break into the game.
“Don’t stop,” he mentioned. “I actually consider you’ll be able to have every little thing you need in life if you need it dangerous sufficient. It at all times comes all the way down to being prepared to pay the value that it prices and in case you’re prepared to place within the power and time that it must do one thing. Something’s potential.
Former NASCAR Cup Sequence driver Scott Velocity through the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz., Nov. 5, 2023. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA At this time Sports activities)
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“I feel that crucial factor is you’re keen on what you do. I used to be very fortunate to seek out at a really younger age that I cherished racing, and I used to be capable of pursue that and switch that right into a profession. However I feel the love of racing is the bedrock of that as a result of the hassle and power it takes to achieve success in one thing as troublesome as motor racing requires a whole lot of power. And in case you don’t love what you’re doing, you’re not going to be prepared to pay that worth that it takes.”
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