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Winners' Circle Pre-Race Words (Con't) IndyCar, ARCA and USAC Two Interviews Continued from Winners' Circle Main Page: Dan Wheldon, Bobby Gerhart
©2007 Dwight Drum Web work by Larsen and Drum
Dan Wheldon Bobby Gerhart
It's what they say
In the words of winners the thoughts that define drive often open up from within. Few patterns separate a winner from a contender, but common threads that comprise the fiber of winners seem to exist. We invite you to pull cause from the mystery mix of their emotions and energy. Winners are favorites because they succeed. The journey to success in motorsports is hard fought. Winners need luck too along the way, but luck won't create a winner. Take a mind tour with these winners and you too may understand what they can't explain.
Story and interviews by Dwight Drum
Dan Wheldon
Do you have a different mindset when leading in the points as compared to chasing the points leader?
"I prefer being in the points lead cause then you're controlling the situation. It's very difficult when you are chasing because you know you can't control anything. You have to be taking away points form that leader at the time. I tend to do well under pressure. From my personal standpoint I prefer to be in the lead."
Focus is important; did you acquire that or bring it with you?
"Yeah. I think I've always been focused and determined. Racing is all I have in my life and it sounds kind of cheesy and cliché but it really is true. It's what I love to do. But at the same time I don't just want to do it. I want to be special at what I do. In order to try to be that person, you need to be very focused."
Bobby Gerhart
What does the season horizon look like for Bobby Gerhart?
"Certainly an always changing environment we are in. I think at this point we're looking to go forward and run for the championship although we don't have a total commitment sponsorship locked up for all the races and that can change. Hopefully we're going to make this a championship run year."
Many top teams are struggling with funds. Can you comment on the challenge of sponsorship?
"The ever-rising cost of automobile racing probably starts that right there. The cost of trying to compete at Daytona given all the factors and all the things that the average ARCA team deals with to try to be competitive to say the least it's unreachable for a lot of people. It even is really for me. Without a lot of support around me I could not do that at this level. I think if one thing could be addressed the cost of doing this is where we need to look at it."
How do you handle the stress of driving and ownership?
"Well. It's a big challenge, there is no doubt. It think you got to just go somewhere where you can enjoy a part of what you do, because there is a big part of it that you don't enjoy. As the business side of it, you've got to make decisions that not everybody is going to be happy with and you've got break yourself away from that and just do what you got to do to continue to run the ship. And then on the other hand from the physical side of it you've got to deal with all the issues that come up there is really not a lot room in this any more to even think about driving. That's a part of it that I've always enjoyed. I still enjoy it. Unfortunately I get less and less time as I go forward to do that."
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