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The Matthew Maxey Motorsports Philosophy: A New Era Has Begun
By
Matthew Maxey
There is a saying amongst race car drivers that goes “If
you can drive, you can drive. Period.” However, that is
easier said than done. Being able to drive – and drive
well – does not guarantee a talented driver the opportunity
to compete in a professional level of motorsports. There
are countless other factors that weigh into the equation
of breaking into the racing world. It is a profession
that is not easy to get into. In fact, it is so difficult
that professional racers that were once on the top of
the mountain are trying to make a comeback, and their
efforts are going without reward.
Automobile racing is argued to be one of the
last “true” sports. The objective is simple in theory: The first one
to the finish line wins. Auto racing is also unique in the sense that
it is a great equalizer. People of all types can get in a car and be
competitive with each other. Drivers can be tall, short, big, small,
young, old, male, female, of any nationality, and some even have
certain mental and physical handicaps. There are race car drivers that
fit in at least one of those categories and are currently competing
professionally. With all of that equality, diversity in motorsports
seems like a non-issue. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
Motorsports – particularly American motorsports, albeit an equalizer,
has a serious problem with diversity; there is a lack of it. There are
large numbers of Americans that share a passion for motorsports but
lack drivers that resemble them, share in their heritage, or are a
part of their culture.
I am a twenty-two year-old African-American male. I
could not tell you why there are not more African-Americans in motorsports,
and I am not about to make an attempt. However, it is an
interesting statistic, and one that deserves thought. Using
motorsports to appeal to the minority market is an area vastly
untapped, and as the sport continues its growth in popularity,
minority-owned teams and drivers would be extremely marketable.
I am a driver working
towards reaching the professional level one small step at a time. I am in a demographic
where race car drivers are very scarce. I’ve been very lucky that I’ve
even sat in a race car, however whenever I get into a vehicle, and
display my skills and talents on a track, many people say that I
possess the talent to go far. Without sounding arrogant or
pretentious, I believe them. Thus, the reason for Matthew Maxey
Motorsports. This is the creation of a self-made, self-taught, young
man gifted with the ability and talent to drive a car beyond its – and
his – limits, and who has yet to fail at something he has truly
dedicated himself to.
There are motor racing fans aplenty in the
minority community, and the need is arising for minority teams and
drivers. I truly believe that I could be part of a team as a driver,
and I feel that I could be quite successful if given the opportunity.
However, opportunities in motorsports are
difficult to find alone. Successfully competing in motorsport is
expensive and it is difficult to rise to the professional ranks
without knowing someone on the inside or being born into a family with
a large amount of money or having a famous name. I come from a
"normal" "middle-class" family; I do not have any connections to the
motorsports world; I do not have the financial means necessary to go
to the top by myself, so sponsorship is very important. The marketing
potential is huge for an endeavor such as this; one just has to be at
the right place at the right time to take advantage of it.
The right place
is here…and the right time is now.
A new era has begun.
I have a mission. My goal is to be a significant contributor to the
evolution in the competitor demographic of professional motorsports,
and at the same time show people, regardless of race or gender, that a
person can achieve a successful position on the professional level,
all while continuing and completing their education on the collegiate
level.
I have a great deal of respect for education
and realize how necessary it is. Times are changing and the demand for
well-educated individuals is drastically on the rise. I would like to
be a role model to others and prove that it is possible to be involved
passionately and successfully in other activities while simultaneously
continuing to earn a college education.
Motorsports is currently the only sport where
young people must decide whether to seek out their dreams racing or
proceed with post-secondary education. There are no collegiate level
auto racing teams in which after your four years, one gets drafted to
a professional racing league. Racing cannot be compared with college
“stick-and-ball sports” in this way. In many cases, by that time
you’ve graduated a four-year program, you may be perceived as too old
to get in the door. I do not want to add to the ranks of drivers that
have had to make a decision between education and pursuing a career in
motorsports. It can be done, and has been done before. I am pursuing a
Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Michigan and will
stay in school until my degree is completed, whether or not I make it
as a professional race car driver. I have goals, and top priority is placed on
achieving them. I give 110% effort to everything I do. Just as in racing,
quitting is not acceptable.
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