13 July 2012
Racing cars in open wheel formula racing is an adrenalin rush as the speed is as intoxicating as the competition. Entering a high speed turn with two or three other cars at you side requires intense concentration, as one split second of mental lapse can cause serious injury and even death.
As fast as things are happening in the cockpit of a race car, there also seems to be a slowing down as the mind develops its own mechanisms to deal with driving on the edge of disaster. The evolution of a driver is to transition from moments of sheer terror into moments of controlled aggression - man and machine becoming symbiotically connected.
There is nothing like open cockpit racing with high speed wind buffeting your head, which is exposed to any and every object that can be hurled in the air in racing conditions. While the noise is constant, there remains a silence in the head of a driver as his focus is as intense as any man staring death in the face.
Is this sport for everyone? Categorically not, but for those who have loved it and enjoyed the wonderful experience of doing it, the quality of life from being on the edge gives new meaning to 'having lived!'
Racing Cars • Opuss № I