Synopses & Reviews
“Derek has a wealth of knowledge and experience to offer to race car drivers who desire to become champions—champions in racing and champions in life. This book is filled with ‘wow, I didn’t know that . . . or wow, I wish I had known that earlier,’ so read it; use it; and do it!”
—Lyn St. James, Indianapolis 500 driver, motivational speaker, author
“Firstly, I think this book is great! The last section on desire and commitment moved me to tears and is so very true.”
—Gloria Budd, sports psychologist
“It’s impressive. I’m not sure which is more so: the well thought-out concept for building champion drivers, or Derek’s wealth of great stories from his personal experience. The stories really serve to illustrate the points he makes about what it takes to succeed. Very informative and different from the usual motorsport book.”
—Bob Varsha, commentator, Speed TV
“I just drive fast and learned my craft by doing it. This book, however, captures how the future generation can put it all together at an even higher level. I’m not a reader, but this is worth it.”
—Paul Tracy who is he?
While many drivers win races, only a select few possess the talent, desire, commitment, and skills needed to maintain the level of excellence necessary to stay on top year after year. Author Derek Daly drew on his time as a Formula One driver and later as a broadcast television announcer to compile this unprecedented breakdown of the qualities necessary to become the best of the best in motorsports racing. If you want to understand how great champions win consistently, Race to Win explains how and why legends like Ayrton Senna, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Mario Andretti, and Michael Schumacher maintained their dominance.
Review
“Anyone with even a passing interest in motor racing will find this a fascinating read.” - Fleet Transport Magazine “…Daily’s book is timely and needed for current and prospective racing drivers.” – Tim Kennedy, Motoracing
Review
“Daly's book is timely and needed for current and prospective racing drivers. His analogies and stories, including his recollection and account of his own near-fatal Indy Car 1984 crash in Tony Bettenhausen's Provimi Veal Indy Car at Michigan International Speedway, provide interesting reading. Daly wrote about his own weaknesses and identified practices that make racing drivers great drivers and champions. That is vital information for anyone embarking on or currently engaged in a racing career.” - Tim Kennedy, racingwest.com
Review
“The concept of The Champion’s Pyramid, well articulated in this book, is universal. The six “ingredients necessary to success” are as necessary for a Politician, CEO, Manager, Musician, Salesman etc., or athlete in any sport.” –Bruce Herrington, Unsere Gedanken
“It’s not often one comes across a book that is as clearly destined to become a future classic, as Derek Daly’s Race to Win. What sets Daly’s book apart is its sheer honesty. He brutally analyses his own and other drivers’ failings and sets out what he calls his “Champion’s Pyramid” – the essential ingredients a driver must develop to win.” – Bob Montgomery, Irish Times
“In this particular case you really can judge a book by its cover. Race to Win: How to become a Complete Champion Driver really does deliver on this grand statement by offering an informative yet easy to approach book on how to be the best motorsport racer you can be.” - Classic Car Weekly
“Daly's book is timely and needed for current and prospective racing drivers. His analogies and stories, including his recollection and account of his own near-fatal Indy Car 1984 crash in Tony Bettenhausen's Provimi Veal Indy Car at Michigan International Speedway, provide interesting reading. Daly wrote about his own weaknesses and identified practices that make racing drivers great drivers and champions. That is vital information for anyone embarking on or currently engaged in a racing career.” - Tim Kennedy, racingwest.com
Review
“The concept of The Champion’s Pyramid, well articulated in this book, is universal. The six “ingredients necessary to success” are as necessary for a Politician, CEO, Manager, Musician, Salesman etc., or athlete in any sport.” –Bruce Herrington, Unsere Gedanken
“It’s not often one comes across a book that is as clearly destined to become a future classic, as Derek Daly’s Race to Win. What sets Daly’s book apart is its sheer honesty. He brutally analyses his own and other drivers’ failings and sets out what he calls his “Champion’s Pyramid” – the essential ingredients a driver must develop to win.” – Bob Montgomery, Irish Times
Review
“In this particular case you really can judge a book by its cover. Race to Win: How to become a Complete Champion Driver really does deliver on this grand statement by offering an informative yet easy to approach book on how to be the best motorsport racer you can be.” - Classic Car Weekly
Synopsis
Why do some racing teams and drivers succeed so brilliantly while others, even those who seem packed with potential, fail? If anyone knows, it would be Derek Daly. After a remarkable racing career that spanned nearly two decades, Daly turned his attention to the mechanics of success. He has parlayed his experience and hard-won understanding into a phenomenal second career teaching the principles of high performance to audiences throughout the auto racing and business worlds.
This book offers readers the benefit of Daly's insight--and a rare inside look at world-class auto racing. Drawing on his original research and firsthand experience with some of the legends of professional auto racing--including Rusty Wallace, Roger Penske, Mario Andretti, and A. J. Foyt--Daly discusses why some individuals and teams fail to reach their potential while others become successful and famous.
A complete course in winning, the book outlines the six key aspects of becoming a successful race car driver. Daly points out the different strengths and weaknesses among different drivers; and accordingly, he emphasizes the importance of creating an environment that takes advantage of these differences. As entertaining as it is instructive, his book will open a world of possibilities to race drivers, motorsports fans, and anyone who wants to know what it takes to win.
Synopsis
Great race drivers win races and the occasional title. Juan Montoya, Kimi Räikkönen, and Tony Stewart are all examples of great drivers who will win, given the right car and team environment. Complete champions win year after year and are more often than not in the title hunt at the end of each season. Drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Michael Schumacher, Mario Andretti, and Jeff Gordon are perennial favorites and “complete champions” who always find a way to make it to the front of the pack.
What separates these drivers from their peers is a raw talent and courage to drive the car to its limit, combined with a special ability to work with a team to develop and engineer a car to run up front consistently.
In Race to Win, world-class race car driver, commentator, and entrepreneur Derek Daly draws on his research and firsthand experience with some of the legends of auto racing to explain why some individuals and teams reach their potential and others fail. In this unique analysis of the mechanics of success and the principles of sustained high performance, Daly outlines the six key aspects of becoming a more complete race car driver. He describes the strengths and weaknesses of different star drivers and details how these come into play in creating a sustainable champion.
Designed to give a never-before-seen view of the makeup of a true motorsports champion, this book offers insight to dedicated race fans and concrete advice to aspiring drivers, parents, and team managers.
Synopsis
The keys to success and the principles of high performance from world-class race car driver, commentator, and entrepreneur Derek Daly.
About the Author
Derek Daly is known in motorsports circles around the world as a talented and passionate driver, writer, broadcaster, racing advisor, and businessman. Daly competed as a professional race car driver for 17 years before becoming a television motorsports commentator, driving school entrepreneur, and public speaker (www.motorvationllc.com). During that time, he was one of a handful of world-class drivers to compete in all three of the most prestigious races in the world: the Indianapolis 500, the Grand Prix of Monaco, and the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Derek Daly currently resides in the metro Indianapolis area with his wife, Rhonda, and their three children.
Mario Andretti is auto racing's definition of "Been There, Won That." His professional driving career spanned more than four decades and includes pit-stops as a Formula One driver (1978), an Indy 500 winner (1969), the Daytona 500 (1967), and four CART/USAC open-wheel racing national championships. Andretti has been called Mr. Versatile, known for driving everything from USAC sprint cars on the dirt to IndyCars, sports racing prototypes, and of course F1. He was Newman Haas Racing's first driver when the team was formed in 1982, raced there for 12 seasons, and is considered one of Paul Newman's closest friends.
Table of Contents
Contents Foreword
Introduction: The Pursuit of Excellence
One: The Champion’s Pyramid
Two: Talent Identification
Three: Technical Skills
Four: Communications
Five: Mental Skills
Six: Physical Fitness
Seven: Desire and Commitment
Epilogue
Appendix