CBSSports.com community Q&A with Darren Law
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| Antonio Garcia, David Donahue, Buddy Rice and Darren Law (far right) celebrate after winning the Rolex 24 in January. (Getty Images) |
Law started his career in the late 1970s, when as an 11-year-old he began racing karts in southern California. Since then he has competed in a wide range of vehicles and series, capturing the Grand Am Rolex Series GT title in 2001.
In January, Law teamed with Antonio Garcia, David Donahue and Buddy Rice in the No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley to win the much-coveted Rolex 24 at Daytona. He returns to the track July 4 for the Brumos Porsche 250, which will be held in the afternoon prior to NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400.
First of all I want to say thank you to everyone for the questions. They are great questions, the content is intelligent, much better than the usual, "how fast do you go?" type question I usually get and I enjoyed answering each one. Thanks for all the support I hope to see some of you at a race this season.
Regards,
Darren Law
Darren Law: The cars are very different; the prototype has more of a go-kart type feel, less body roll, more stability in the corner where as the GT2 Porsche moves around a lot more. You definitely have to work a lot harder to control the GT car. As far as the level of competition, both series have great drivers and teams but I would have to say the Rolex Grand Am series is a bit more fun racing and tougher on track because there are so many cars that can win and every one of them is within a couple of tenths of each other. In the ALMS there are only a couple of cars that can win and on track it gets really spread out.
Which is more fun to drive?
DL: That is a tough one to answer; it depends on my mood that weekend.
M56nascar56 asks: Darren your name is getting mentioned quite a bit more in the racing circle in the past few years and I'm sure you love it but I'm wondering what your response would be if during the off season you receive a call from the Boris Said camp which has hinted in the past that they would like to start up a full-time Cup team, that they would love for you to join Boris on his team and split rides with him during the 2010 Cup season. Are you content where you are or would this be something you just couldn't pass up?
DL: Actually I am really happy where I am at right now and I wouldn't want to give it up, but I couldn't pass up a ride like that if it was offered. I would at least have to give it a try.
DL: It is hard to describe, it is like no other race I have ever done. There are so many people and they are all totally nuts about racing. They make you feel like a rock star! My name isn't known over there but the first time I got out of the rental van to go to the tech inspection event, which is on Monday a week before the race, I was mobbed by a crowd and had books, papers and pens shoved at me for my autograph. It was crazy. Even though this was the LeMans event they know all about the Daytona 24 hour win and several of my accomplishments from the past, they really follow racing worldwide.
Is it really the greatest motor sport event in the world?
DL: I don't know that it is the greatest since I haven't been to all of the big events in the world but it has to rank right up there at the top.
Greenblood1 asks: Darren, With all your experiences in endurance racing have you ever considered racing at the Nurburg-Ring in Germany, other than on your Xbox?
DL: I would love to do that event.
DL: Just the sheer amount of drive time, balancing pacing yourself but having to be ready to push hard at any time no matter how tired you are. In the short races you can burn yourself out and not worry about afterwards.
DL: It was a pretty heavy hit, I was a little dazed.
What did your senses tell you?
DL: I knew I was going to hit the tires so I just held on.
How did the door come off?
DL: I am not really sure; I closed my eyes by that point.
Greenblood1 asks: Darren, having raced and won at the Belle in Detroit, do you think the course is too narrow to run a Sprint Cup Race on it?
DL: Actually yes it is probably too tight for the Cup cars both in width and for the braking ability of those cars.
Would it be more suited for the Truck Series?
DL: I don't think either would do well there.
What did you like or dislike about the track?
DL: I loved that track; it had some decent length for the straights and a good mix of fast and slow corners.
I live about 40 miles from it and would like to see racing come back to the Belle.
DL: I would love for either of the series I race in to go back there as well.
DL: Wow, well that could be a very long story. I didn't have it easy, as you probably know, racing is very expensive. I started out in karts. That was great, my father and I spent a lot of time together working on the karts and traveling to the races. But after karts, we couldn't really afford to spend the money that it took to go car racing. I spent many years working as a mechanic, trading work for a ride in local events. It was quite a struggle; I never gave up but settled for a job at the Bondurant driving school for several years in-between races. I got a lucky break with a student of mine that gave me an opportunity at a ride in the North American Touring Car series. I pushed very hard from that point on to make things happen and got a few breaks. I had some great team owners that believed in me and helped me keep my racing hopes alive and finally got to the point to where I am now.
BowTimeRowdy asks: On May 3 of this year you were at New Jersey Motorsports Park to race the Brumos 58 Porsche with David Donohue in the Verizon Wireless 250. I thought you did a first rate job with David in racing to a fourth place finish barely missing third place and a podium spot in very severe weather conditions. Although extreme, I'm guessing that's not the most severe weather/standing water conditions you have ever raced in. My question is: Does an auto race of any type that you raced in over the years stick out as the worst weather conditions you have ever experienced and where did you finish the race if at all?
DL: Thanks, we were happy to just come out of that event without damage and the fact that we had a good finish was even better. There have been some races that have had worse conditions, where they actually red flagged the event. Sebring has had races like this, but that race has to rank right up there. It was very bad you basically had to tip toe around and try not to crash every corner of every lap.
Also, if any, which driver or drivers do you consider the best severe weather racers of all time?
DL: I am not sure, probably some of the rally drivers.
Greenblood1 asks: Hi Darren. Thanks for taking time to answer questions from us. You mentioned that Watkins Glen was your favorite track to race on, along with Mid-Ohio. What would be you least favorite track and why?
DL: Well I hate to knock any track, but right now one of my least favorite tracks that we currently race on would have to be Lime Rock. It used to be OK, a bit short, but not bad. Since they made the changes and added the silly chicanes it is just no fun. I don't think you would find too many drivers that like the new configuration and, in fact, last year when we first ran it, there was a big meeting amongst all the drivers and officials with pretty much everyone in agreement that we shouldn't race there.
azmohave asks: From a drivers feel in the seat in Rolex and American Le Mans series, what is the weight transfer and chassis set dynamics like compared to a NASCAR type stock car?
DL: Very very different. The stock car moves around a lot, it has a lot more pitch and roll both front to back and side to side. Braking is terrible in the stock car compared to an endurance car.
Are they closer to an Indy or Indy light car where if you get out of the throttle to deep in the corner the back end is gone?
DL: I would say that our cars are a lot closer to an Indy car than the stock car is.
M56nascar56 asks: Currently the ALMS runs 10-12 events a season (not sure of the amount), would you like to see the season go to maybe 18-20 events or are you satisfied with it just the way it is now? I know you also run, Rolex but maybe the ALMS would peak even more interest if they increase the number of events. GO FLYING LIZARDS!!!
DL: I would like to see more events during the season. I am currently running over 20 races a year when I combine both the ALMS and the Grand Am series.
azmohave asks: I have raced or tested dirt midgets, non-winged sprint cars, dirt late models, NASCAR Southwest Tour cars and tested Indy Light and NASCAR West Series cars. I have always wondered what the Grand Am Rolex Car car really felt like from the seat under corner load and weight transfer. Where does your body actually feel the weight transfer?
DL: The Rolex car generates good grip and you feel a lot of the load transfer in your body. You feel it in your back and neck a lot.
BowTimeRowdy asks: Darren, I love watching you compete in the Flying Lizards No. 44 Porsche in the ALMS and the Brumos No. 58 Porsche in the Grand Am Rolex Series. Here is my question: Since you are an accomplished sports car racer, what person(s) or race car drivers have influenced you the most on your way to the success you've already experienced?
DL: My father was probably the biggest influence on keeping me focused and pushing me to continue to pursue my racing dream.
Greenblood1 asks: Darren, having looked over your bio, you have a lot of experience driving in the endurance events, Le Mans, Daytona, etc. I also noticed that you spend time with your Xbox, probably on racing games. Do these racing games really help you prepare for the tracks you are about to run on? Are they more challenging that the actually tracks themselves?
DL: For me the Xbox is fun and I think there is a benefit to using it for going to a track that you have never driven. I wouldn't say you can learn how to drive the track, but you can learn the direction and layout of the course. You still don't get a true feeling of G loads, elevation changes, grip levels and true corner speeds. So I can't say that it has improved my driving, but it is great to learn a tracks layout and it is fun. I do think it has benefits to eye/hand coordination and staying sharp with quick reactions.
DL: Probably the Indy 500, it has more worldwide recognition.
DL: In five years I still see myself racing endurance cars as much as possible. I feel good and don't see it slowing down that soon. I think 10 years would be a better time frame to consider what is next.
2. Starting out from racing go-karts on, what has been the most major toll on your body? Back issues, neck, etc.?
DL: I would definitely say my back. Especially my lower back. When you get strapped into the seat and you pull the shoulder straps tight it pulls your body down and rounds your back and puts stress on the lower back.
3. And are there days that you do NOT want to race? Like you'd rather hang out at the pool, go golfing, fishing, etc., instead of racing or preparing for a race?
DL: No, I love every race weekend! I did have this one car several years ago that I didn't like. It was dangerous and I was always worried what was going to break next. That was probably the only time I didn't want to get into the car and drive hard. I do enjoy those things but I love being at the race track and never get tired of it.
4. Last question I promise. Do you suffer from any pre-race issues? Like jitteriness, stomach issues or "negative blues?"
DL: Not really anymore, I have been doing this for quite a while now and I feel very comfortable during the weekend.
DL: It is the 24 hours of Daytona this year, that is such a big race for us and it has several special meanings to both our team and me.
How does La Sarthe at LeMans compare to Watkins Glen and Daytona? Is WG still your favorite and why is it the best?
DL: La Sarthe is just so different than anything we ever run, it is super long and super fast, and I can't really compare it to any other track. I still like Watkins Glen. It is a beautiful track, a good mix of fast corners and slow ones. It has a good rhythm and the corners all flow together properly.
We know that your best teammate ever is David. Describe your relationship with Antonio Garcia and Buddy Rice as racing professionals.
DL: I have a great relationship with both of them. I only met Antonio last season. He is a super nice guy and very quiet and reserved. As far as Buddy Rice, well that is another story. I have known him for a long time, before he even got into race cars. He and I give each other a hard time all the time. He lives not too far from me and we have worked together outside of racing. He is another jokester.
Is David someone you pull a lot of pranks and jokes on to ease the tension?
DL: We joke around, but it is more of messing with other people.
Who is the big jokester on the team?
DL: David is a big jokester. I wouldn't mess with him, and if he is getting you back he is going to do it big.
I like your answer that the Rolex Series is where you want to stay for your career. What made you decide that Rolex is your brand of watch/cup of tea?
DL: I love the racing, it is hard and very competitive, and the people are great.
What is the best part of the Rolex series for you?
DL: It is very competitive on track, but like a family as well.
We had awesome coverage of Le Mans on SPEED and they did a great job in the booth and with interviews of drivers. Were you given your questions in advance or was that on the spur of the moment?
DL: Those are spur of the moment.
You always seem very relaxed in front of the camera even when you are having a bad day. Are you always that cool and collected behind the wheel of your race car?
DL: No, not always. Sometimes things happen and I start yelling in the radio and have to be told to calm down.
DL: Well, it's really not that crazy for us most of the time. People are pretty good but I did have one lady from Canada that would drive down to a lot of the races. She was strange, got my phone number, address, mailed me her old T-shirts and sent me pictures. It was weird. Strangely enough she had a fatal accident somewhere in Canada, since then it has been quiet.
Do you ever pretend to be someone else if approached and asked, "Wow, aren't you Darren Law?" This would have to be in a non-racing atmosphere naturally as everyone that goes to the races would or should know who you are.
DL: No, I don't have that problem.
DL: Daytona is very unique in its setup. Our main focus is to be fast in the fast sections, like the infield kink and the chicane on the back stretch. If we can get through these two sections then the slow infield corners are a compromise. You also have to use some different tire pressure settings because of the degree of the banking and how much time we spend there. It is easy to blow an outside tire if the pressures aren't high enough to handle the banking. They are higher there than we run at any other course all year long.
What differences are there in the car from '08?
DL: The '08 and '09 cars are very similar. The main changes from Porsche are different suspension geometry and some aerodynamic changes. From the driving standpoint they are similar, they have some different characteristics in how we drive it through a corner, but it has been a bigger challenge for the engineers to adjust the setup to the new car.
We have been hearing a lot on SPEED that they are handicapping the Brumos Porches (tuning them down) to give the other cars a chance. What are your thoughts on this?
DL: Now this is a very sore subject, not only with us at Brumos, but also at Penske. I really can't comment on this because I would probably get myself in trouble, but I will say starting next race we are basically back to where we started the season. So everything they took away they have given back. Too bad we had to deal with it for those races in-between.
What is your favorite ride from Porsche that you race?
DL: I love both cars.
Andy Lally was on here last week and shared some mountain bike videos from a challenge in WV. Do you enter any mountain bike events? Have you mountain biked with Andy or any of your teammates?
DL: I haven't mountain biked in several years, I road bike. I like that with the road biking I can maintain a specified heart rate for specific amount of time. I try to simulate the length of time I am in the car for a stint of racing.
