Humans have perhaps always held a fascination with speed, as the ultimate expression of athleticism, competition, even freedom: Look at how we gather to watch cycling and horse races, among others. Car racing is perhaps the most extreme speed competition—it’s certainly among the fastest. Watching a race is an adrenaline rush for the spectators, as cars bump and jostle for position, all going about twice the speed that most “civilian” drivers can claim to ever have topped out at—so just imagine how it is for the race drivers.
Townsend Bell is a professional IndyCar driver and competes at Le Mans (he finished third in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans); he’s also the host of the TV seriesWhat’Cha Got, in which professional soccer players learn to drive a Lamborghini through an autocross course. We talked with him about life behind the wheel.
Can you give a quick rundown on your racing experience?
I’ve been racing since 1997 as a professional. I raced F3000 for a while over in Europe and did some F1 testing, and then came back in ’04. Then I got back into IndyCar again. Right now I’m racing in SportsCars and the Indy 500. And I finished third at Le Mans this year. I race for Ferrari. In our class we race against Aston Martin, Porsche, Viper, and BMW. The cars look just like street cars, but with a big wing on the back. But aside from their appearance, they aren’t like street cars at all. The mechanical underpinnings are all racing specific. Instead of aluminum they use carbon fiber and everything is stripped down for weight. So there’s no creature comforts at all. It’s just a pure racecar.
How fast do the cars go?
About 200 mph. But 237 is the fastest I’ve ever gone, and that was in the Indianapolis 500. Driving the SportsCar in a lot of ways is nicer than the IndyCar because it has power steering, and air conditioning inside. But it’s still pretty damn physically demanding.
What’s it like driving a car at 237 mph?
It’s a piece of cake until you have to turn. That’s what separates the racing drivers from the rest of them. You’re going at that speed and then you have to make a 90-degree left-hand turn. That’s when it gets exciting. But going straight at that speed isn’t that special or hard. The trick during the turns is to play chicken with yourself. How brave can you be? How hard are you willing to hang on?
Because it’s all about tire friction. You’re trying to balance the car’s speed with the limits of the tire’s grip on the track. The tires are sliding as you turn, and if you’re too conservative you’re not going to max out, but if you’re going too hard you’re gonna crash. In car racing, it’s that little dance between you and the tire that’s the difference between winning and losing.