The Need for Speed September 2008 Children inherit traits from their parents—eye color, height, weight—but the desire and talent to race sports cars? For the Mancuso family, this seems to be the case. Father Rick Mancuso has been racing cars for 30 years and sons Adam and Nick appear to have this same passion in their blood. The Mancuso family owns Lake Forest Sportscars and has been an automotive family since 1923. Their high-end dealership sells and leases new and used Ferraris, Aston Martins, and Maseratis to name a few. And their new 70,000 square foot facility in Lake Bluff, Illinois is not your average car dealership. Car aficionados can roam throughout the selection of the finest, most perfectly polished and flawless luxury sports cars around. While waiting for their cars to be serviced, current owners can practice their golf game on the nine-hole putting green, play a round of pool, relax in the state-of-the-art surround sound theater, or have a refreshment in the cafe. In another area of this large facility, million dollar plus racecars are stored and a huge racing trailer, complete with a leather-clad lounge, kitchen and, by the way, room in the rear for a racecar, stands ready for the next race. Nick Mancuso, youngest son and 2005 graduate of Lake Forest High School, is the latest family member to join the racing world. About to begin his senior year at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Nick juggles a full load at school with racing in his effort to break into the professional racing industry. And it’s not a stretch to say that making it big in racing is as challenging as becoming a famous actor. It takes training and skill, of course, but luck and money can make or break a racer’s career, no matter how great his talent. As Nick puts it, “There are a lot of guys driving milk trucks who could have won the Indy 500, but they simply didn’t find the money.” But Nick is determined. “I’ve been around the race track my whole life. I was a little kid at the track watching my dad fly by in the big Corvettes,” he recalls, “I didn’t get into the cockpit until I was 17.” In preparation for this, Nick attended the Skip Barber Racing School to earn his SCCA Regional License, which allowed him to race against regional competition. He won three of his first four races, only losing one race to his older brother Adam! In order to compete at a higher level, his next goal was to qualify for a national license. He achieved this and completed a strong national racing season that earned him an invitation to race in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. This is where the best drivers from across the country compete for the title of SCCA National Champion. After only eight race weekends, Nick was on track to win the gold medal in this prestigious event. He was leading on the last lap of the race into the last turn when a five-time national champion took him out from behind. Luckily, Nick recovered and still finished in a respectable 3rd place. This earned him the title of 2007 SCCA National Rookie of the Year. The organization selects one rookie from the entire country from all classes of cars, so it is quite an honor. Shortly thereafter, an opportunity with Volkswagen presented itself. The Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series invites applications from aspiring drivers. The series is an innovative approach to motor sports. Thirty factory-prepared and managed 2009 clean-diesel Jetta TDIs were piloted by talented, up-and-coming drivers between the ages of 16 and 26. Nick competed with nearly 1,000 racing applicants for the opportunity to be one of 30 chosen to race in the eight race international series. Volkswagen’s goal was to find the drivers with the most talent and help them break into the world of professional motor sports. During an intense, four-day driver selection process, Nick was subjected to written, media and fitness tests as well as various drills in go karts, streetcars, and racecars. In May, the Jetta TDI Cup made its first international visit to Mosport racetrack outside of Toronto, Canada. Nick joined the race. “It was very exhilarating to run on a completely new track, in a new country, in the wet, in relatively new cars when there are great consequences for going off-track because of the concrete walls that line most of the course,” Nick says of the event that took place in the rain in which he made up 17 positions in five laps of the shortened race. But he insists that the thrill of danger is not his motivation for racing. “I’ve always been kind of a perfectionist,” he explains, “And in racing, you’re always chasing the perfect lap.” Racing requires 100 percent physical and mental focus 100 percent of the time. Nick learned such discipline and focus in earlier life pursuits which included karate—in which he earned a black belt—and, no kidding, in breeding and raising venomous snakes as a teen. “Small mistakes turn into big mistakes very quickly,” adds Nick. As for the danger, Nick doesn’t think about it very much. “The more you understand, the less scary or intimidating it becomes,” he says. And, thanks to the revolutionary HANS device that supports the head and neck for safety, the sport is significantly safer than in the past. Nick’s father has had friends who’ve been killed “Every time you leave the pits,” Nick admits, “You know you could potentially die.” Ironically, in Nick’s one big crash—he turned into a blind corner at 90 miles an hour only to find a spun car in the racing line, which he promptly T-Boned—his first thought was “I hope my dad’s not going to be too pissed,” because Nick had wrecked the car! His shins were a little bloody and hands swelled up to twice their normal size, but he was otherwise unharmed. And dad Rick doesn’t worry too much either. “I love that my sons race because I do it with them,” he says. So what is the fastest speed Nick has ever reached? 180 miles per hour or so, “But where you hit the highest speeds is often the most boring part of the track,” says Nick. “You use this opportunity to stretch your hands, adjust your sunglasses and so forth. A 15 mph corner can be a lot more exciting than 150,” he explains, “The car should be right to the limit in every sense—speed, steering, throttle, braking and shifting. If you’re driving right, you need to be in that state 100 percent of the time. It’s about balance.” For Nick right now, balancing everything in is life presents the most challenge. About 95 percent of racecar drivers his age are not in college. Nick often flies somewhere to race for a weekend, returns late on Sunday night only to go to Monday morning classes. But he believes a degree in business economics will piggyback well with his aspiration to become a professional racer. “The hardest part of being a racecar driver is everything you must do outside of the car,” says Nick. With an average budget for the racing season at more than a million dollars, racers must promote themselves and hopefully find sponsorship. “It’s the life of a racecar driver,” says Nick. And that he is. Lake Forest Sportscars, 990 North Shore Drive, Lake Bluff, 847.295.6560, www.lfsc.com, Nick Mancuso Racing LLC—www.NickMancusoRacing.com