My history is kind of sad, in fact...lol. But well, we are sharing experiences, so what the heck, why not. 
Yeah, I have to admit, that Motorsport ruined my life. That´s how much I love it.
Fell in love for it watching F1 in the late 80s and early 90s. Around 12 years old I was. To be honest, I never looked back. My life since then is all around racing, being racing go karts, or Simulators, or watching in the TV.
Because of this blind passion, I never pursued a real life normal career. Coundt find motivation to do a proper graduation, and never really wanted. My focus was to be a racing driver, period. Nothing else was important. Girls only for sex eventually, no parties, just living because of this thrill. I played that Sega title, Super Monaco GP, under sheets and pillows to imagine I was in a cockpit! Of course, looking back, never was going to happen. No money, no suppport from anyone, just my pure desire, but completely clueless of what to do. This was the time, more or less, that I found about Simracing more seriously, with that Grand Prix 1 (GP1) title. I was in love with that game. I didnt had a PC back then, so I had to play in a friend´s house, and in the school I could not think in anything else but to go play it again. Jesus, I was doomed...
Around 17 years old, the chance to get involved presented itself. I did a GoKart driving school (Mommy sponsor!!) to learn basic driving techniques...and I did well, teacher was impressed, called me a natural. Soon after this they had to put me in one of their karts for a race, which happened, nothing special, the structure was just too small. Was not meant to be. I remember that I raced in the same class as Vitor Meira, and also Nelson Piquet Jr was in a junior class that day. Those guys went to have international careers, so even by that time they had good sponsors and great structure.
But real life is a bitch. My family went destruction mode after my parents had divorce, which was not a love and peace one, not even close. It have implications to this day, actually.
1 official go kart racing under my belt, had to give up. Couple of years later, had to fight a chronical disease for several years ahead until got it under control. Was a harsh time. Eventually I recovered, but to this day I have to keep an eye on it, because it is a permanent condition.
By then I had to find myself a job, and try to live a normal life. Went away from the racing scene for a bit, only watching. And then started to become interested again in Simracing, with GP2, then GP3. Lots of hours keyboard racing dreaming and making fictional seasons!. My dream was to be Mika Hakkinen! lol.
When in 2004, already a "mature" and working man, a group of friends got together to do small gokart racing 1 time each month, in rental go karts. Was enough to light the fire again, and this time, it really catched...
After 3 months my friends were happy to race 1 time a month, sometimes not even that. Not me, no.
I had my own money, so I decided to dive head full down in racing again. This time for "hobby", but the truth is...my work was a way for me to race. From 2005 to 2010, I did like thousand of gokart races, lots of on track training, lots of championships that I got involved...was a crazy but rewarding time, because, I was living the dream, at least kind of. At that point was not about a career anymore, but to do racing all the time possible. Was rewarding, because I proved to myself that yeah, I could had done. I earned respect from the best drivers of my city, I was feared (specially in wet conditions!), I won many races, some championships, and trophies started to pile up in my house, to a extent I could no longer keep them organized...lol. Today they are a bunch of things throwed along the way to my bed. I raced the National brazilian championship for Rental Karts 4 times, reaching the final 2 times. So was a good period of my life, probably the best. Of course, the life outsite of racing? Almost 0!
In the mean time, 2 friends, fellow kart racers, presented me rFactor 1. That was life changing for me. I started with very cheap equipment (embarassing in fact, but I never wanted to use a joystick, no way in hell!), and worked my way from there. I remember that when I started to master the driving techniques for the Simracing scene, I was impressed. We had a DTM 2005 race, me and those 2 friends, plus like 15 AIs, at Hidden Valley...and the adrenaline rush was so crazy that I thought..."Jesus, I felt this more than I felt on our Gokart races". Was a turning point. Still I was more focused on my gokart moments.
But again real life got in the way. Lost my Mom in 2008, and had to change priorities, had to search a new job, moved to other city for a while (in 2011, eventually got back in 2012), so the gokart days are now behind me. To be honest, I dont miss it too much, I had all I needed that time. 2009 and 2010 were difficult years in Karting for me, financially specially, so was more of a downhill, even because I was not so attached anymore.
But the Simracing stayed. Now, after rF1...AMS, Assetto, rF2, those are my new addictions.
To me is about driving techiniques. Im not a particular fan of cars, mechanics, aerodinamics...but Im totally into driving techniques. Be able to drive different cars, in different tracks, against people from all over the world, is something quite unique. Yeah, my thrill comes from online racing, most of the time. I like Championships, long term commitments! One or two 4fun races is fine, but I like the long term thing, the result of several races. And I like historic cars, those are my favourites! The ones you have to talk with it while driving, one understanding what the other is "saying".
Make no mistake, nothing compares to the real life racing. Hurting your ribs jumping kerbs on a gokart, challenging your body to limits in longer races, the smells (fuel, tire burning, arriving early morning for a championship race, that smell of green track and seeing the garages in the distance, hearing the engines being tunned), the wind, the heat, the dirty, the rain, the soak wet clothes, the water on the visor, the real fear when you experience a mechanical failure, or an accident. Your own bruses. Seeing some friend or some casual fun driver getting hurt pretty badly in a accident shows that you have to deal with reality no matter how low the class of racing you are. The whole feeling is something you will never experience in a Sim, not even close, no matter how good it is. And Im talking about GoKarts, imagine GT3, Prototypes, Nascar, Indy, F1, how brutal it must be those feelings.
But on my case, all things had their time to happen. And nowadays my racing addiction is fulfilled with Simracing.
The great thing about Simracing also, is the fact I did some good buddies from totally different countries, and we chat about our common passions, and share experiences. I learned to write and understand english because of racing. Never went to a proper school for it. Those are just some "plus" that comes along.
Well, today Im almost 40...Im not married, I dont have kids...lol, and recently I lost my job, the one that payed my bills! The fact I dont have a family to feed makes a little easier, I have a few alternatives. Dont know what the future holds, but, bring it.
Who knows what would be of me without this passion? I dont think I fit normal society rules anyway. Thats who I am!
Yeah, I have to admit, that Motorsport ruined my life. That´s how much I love it.
Fell in love for it watching F1 in the late 80s and early 90s. Around 12 years old I was. To be honest, I never looked back. My life since then is all around racing, being racing go karts, or Simulators, or watching in the TV.
Because of this blind passion, I never pursued a real life normal career. Coundt find motivation to do a proper graduation, and never really wanted. My focus was to be a racing driver, period. Nothing else was important. Girls only for sex eventually, no parties, just living because of this thrill. I played that Sega title, Super Monaco GP, under sheets and pillows to imagine I was in a cockpit! Of course, looking back, never was going to happen. No money, no suppport from anyone, just my pure desire, but completely clueless of what to do. This was the time, more or less, that I found about Simracing more seriously, with that Grand Prix 1 (GP1) title. I was in love with that game. I didnt had a PC back then, so I had to play in a friend´s house, and in the school I could not think in anything else but to go play it again. Jesus, I was doomed...
Around 17 years old, the chance to get involved presented itself. I did a GoKart driving school (Mommy sponsor!!) to learn basic driving techniques...and I did well, teacher was impressed, called me a natural. Soon after this they had to put me in one of their karts for a race, which happened, nothing special, the structure was just too small. Was not meant to be. I remember that I raced in the same class as Vitor Meira, and also Nelson Piquet Jr was in a junior class that day. Those guys went to have international careers, so even by that time they had good sponsors and great structure.
But real life is a bitch. My family went destruction mode after my parents had divorce, which was not a love and peace one, not even close. It have implications to this day, actually.
1 official go kart racing under my belt, had to give up. Couple of years later, had to fight a chronical disease for several years ahead until got it under control. Was a harsh time. Eventually I recovered, but to this day I have to keep an eye on it, because it is a permanent condition.
By then I had to find myself a job, and try to live a normal life. Went away from the racing scene for a bit, only watching. And then started to become interested again in Simracing, with GP2, then GP3. Lots of hours keyboard racing dreaming and making fictional seasons!. My dream was to be Mika Hakkinen! lol.
When in 2004, already a "mature" and working man, a group of friends got together to do small gokart racing 1 time each month, in rental go karts. Was enough to light the fire again, and this time, it really catched...
After 3 months my friends were happy to race 1 time a month, sometimes not even that. Not me, no.
I had my own money, so I decided to dive head full down in racing again. This time for "hobby", but the truth is...my work was a way for me to race. From 2005 to 2010, I did like thousand of gokart races, lots of on track training, lots of championships that I got involved...was a crazy but rewarding time, because, I was living the dream, at least kind of. At that point was not about a career anymore, but to do racing all the time possible. Was rewarding, because I proved to myself that yeah, I could had done. I earned respect from the best drivers of my city, I was feared (specially in wet conditions!), I won many races, some championships, and trophies started to pile up in my house, to a extent I could no longer keep them organized...lol. Today they are a bunch of things throwed along the way to my bed. I raced the National brazilian championship for Rental Karts 4 times, reaching the final 2 times. So was a good period of my life, probably the best. Of course, the life outsite of racing? Almost 0!
In the mean time, 2 friends, fellow kart racers, presented me rFactor 1. That was life changing for me. I started with very cheap equipment (embarassing in fact, but I never wanted to use a joystick, no way in hell!), and worked my way from there. I remember that when I started to master the driving techniques for the Simracing scene, I was impressed. We had a DTM 2005 race, me and those 2 friends, plus like 15 AIs, at Hidden Valley...and the adrenaline rush was so crazy that I thought..."Jesus, I felt this more than I felt on our Gokart races". Was a turning point. Still I was more focused on my gokart moments.
But again real life got in the way. Lost my Mom in 2008, and had to change priorities, had to search a new job, moved to other city for a while (in 2011, eventually got back in 2012), so the gokart days are now behind me. To be honest, I dont miss it too much, I had all I needed that time. 2009 and 2010 were difficult years in Karting for me, financially specially, so was more of a downhill, even because I was not so attached anymore.
But the Simracing stayed. Now, after rF1...AMS, Assetto, rF2, those are my new addictions.
To me is about driving techiniques. Im not a particular fan of cars, mechanics, aerodinamics...but Im totally into driving techniques. Be able to drive different cars, in different tracks, against people from all over the world, is something quite unique. Yeah, my thrill comes from online racing, most of the time. I like Championships, long term commitments! One or two 4fun races is fine, but I like the long term thing, the result of several races. And I like historic cars, those are my favourites! The ones you have to talk with it while driving, one understanding what the other is "saying".
Make no mistake, nothing compares to the real life racing. Hurting your ribs jumping kerbs on a gokart, challenging your body to limits in longer races, the smells (fuel, tire burning, arriving early morning for a championship race, that smell of green track and seeing the garages in the distance, hearing the engines being tunned), the wind, the heat, the dirty, the rain, the soak wet clothes, the water on the visor, the real fear when you experience a mechanical failure, or an accident. Your own bruses. Seeing some friend or some casual fun driver getting hurt pretty badly in a accident shows that you have to deal with reality no matter how low the class of racing you are. The whole feeling is something you will never experience in a Sim, not even close, no matter how good it is. And Im talking about GoKarts, imagine GT3, Prototypes, Nascar, Indy, F1, how brutal it must be those feelings.
But on my case, all things had their time to happen. And nowadays my racing addiction is fulfilled with Simracing.
The great thing about Simracing also, is the fact I did some good buddies from totally different countries, and we chat about our common passions, and share experiences. I learned to write and understand english because of racing. Never went to a proper school for it. Those are just some "plus" that comes along.
Well, today Im almost 40...Im not married, I dont have kids...lol, and recently I lost my job, the one that payed my bills! The fact I dont have a family to feed makes a little easier, I have a few alternatives. Dont know what the future holds, but, bring it.
Who knows what would be of me without this passion? I dont think I fit normal society rules anyway. Thats who I am!
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