Roaring Pines News & Insights

Pat Riley, a winner of nine NBA championships as a player, coach and executive said, “Sustaining a championship level is the hardest thing to do.”

You reached for the brass ring, got hold of it, and never let go. You sought success, and each triumph made you hungrier for the next. The accolades you earned allowed you to pursue additional passions. Some were lifelong, having captured your imagination early on. Others were discovered later, igniting new interests.

Carson Brown (left), age 18, and Tristan McKee (right), age 16, have been race-winning teammates across Trans Am’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series and the ARCA Menards Series. In a single week, both made their NASCAR National Series debuts.

Zora Arkus-Duntov did not turn the Corvette into an icon so it could be a garage queen. The same goes for Ferdinand Porsche, Enzo Ferrari and Ferruccio Lamborghini and their respective creations. These men crafted cars to be driven.

From their headquarters on San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine, Florida, Scott Lagasse and Scott Lagasse Jr., are plying the knowledge and expertise gained from their collection of driving championships and more than 120 race victories to teenagers and 20-somethings aspiring to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Of all the traits needed to be a successful racecar driver, vision is the most critical. It seems obvious, as a driver has to see where they’re going, especially in a world devoid of speed limits.

Dr. Eric Warren is the vice president of global motorsports competition for General Motors. It is a job that puts him at a racetrack at least 40 times a year. He oversees all competition elements for the largest U.S. automaker, a role that spans NASCAR, INDYCAR, Chevrolet (Corvette) and Cadillac programs in IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship, Cadillac's Formula 1 entry, and off-road competition with Chevrolet. From the 130,000-square-foot GM Technical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, Dr. Warren sat down to discuss why motorsports is so valuable to GM and what it takes to stay competitive across a variety of racing series.