Wired to Win

What does your role entail?

"Officially, I'm responsible for the competition side, which is all the racing, the relationships with our teams, and how we use the engineering elements within General Motors for any race program we have globally. So, that's Chevrolet in NASCAR, INDYCAR and off-road, Chevrolet Corvette programs in IMSA and WEC, along with Cadillac in IMSA, WEC and, now, Formula 1."

Why is motorsports important to General Motors?

"We want fans to have an emotional connection to our brands, and we do that primarily through winning. The other piece is technology transfer back to GM. I'm in constant connection with the engineering and the commercial sides of the company to say, 'OK, how are we driving the business?' Our job at GM Motorsports is to accelerate the ability of our teams to win."

What makes a successful racecar driver?

"A successful racecar driver is always working on their craft. The number one thing is they can never think they're good enough. The top racecar drivers in the world are always afraid of getting beat."

How does GM help aspiring drivers climb the racing ladder?

"You're trying to make them a better person, a more resilient person. That comes down to how they manage their energy, how they understand it, how they handle temperature, how they deal with situations, and how they manage emotions. When you connect with younger drivers, you're creating trust with them and their families. You can't forget that they're people. You can't think of it only as, 'OK, you've just got to go out there and whoever is the fastest one goes on.' It's definitely not that. For us, it involves three rings: we get exposed to people, we evaluate them, and for the ones that go to the next spot, we really work to develop them. That's the advantage we have at GM Motorsports. We're the broadest OEM in the racing world with 35 different race organizations and over 95 drivers."

How does TeamSLR, the Trans Am team owned by the father-and-son duo of Scott Lagasse and Scott Lagasse Jr., fit in with GM Motorsports' efforts to develop young drivers?

"You've got to make sure the team is invested in our drivers. Our relationship with TeamSLR has been going for a number of years, and there's just a good understanding between Scott and his dad about what we're doing and what they're trying to accomplish. There's mutual trust."

How does the experience between the Lagasses help young drivers?

"The history and work ethic of Scott and Scotty is the biggest asset. They both drove and they're hands on. They can build a car and they can repair a car. Scotty can still get in the car and race it. There's a level of respect that a driver sees and they understand, 'Hey, this is not given. This is a lot of hard work.' The way they work with people and develop trust is super critical to us."

Turning laps on the racetrack seems to be the ultimate performance review. For GM Motorsports, how would a year-round training facility, like the one being developed by the Lagasses on 480 acres outside of St. Augustine, Florida, help develop next-generation talent?

"When Scott was talking about building this facility, that's one of the things we discussed — the weather and the ability to train drivers year-round. Roaring Pines would definitely be a good asset because winter really limits where you can go test. Sometimes you need a top-level facility. Sometimes you need a training facility. The Lagasses are building both."

Does the Lagasses' involvement in Roaring Pines Motor Club bring immediate credibility?

"They've sought our input and they've talked to us about its layout. Imagine if you were a golfer and you were working with somebody who's like, 'You know, I really think this would be a cool hole,' and they come back and they go do it. Getting input from a lot of professional racecar drivers is unique. Scott and Scotty have done their homework. It'll be exciting to see what comes out of it."

To be in motorsports, you've got to have passion. What drives you?

"I just hate losing. We've been winning in all the top series, sometimes on the same weekend. To go to every race and know you have a chance is pretty intoxicating. It's hard to get away from it, and you hate to see somebody get to it first. That's really what it comes down to."