The Strange World of the Amateur “Pro” Driver

It's Not the Car

Landing a job as a pro race driver takes talent, hard work, and a truckload of money.

Or sometimes just money. And some people do it for giggles, as a hobby. (You know, like knitting! Just with more Senna inspo quotes.)

This show changes formats weekly, because squirrel. We call this ep's format “MY LIFE WITH.” It’s where an INTC host tells the story of how they came to understand a complex racing topic over their working life.

In this case, that means Jeff, his career as a champion race engineer, and the unique species that is the amateur—a.k.a. “semi-pro” or “pay”—driver in professional motorsport!

RELATED TRIVIA: Jeff is currently knee-deep in prep for this weekend's IMSA race at Laguna. Ross is on One Lap of America, hucking around the country in a Civic Type R. And in the most exciting news of all, Sam just got back from the grocery, where he discovered a jam-filled French cookie that tastes almost exactly like a raspberry Pop-Tart.

(If you no longer go for gnarly French jam cookie, you are no longer… etc.)

This episode was produced by Mike Perlman.

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Who We Are + Spicy Merch:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.ItsNotTheCar.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Topic suggestions, feedback, questions? Let us know what you think!

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Check out Sam's book!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smithology: Thoughts, Travels, and Semi-Plausible Car Writing, 2003–2023⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Where to find us:

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thatsamsmith/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/j.v.braun/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rossbentley/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://rossbentley.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://speedsecrets.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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ABOUT THE SHOW:

It’s Not the Car is a podcast about people and speed. We tell racing stories and leave out the boring parts.

Ross Bentley is a former IndyCar driver, a bestselling author, and a world-renowned performance coach. Jeff Braun is a champion race engineer. Sam Smith is an award-winning writer and a former executive editor of Road & Track magazine.

We don’t love racing for the nuts and bolts—we love it for what it asks of the meatbag at the wheel.

New episodes every Tuesday.