Hi Drivers!
I'm a Lifelong racer here--I'm Gerard I also go by Gerry. . I was in my first wheeled race at 6 years old. And I was in my first racing accident a few minutes later. I was in the hospital for two months--and I almost lost my leg.
By 17, I was dabbling in street racing in the NYC area. I'm a Yonkers native. By 18 the moneyed guys with fast cars were gunning for me... Good Times.
I did my 1st racing school at 23: The Jim Russel British School of Motor Racing. Heel and toeing? Non-synchro transmission... HUH? Good thing I was out of money because it took me almost year in my street car before I owned that technique.
At 29 years old I had more of a budget. I did the 3 day Formula Ford Racing School with Skip Barber School. And then the Spenard-David Racing School in Canada. And then I did Skip Barbers' Racers Car Control Clinic at Lime Rock which was wet skid pad training in both a Formula Ford and an M3. And then we used the M3 on the little Autocross track there. I was also do lapping days with Skip and I tested the waters in his race series.
My wife worked for an Airlines so I flew for sales tax. And so I was deciding on either Jim Russel at Laguna Seca, or The Bertill Roos Racing School . I picked up the phone and called Roos... Bertil himself answered the phone. He told me I wasn't using my eyes properly and he was the ONLY person that could teach me the right way to drive. I listened... and He Was Right. I also did the advanced school. Tons of lapping days and the race series.
Then I went to The Performance Institute at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. This was the same place that tested and made recommendations to improve fitness and race skills as used by Indycar racers. Besides Bertil Roos this was THE best thing I ever did for my driving. Their Sports Psychologist helped put me on a level I never could have reached with out him.
I was still doing the Bertil Roos Race Series and took 2nd 6 times in 10 races the season before .
The next year at Bertil Roos I was dominant.
Then I did a data logging day with Jesse Roverana, he owns the Stock Car Experience at Pocono now, but back then he was Bertil's chief track instructor. I beat him by .4 of a second, he'd never lost before. My second best lap was .1 slower this his best so we used that as a baseline. I can't tell you the amount of times I had previously spun trying to run with him... and so that was so SWEET! Jesse btw, was one of The best racing instructors I ever had, and he taught me so much.
I won the Race Series that year.
Then I rented FF2000 from South Shore Racing to run at Pocono. I was almost like family at Roos by then, so Jesse let me use the track practically for free. That test went so well--a team owner who was there with his driver offered me a professional racing contract.
I had to say no though... I was 34 by then. And I had a wife, a mortgage, a contracting business, and a newborn.
I continue to work on my driving. And my fitness. I am still a driver athlete.
Three years ago I picked up the phone as I always wanted to teach racing, and I call Jesse at Pocono. They were going to give me a shot at being a stock car instructor even though I have never seen one in real life. Then Covid hit.
I recently founded CHECKERED BLOOD Inc.
We will be selling Racewear, I'm still looking for a decent supplier.
And my baby: my Ultra High Performance Driving School. I teach on Public Roads. I also have a 9 year old kart racer out of Australia as my associate instructor. His name is Sebastian Eskandari and He is BRILLIANT. A Two time Australian National Champion. At 8 years old he won the Australian national against 12 year olds. He just won the World Title for Under 10 Year Old as a Factory Tony Kart Driver. And the Ferrari Formula One team is already having casual chats with his dad. The FIA would not give him permission to race 12 year olds (his dad wants him to race older kids. I agree with that strategy in terms of driver development). But Australia will so this season young Sebastian will be racing against 13- 15 Year Racers and he will have Just turned 10.
This is my my website here. It also links to that Kart racer's website Sebastian Eskandari : https://checkeredbloodracing.com
) and owned a bit of everything since. I was a professional mechanic summers in college where I studied to be a mechanical engineer, and have spent my career in aviation thus far. I've always been interested in road/track racing, but the various things haven't lined up to do it.
