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| Features |
| A Racer’s Story – Jameson Riley |
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In his own words – Jameson Riley
 | Jameson Riley in his 125cc Shifter
(Photo copyright Oakland Valley) |
As the late and legendary Ken Tyrell once said, “Racing is a disease that you can’t get rid of until you die.” This statement is certainly true for both the professional and amateur racer. Whether you drive a kart at a local track every weekend, or you drive in Formula 1, racing quickly becomes your life. Karting in particular is extremely addictive because of its ease of operation and extreme competition. The lower cost factor (or at least when compared to automotive racing) also brings many “weekend warriors” to the local kart track to have some fun and bury the competition.
Then there is the serious kart racer, as seen more predominantly in Europe, where money is not a factor, and the success of the future is the main objective. The ideal racer starts karting early, between the ages of 8-10, in one of the cadet classes. At this level, the driver learns the fundamentals of driving, and will properly learn to respect fellow competitors and the brutality of the sport. By introducing someone to racing this early in their life, they can learn at a more progressive pace, instead of having to learn everything at once. Learning how to drive over time allows the driver to comprehend more, and to fully understand what he/she must do to win. As the karter progresses through the different classes, competition becomes stiffer and more predominate, but this allows the driver to handle greater pressure and mature beyond their years.
I started karting at the age of 10 in a Briggs & Stratton 4-Cycle Junior class, with a Gold Restrictor plate. The club raced in a parking lot at a beach, where the track’s boundaries were marked with bright orange cones. The environment and people were pretty hostile, but I actually believe that I benefited from this type of racing. If you collected one of the cones with even the smallest mistake, your race was more than likely over since it would wedge itself between the nose cone and the front tire. The competition was fierce, with a an average field of 10 drivers on a tiny course, and no one gave each other room - if you were in the way, you were put off the track.
 | | After an attitude adjustment, Riley took a win at Lime Rock |
Because of this hostile environment, I learned in some of the most difficult conditions, so when I drive at more “normal” tracks, it almost seems too easy! I was forced to mature at twice the rate of normal drivers, and during the first three years of my racing career, I was continually under immense pressure to win races. This pressure, however, did not come from anyone else other than myself. I would observe how the professional drivers carried themselves on and off the racetrack, and what they had to do to obtain the results that they wanted. I knew that to be successful and to achieve, the goals that I had in mind, confidence, perseverance, and commitment were the words and methods that I would have to stand by for the rest of my life, both in the race car, and in life.
My father and I chose to start my career in the 4-Cycle class because it required a certain “finesse” when driving the kart. Because there is a centrifugal clutch, and the power band for the 4-Cycle engine is so high, I had to learn to drive smoothly and to carry as much momentum as I could through every corner. Once the kart got sideways or you made a mistake, the engine would quickly bog down, allowing your competition, which you had been chasing for the whole race, to easily walk away.
After spending four years in the 4-Cycle class, we decided to move up to the Senior 80cc Shifter class. I spent one year competing in the regional schedule at a local karting track, Oakland Valley Race Park, and then decided to move up to the 125cc Moto class the following year. Starting with the 80cc kart, we began to build a strong relationship with Hurricane Racing, an importer for the MBA chassis line out of Canada. Both the 80cc kart and the 125cc kart were MBA chassis supplied to us through Hurricane Racing. When we attended SKUSA National ProMoto events, the Hurricane Racing team was there to support us and assist us with setup information and race strategy.
 | | Driving the Panoz GTS at Road Atlanta |
Attending these events with Hurricane Racing allowed me to see how a complete team worked together, and how important teammates can be out on the track. During the 2002 season, my father and I attended the 24 hours of Le Mans with the Panoz Factory Team. We were special guests of the team, which allowed us to have an inside view of how a professional endurance team operated. If there is one thing that I could have taken away from that experience, it was that you must always be open to new ideas, and you must always, always be aware of what is going on around you. Whether you are out on the track, or walking down the pit lane of a professional event as a spectator, just watch. Even watching a professional race on television, one can learn ideas and strategies that could prove beneficial in their future.
In August of 2002, I drove in the Skip Barber Three Day Racing School, and was noted as one of the fastest drivers to go through their program. The senior instructor, Bruce MacGinnes, wrote a letter of recommendation in hopes of helping to advance my career, and we soon took his advice of driving in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge Series. I drove most of the Eastern Regional Series, and one national event later in the season. At first, the transition was rougher than I had thought it was going to be. I had expected to go out there, and to at least finish in the top five. I quickly learned that if you go into something new like that, and have that type of attitude, decent results are harder to come by. As long as you go into something new with an open mind and loads of confidence, good results are bound to fall your way.
I went into the second race of the season with this newfound attitude, and finished on the podium. As the season went on, I began to feel more and more comfortable in the car, and by the third race, I had driven to my first victory. My season continued with ups and downs, fighting against the politics of racing (which are impossible to escape), and went on to earn two more wins and seven podiums.
My greatest race so far in my career, had to have been out at Watkins Glen during a Formula Dodge regional event. I had never been to the track before, I qualified second, and I won both races for the weekend. I have never been more focused and determined in my life during those three days, and it certainly paid off. I ended up sixth in the championship at the end of the season, and runner-up in the Rookie of the Year standings. But other than the results, I was amazed by how much information I learned during one season in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge series: driving techniques, personal composure, and the respect for fellow competitors. The most important thing that I will ever take away from the series is the necessity for patience. You can be the fastest driver ever to live or the most talented driver ever, but if you don’t have the patience to drive a race intelligently, you will have a very difficult time delivering good results. Patience is key in racing.
I continued to compete in 125cc Shifter events during open weekends, just to keep myself sharp and in shape; there’s nothing wrong with jumping back to your roots every once and a while to have some fun.
 | | If it has four wheels, Jameson will give it a try |
During the 2003 season I also drove my father’s rear-wheel drive Austin Mini at select SCCA national and regional events. I set the track record at Pocono International Raceway and won, and I also won the NARRC Runoffs (Regional Championship) at Lime Rock. In addition to the Mini, I also drove a factory Panoz GTS in the Pro Race at Road Atlanta during the Petit Le Mans weekend. I started from pole position, but I experienced ignition failure while leading halfway through the race. I was able to restart the car, but while driving down the back straight, a back marker turned into me and put into the wall, ending my race. I was extremely disappointed in not winning the race, just as anyone would be, but I still managed to break and set the track record for a Panoz GTS at Road Atlanta.
My first season in cars, after having raced karts for seven years, taught me an immense amount of information about becoming a better driver, and a better person. Some days are good, while others are the worst weekends you have ever had in your life, but that is no reason to show others that you are not enjoying what you are doing. After all, the whole point of racing is to have fun, and that you compete because you love the sport. Amateur and professional karters both understand this concept, and if they don’t, then perhaps they are in the wrong sport. Racing is for the heavy-hearted and the cool-spirited, even if you don’t have plans of going pro.
But you must also realize that although racing is incredibly important in some of our lives, it isn’t everything. Family and support in racing is just as important as having a well prepared chassis: without, you can’t compete at the highest level of your abilities. Without my family, I could have never achieved what I have done so far in my career, and because of their support, I have a higher level of confidence, and a stronger ability to achieve my goals.
I am currently working on some deals to drive in the American Le Mans Series for the 2004 season, and I hope to be competing in the Barber Dodge Pro Series. I am amazed that I am already getting these opportunities when I am only 18, and I have so much of my career ahead of me. With the help and support of family, friends, teams, and sponsors, I hope for all of you to someday in the near future see me standing on the top step of the Formula 1 podium, remembering what I have achieved, and where it all started: karting.
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