This week we have James Wilson, Pirelli World Challenge Driver, 2010 SCCA Solo National Champion and 2011 RallyCross National Champion.
James lives in Kyle, Texas, loves family and racing and is a Product Development Engineer for the Motorsports Product Group. I first met James at Road America in 2017 when we were competing in B-Spec at the June Sprints. It was an eventful weekend to say the least. I’ve asked James to share his thoughts and guidance on Getting Started in Road Racing.
James, what’s your first memory of motorsports and what was it that first caught your attention?
My mother used to take our family to the Camel GT races at Del Mar in the 80’s when the street circuit was still being run there, I recall holding onto the chain link fence right next to the racing surface and feeling the race cars go by and thought, “WOW, that is the COOLEST!”. The excitement of a Pro race and all of the festivities that went with it was alluring.
How did you get started, what drew you in?
I started autocrossing in the late 90’s when my older sister’s boyfriend took me out to an event as a passenger. I was hooked! I rode along in cars until my own street car was safe enough to run.
Did you have a chance to mentor anyone along the way?
The community as a whole was my mentor, there are so many figures in autocrossing and road racing (and mixed in between) that cultivated my love for the sport. I hope that I could be a small part of the same that I received to someone else, but I don’t like to put my name to any one individual and attempt to “take credit”…that’s just not my nature.
If so, what’s your advice for potential mentees on how to approach a mentor?
Just don’t be afraid to ask! We all learned what we do by making our own mistakes and learning from them; bypassing the stupid ones (and unsafe ones!) are helpful, but I am a firm believer that you learn from your challenges far more than your successes. Get involved. Volunteer. Be hungry for it, and those who look like they could be a positive Mentor in your career or life will reciprocate with honesty and valuable coaching.
Did you have a Mentor?
I aspired to be like certain drivers and was a fanboy along the way…if that counts as them being a Mentor, then drivers like Peter Cunningham, Paul Bonnacorsi, Shauna Marinus, and others of that era stand out.
What was it about the way you started that prepared you to go road racing?
I dabbled in SpecRX7 back in the early 2000’s and returned to road racing in 2012, I couldn’t really afford it back then but I just wanted to get out there and DO IT! Autocrossing helped me figure out new tracks fairly quickly, and the car control skills related directly to help safely get through races with odd-handling cars or driving off-line/in traffic.
Tell us about your Road Racing career and the transition to Road Racing?
My career re-started in 2012 purchasing a Mazda2 to go race in the B-Spec class. 
I wanted to do something that was versatile, at the time B-Spec was racing with Grand-Am, Pirelli World Challenge, SCCA Club, and NASA…with just tire brand changes. It really called to me, and seemed a good value proposition.
Plus, it was a “slower” class where I could develop racecraft and speed maintenance skills that are important in racing itself, and not band-aided or hidden with high horsepower or big tires. The slow guys are slow, the fast guys are cunning and really show their skill…and we can all learn in the middle!
What advice would you give people who want to make that transition?
Don’t be afraid to set a plan and execute. If you don’t have your license, research the avenues and find the best fit for time and budget. I went through NASA because it was affordable and had a great program in the Texas area that was safe and high quality, and the license could be waived when applying with the SCCA. I would have done an accredited school if I had the time and money, but at the time and my situation, it was the best fit. Don’t sweat the small stuff, use planning tools (even just a spreadsheet for schedules, maintenance, travel, etc.), and most importantly– spend time in the driver’s seat!
What’s the best advice you ever got?
“There is no substitute for seat time”
The worst?
(paraphrasing) “Pro Racing has to take up the bulk of your time, energy, focus, and of course money! Even B-Spec will cost $100K+ per season!”…of course, none of that was and is true, but it scared me away at first…once I became a driver in the Pirelli World Challenge Series, I understood what the real costs were, and found a really great racing home.
What was your best day in racing?
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 2016, battling the last 6 minutes of the last Pirelli World Challenge race of the season…there were some pretty crazy passes and rubbing, but I was lazer-focused and felt really dialed into the car, and I had completely blocked out anything that existed outside the confines of the painted curbing stripes and corner flags at the track. It was a beautiful Zen 6 minutes amid chaos!
What’s next for James?
I’d love to do some more racing with the Pirelli World Challenge series in Touring Car A; once some work projects and life challenges are sorted, I can’t wait to come back!
Thanks, James!! Hopefully sometime soon we’ll see you out there in one of these!!
If you liked this, please take a look at https://blackarmorhelmets.com/ and support James and his team!
