Families Tied To Speed

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Ron talking to his son Leon before a race.

I was watching a documentary about motor racing including super bikes. What amazes me is the number of generations that continue the name in the sport. With all the risks and dangers associated with the sport you would think that a father would be horrified to see his son follow in his foot steps.

I suppose if you grow up in that type of lifestyle of racing every weekend you only know that way of life from a very young age. Naturally you see your parent or older brother getting cheered on and are drawn to the sport. It is a different lifestyle living on the edge with loads of adrenaline.

I an see fathers pushing their sons living the dream that they may not have fulfilled as well.This is played out at school fields every weekend when you see the pushy parent shouting and moaning at everyone. This is unwanted pressure and it works for some and not for others. If you are good at something you will excel anyway with or without your pushy parent.

A prime example is the Haslam family. Father Ron was a super bike racer with a glittering career. Unfortunately early on he lost his brother Terry to a crash in a motor bike race.Ron had a son called Leon who took up riding bikes and was rather good at Motor Cross winning a number of races.

One day he crashed badly breaking his leg and Ron tried to get him to quit. He wanted his son to race because he wanted to race and not because his dad was a racer. He tried the we can't afford it routine plus some other fairly heavy off putting ideas yet Leon said it was a dream of his to race. Ron finely gave in and backed his son 100 percent after that knowing it wasn't entirely his fault that he was racing.Obviously he doesn't like it still as he lives in fear every time he races.

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Michael Dunlop on the left with his dad and brother.

Another family that has a chequered history is the Dunlop family that has lost it's fair share of family members but Michael Dunlop still races in today. He lost his father,brother and uncle to motor bike accidents yet he can still climb on a bike and race.I feel sorry for the other family members as each race must bring back memories.

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Magnussen family photo.

In Formula One we have had 12 father and sons racing which is higher than I first thought as could only remember half of that of the top of my head.
Graham and Damon Hill, Keke and Nico Rosberg,Jos and Max Verstappen,Gilles and Jacques Villeneuve,Manfred and Markus Winklehock, Nelson and Nelson junior Piquet, Johnathon and Jolyon Palmer, Satoru and Kazuki Nakajima, Jan and Kevin Magnussen, Emmerson and Christiaan Fitipaldi, Jack, David and Gary Brabham, Mario and Michael Andretti.

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Nakajima Father and son.

Straight away you can see that the dads were way better than their sons and possibly should have guided their kids away from the sport. Jolyon Palmer is a prime example as he only lasted 2 seasons and wasn't good enough to cut it.

It will be interesting to see what familiar names appear over the next few decades as it is passed on down the family line. Will we see a Massa junior popping up or a Bottas? I think if the kids come to the track to see daddy racing the chances are they will get involved at some point and I don't think many bring their kids to the track these days. It is a little bit different from 20 years ago.

I just find it funny as I wouldn't want my son competing in a sport that was overly dangerous which this certainly is.