Overview
Overview
Overview
Optimum Drive is a motivational/inspirational book that uses top level race car driving as the metaphor. As a professional racing driver himself as well a driving coach for over 20 years the author has penned his unique perspective on what causes people to stagnate at merely good when each of us has the potential to actually be great. The process is laid out chapter by chapter with the all-important nuance threaded throughout. If you have ever been curious about maximizing your own ultimate potential in anything you attempt this book will walk step by step with you along the way.
“
With an array of motorsports driving books on the shelf it's wonderful to see a new and exciting approach by delving deeper inside the all important mental game. Paul has drawn on his vast experience of driving, coaching and living racing to put together a map to guide you through the mental mine field of competitive race car driving that honestly transcends into any challenge in life, sports or business.
Nick Harvey, Xfinity Competition Manager, Chip Ganassi Racing
”
b.1965
Windsor England
Lives in
Boulder Colorado USA
hobbies
Skiing, Mountain Biking,
Free Diving, Photography
Paul F. Gerrard is an accomplished professional racing driver, precision/stunt driver, advanced driving instructor, vehicle evaluator and presenter. His career started in Europe winning a prestigious Winfield Scholarship that lead to successfully racing formula cars in both Europe and the United States. He made the transition into racing sports cars and simultaneously started instructing a wide range of drivers from military special forces to aspiring racers to teen drivers. Next on his progression was television appearing as an automotive expert and driver on shows such as Top Gear (UK and US editions), MythBusters, Speedmakers, Supercars Exposed, Ultimate Factories and many others. He has presented on every automotive topic imaginable and specializes in make technology and driving easy to understand for people at any level. Paul is also a sought after expert witness in high-level automotive court cases. He has continually raced winning several national championships along the way racing everything from Pikes Peak to just about every professional road racing series all the way to being ranked number three in the world in vehicle jumping distance for a 2010 Hot Wheels Stunt. Also under his belt is over two decades of racing driver coaching and director level responsibilities at some of the most advanced racing schools in the world. While his passion is and always was racing, Paul has cultivated and created a career that allows him to not only enjoy his passion but do something that is perhaps even more satisfying… share that passion for what he considers the most accessible and highest level mechanical interaction possible… a car and our uniquely human ability to connect with it.
About
About
About
Author Paul F. Gerrard in his natural element photo credit: Wes Duenkel
It all started when...
You at first start noticing patterns, we as a species have always been good at pattern recognition. It has always helped us survive. We use it to survey and to analyze. Trying to differentiate the lions tail in the tall grass, that can be a very useful skill. In this case though I wanted to be the lion, the pattern I analyzed was a bit bleak, after reading everything I could get my hands on about driving and having been in charge of training at two of the largest racing schools in the world it seems it was very rare in our very specialized industry to find teachers who actually taught. There is a lot of facilitating but rarely was there actual personalized teaching.
The many books on driving were either lightly veiled engineering texts (with too much math that muddies any chance of feeling what's going on) or written by drivers and/or phycologists who for any number of reasons never we able to fully connect the holistic vision of what makes a great driver better. How does a driver actually make that leap, the seemingly superhuman transcendence from good to something that could only be described as art?
It was a daunting task but through my twenty plus years of competitive driving, coaching and teaching I could actually feel this story begging to be told, I had to do it. Over the next four years I wrote and vetted my thoughts, concepts and ideas off of an amazing array of sounding boards. Top competitive drivers, tire manufactures, team engineers at every step of the way. You'll see in the acknowledgements I rightfully thank many people for the confirmation they provided along my journey to deliver the roadmap for driving greatness: Optimum Drive
I hope you enjoy it
Titles
Titles
Titles
2017
April 4th 2017 Optimum Drive Release Date
January 20th 2017 Receive forwards from Allan McNish and Tanner Foust
June 2017 Driver of Pikes Peak Enviate Unlimited Class Hill Climb Car
2016
Driver for Grand Tour
Finalizing Optimum Drive Text
Finalizing Illustrations
2011-2015
Writing Optimum Drive
Driving for Top Gear UK and USA
2010
Driver for Hot Wheels World Record Jump with Tanner Foust
Driver #17 GS BMW M3 in Continental Tire Championship
1999-2009
Driver #17 ST BMW 328 in Continental Tire Championship
2004-2009 Driver AMS Time Attack Unlimited EVO
2004-2009 Director of Training Emotive: Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, Audi Sports Car Experience, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Experience.
2004-2006 Driver/Development Driver At Speed Motorsports Factory Volvo World Challenge GT Team
1999-2004 Chief Instructor for Skip Barber Special Projects Group