Kids hooked on speed: a good thing?
Posted by Nick Trott at 1:30PM on Wednesday 25 April, 2007 5 Comments
For the second time in two weeks I've just written a news piece about a 16-year old taking the plunge into competitive motorsport.
Max Chilton has just made his debut in the British F3 Championship while 17-year-old Kris Hall and 16-year old Ella Flynn are Britain's youngest competing rally crew.
None of them can drink (legally), vote or see an 18-certificate film and only Kris Hall is old enough to drive on the road. They are all, however, taking part in a potentially life-threatening sport which (forgive me while I slip into a Daily Mail-esque hysteria) begs the question...
Would you let your kids go racing?
There are two sides to the argument. Sport requires discipline, encourages competition and develops social skills.
It is also a handy distraction from the things that I myself found particularly appealing at 16: the opposite sex, drugs, booze (not in that order).
On the other hand, motorsport is dangerous. Exposing your child to such a risky activity is irresponsible - after all, does a 16-year old really possess the required maturity to deal with what is a hugely stressful sport?
So, would you?
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5 Comments for "Kids hooked on speed: a good thing?"
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I wouldn't necessarily see it as a negative thing.
If parents see it as an excellent way of releasing competitive spirit, soicialising with like-minded people and so on, then go for it.
If they enjoy it, and can handle the emotions that go with motorsport, then good luck to them. Motorsport needs young blood and the UK needs new rally drivers!
I don't think so. Just because it requires a motor, and a licence when done on the road does not make it any more stressful or dangerous than many other sports.
Racing sailboats was pretty dangerous, but I did it as a 14-year old, and many of my friends took part in other dangerous sports at young ages.
Motorcross has long been done by children and young adults. I wonder whether the opposite is true, and these young people will be safer on the road, since they understand that racing belongs on the track, and they are able to get the need for speed out of their blood on the track and not the road.
But that's just a theory. And yes, I think I would let my kids race, if they were interested.
I agree with Devon, I think kids should be exposed to 'controlled' environments where risks exist so that they learn to respect those risks.
Many young drivers die on the roads each year due to their 'invincible' attitude and lack of experience handling vehicles at high speed.
It really depends on the kid I guess. If he/she has been having little sips of racing previously and are good enough for the challenge, why not? Still, that doesn't mean the parents/ manager /team leader should just let them run amok, and they should know which attitudes their kid lacks so as to help them develop it.
Mind you that this topic isn't really new. About 40 years ago a 16-year old was denied the chance to race at Le Mans with his 18-year old brother.
The kid was Ricardo Rodriguez, who at 19 made his first start in F1 at Monza (on the front row, next to Von Tripps). He died 2 years later, some say because his Lotus' suspension broke, others because he was a bit too agressive, though the truth might be a combination of both. His brother, Pedro, who started racing bikes at 11, lived a lot longer, and drove, among other things, a certain Porche 917.
With good advice, of course a 16-year old can race, and if my kid was wise enough, I'd let him give it a go.
The only gripe I have against a 16-year-old racing is that I'm just jealous that I didn't get to at his age.
The main point people argue about is the maturity of the driver and their ability to handle such a dangerous and stressful environment. I know many many middle-aged men that act like 12-year-olds when they get behind the wheel and go to jelly when it comes down to a stressful situation.
You have to take into account the individual, their skills, their actual maturity (as opposed to age generalisations) and their ability to cope in stressful situations.
I say good luck to the young blokes and hope they shake things up a bit