40 years full circle with bill adam

I was a little boy walking the paddock at Mosport. Just to be clear, it will always be Mosport to me, because that is what I grew up with. It is where my racing memories began, watching young drivers start their careers. As a little boy, nervous and jumpy as the engines fired and mechanics tinkered with them, I walked around with curiosity. This is when you are a clean slate to the things you discover. You don't know anything about it, but there's excitement and some fear, because it is unknown.

What brings a young child closer to understanding the cars and speed? The drivers and the people in the paddock are the answer. That is where the bond begins, and the large loud machines that seem like monsters to a little kid, become the machines they cheer for. Bill Adam was that driver for me. After meeting him as a little boy and getting an autograph and photo with him. I followed his career and cheered for him always. My favorite car to cheer for that he raced was the white and green Jaguar XJR-5. I thought it was the coolest and I always smile seeing pictures of that car. I have a diecast of it.

Through that experience I began to pay attention to other Canadian drivers and teammates he had, like Richard Spenard, Scott Goodyear and American driver John Paul Jr. My love of racing was growing and the connections to drivers and cars and tracks developed into more memories. Over the years as I grew up, when spring and summer came, the questions were always are we going to Mosport? The May long weekend, and eventually the ALMS sports car weekend was a fixture on the calendar. Over time Bill Adam went from the seat of the car to the seat in the commentary booth.

After he stopped racing, I was able to watch him on the tv broadcasts and learn from him that way. He always had interesting stories and gave honest accounts of his experiences. I say that because, if you have ever met him, you know he is going to tell you honestly what it was like. This past weekend I was working with and sponsoring SAITO Motorsports at the St. Petersburgh Grand Prix race weekend. During an autograph session I noticed him standing off to the side under a canopy with his wife. Back in October when I met his daughter Shea, I provided them the picture when I was little when I met him at Mosport. I walked up to him and put my hand out and introduced myself. Watching his face light up for that moment was amazing. After 40 years that first memory maintains that bond of driver and fan. We stood and talked and he told me stories and about LeMan. How much he loves Sebring, and that when I do get to Sebring, find the Animal Kingdom. It was truly a full circle moment after 40 years.

At the end of the conversation, we took a picture together, and I knew I was going to write about this. This post really is a thank you to Bill Adam, because through you my love of auto racing grew over the years. The knowledge you have shared, the stories and memories that you have told. I truly hope that young fans find their Bill Adam. The driver that helps you find the bond to the sport. With out them, to a young fan, the cars will always seem like a monster.