DEREK DALY THE RACER WHO TOOK HIS CHANCES
Derek Daly’s journey from Dublin to Indianapolis, via Formula 1 to TV presenter is extraordinary, involves working in mines and frightening accidents that he can recall with millisecond precision – and a laugh.
The Irishman had a supercharged route from Formula Ford to Formula 1 and started nearly 50 grands prix between 1978 and 1982, finishing his grand prix career alongside title-winner Keke Rosberg at Williams.
He has a long career in single-seater racing in the USAtoo, a career that was punctuated by a huge accident at Michigan in 1984 that almost claimed his life.
The two-time Sebring 12 Hour winner has since forged a successful path as a broadcaster and businessman, and also keeping a close eye on the career of his son Conor. Strap in and sit back for some great answers to your great questions.
Question: Was racing in your family, did it come from your parents? How did you get involved in racing?
John Charles Via email
Derek Daly: “There was no racing in my family. I was always fascinated by cars, and one day when I was 12 years old I was walking home from school, and there was an English-registered truck parked in one of our neighbourhood streets, and it had Sidney Taylor Racing written on the side of it. I went to my dad and said ‘There’s a racing truck down the road there….’He said that the lady of the team buys their groceries here and she told me that you could see the racing cars at 1900hrs.
“We went back that night and I laid eyes on my very first racing car. It was a Brabham BT8 with a green stripe and a shamrock.And this fella, Sidney Taylor, was going to race it the next day at Dunboyne. My dad said he’d take me out there to see it race. We literally sat on grass banks, which was acceptable back in the day in 1965. The sights and the smells and the noise and the speed – everything about that day changed my life. From then on I was going to be a professional racing car driver.
“There was no family background in racing, no uncles, nothing. Not even close. We weren’t even in the car trade! Nothing to do with cars at all.”
MN: This is when our Q&Atakes a turn.An hour and 20 minutes of chat later, Derek has a memory that he’s not connected to the first question…
“Something I’ve just thought about that will make this story come full circle. In 1977 the Formula 3 race, I was on the pole, and Nelson Piquet was beside me.And as I’m sitting on the grid this older gentleman with a limp shuffled up to Big D, Derek McMahon, and he said to him ‘If he wins this race, I’ll put him in a Formula 1 car by the end of the year.’ “Big D came around, leans in to the cockpit and tells me that. I asked who it was. He
