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Life on Track with Rob MacDonald

Rob MacDonald currently works as a co-op student with the Employment Program and Policy Division of Human Resources and Social Development. I discovered that he is not your typical student...he is a race car driver and has appeared in some films. Rob took some time to answer some questions, so that the youth could see a little more into what it takes to get into this field.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm originally from Ottawa, but grew up in Keswick, Ontario. I'm currently an MPA student at the University of Victoria. I finished an undergraduate degree in sociology there last year and have more recently decided to see what public administration has to offer.

You were involved in race car driving...tell us how that started, what you did, how old were you during all of this?

My father has always been a big car nut and interested in racing. In the 1980s, while he was working for Sony, he began getting involved in sponsorship of different areas of Canadian motorsport. So I grew up around racetracks. When I was 12 he asked me if I would like to try go-kart racing. I didn't even know it existed, but of course I said yes. I began racing karts in 1990, working my way up the ranks. I attended my first car racing school when I was 14 and began racing cars at 16. I was an open-wheel driver, meaning that I drove the cars with open cockpits and wings (Indy style, not stock cars). I started out in what is called Formula Ford and Formula 2000 and worked my way up to Formula Atlantic and Indy Lights. The last two were one step below Indy Car. I was around 20 years old at that time.

What's the greatest moment you've had in terms of your passion of race car driving?

I have a lot of great experiences from racing, but obviously the greatest moments were on the track. I won two national karting championships which was very special, but probably my favourite moment would be my first professional car racing win. I was 18 and competing in a Formula Ford race in Lime Rock, Connecticut. I was sick on race day and had had a bad start. I dropped from 4th to about 8th. By about halfway through the race I had worked my way back up and taken the lead. I held off my teammate by about a second to win. It was the first one-two finish for the team and I was proud of overcoming the setbacks to get that first win. My father was there that day and I think he enjoyed it even more than me. I got a real kick out of that.

You currently do not compete and have a training school. Tell us about that.

I never really made a conscious choice not to compete anymore. It was a matter that was out of my control. To continue at the level that I was competing at cost about $1 million a year. That is a lot of money to secure on an annual basis. I had a Canadian sponsor who decided it could not afford the expense any more. I was very fortunate to have backers to help me get as far as I did, but the odds of lightning striking twice are not good. On the positive side, my success opened doors in other parts of the industry. I have a career outside school and the public service teaching racecar and high performance driving and doing various product events for automotive manufacturers. I spend a lot of time at race tracks and meet a lot of interesting people and drive a lot of very nice cars. It's fun, but I have many interests. I have put most of that stuff on hold for the time being to explore other things.

How can someone who is interested in this field get into it? Does it cost a lot of money? What does it require? Special licenses, etc.

How to get into racing is the question I'm most often asked. While it can cost a lot of money there are many forms of racing that are sustainable. I've raced at very high levels but some of my favourite racing was during my time in karts. Most people who race are not in it to make a living. The key is to find a form of racing that suits both your level of competitiveness and the size of your bank account. Regardless of what your goals are, I recommend starting in karting. You're going to make a lot of mistakes and it's best to make them when the house isn't on the line. A season of karting can be done for around $5000 (depending on how 'serious' you are). And these aren't the karts you rent at your neighbourhood go-kart track. During my last year in karting I drove a Formula 125 kart with a six-speed gearbox that went 180km/h. There are classes for kids as young as 7 and 'masters' classes for the older folks. Depending on the class of kart, no license is required, although most karting clubs do require you to take a school before competing. What's the first step? Google 'karting clubs Canada' and see what comes up. I recommend buying a used kart to start. Once you're there, you'll find the other people very supportive...until you start beating them.

You've appeared in a few movies. Tell us about that.

My experience with movies is directly linked to my motorsport past. In 2000 a production company came to Canada to shoot a racing movie with Sylvester Stallone called Driven. The stunt coordinator wanted to use real racecar drivers, given the fact that the scenes would involve real cars on real race tracks. I was on a list of potential drivers. When I was asked, I accepted immediately. I spent a total of 5 weeks on the film and am in involved in nearly every racing scene in the movie. I had the opportunity to double for stars and even work directly with Stallone. It was a great experience. My only regret is that Stallone yanked our names out of the credits because he wanted to push the idea that the stars did their own driving. As a big movie buff I was a little miffed about not seeing my name on the screen. More recently, I did some work on the Russell Crowe film, Cinderella Man. This was regular stunt work without the car, which was first. The opportunities to do film are usually few and far between, but it's always a lot of fun.

Is it your ambition to continue in this field, or do you have something else in mind for the future?

As I mentioned, I have a lot of interests. When it became clear that I no longer had the financial support to further progress in racing I decided to go back to school. I very much enjoyed studying sociology and I thought that doing a Master of Public Administration might give me a better opportunity to apply some of the things I learned. I'm not sure where I'll end up. Government, non-government organizations, non-profit? I hope to be able to make that decision by the time I've completed the degree. I haven't ruled out doing more racing related things such as instruction or trying to pursue more movie work. I'm interested in making a meaningful contribution to society and that is the biggest influence on my choices about the future.

Do you find it strange talking about how you've been in movies or on the race track?

Hmmm, I've never been asked that question. I don't really feel strange talking about it because it's my reality-it's what I know, the same way other people talk about their past experiences. I'm aware that movies and racing are not all that common and that they are perceived as glamorous pursuits. I do get uncomfortable being put on a pedestal for the wrong reasons. I'm proud of my accomplishments both in racing and away from racing. I think sometimes the things we place value on are not always the most important.

If you had to say something to the youth of Canada, what would it be?

Don't get tied down by someone else's expectations. Go after what interests you, and don't worry if you haven't got a career choice at 18. I know many people who have graduated university and are still trying to figure it out. There's lots of time. Get as many experiences as you can and ultimately you'll find what works for you. This includes pursuing passions such as sports or the arts. If you can make a living at it, great, but even if you don't go all the way, you'll have learned many things that will help you elsewhere. This may come across as a plug, but check out what the government can do to help. There are several programs associated with the Youth Employment Strategy that are designed to help kids find their place. Bottom line: work hard at whatever you choose, and you won't be disappointed.

I would like to thank Rob for taking some time out of his busy day over in the Policy Area of HRSD to answer these questions that I hope YOU have found entertaining. I am now going to look into going to the go-kart track later this week.