Ten Questions with: David Anderson

VSCA

In the final episode of the “Ten Questions with…” podcast series before the 2022 season finale, VSCAracing.com sat down with David Anderson, owner of Champion Motorsports

September 28, 202210:30 PM GMT 2717 Views

VSCAracing.com: Welcome to episode six of “Ten Questions with…” our podcast series on VSCAracing.com. Today we’re joined by David Anderson, owner and team manager of Champion Motorsports. The team runs the No. 79 Dallara P2 Prototype and the No. 78 BMW M4 GT3 in the VSCA SportsCar Championship.

Welcome, David! Thank you for taking the time for this interview!

David Anderson: Hey, Thanks so much for having me, Benjamin! I’m really excited to be here. We love participating. This should be fun!

V: I know you have been very busy these days, and being owner and team manager of a team of eleven (!) drivers probably doesn’t help either, am I right? (laughing)

D: (laughing) Yeah! Sometimes, I feel like I’m herding cats, right? But I mean that in the nicest of ways. We’ve got just a great group of folks. That includes of course our drivers here. I want to say we have eleven or twelve, maybe a couple more on the roster in VSCA, as well as the other drivers that take part in various things we do at CMS.

But I like it, that’s part of what I can bring to them, to be that consistency they need to represent the community.

V: How are you and the rest of the team feeling about the last race at Road America. You guys came so close to winning your first championship in VSCA, the Sprint Cup and your first race, for that matter and took home second place in both.

D: You know, it’s kind of with mixed emotions. I think the number one thing that we’re feeling and that I’d like to make sure I remind the guys of is – we want to come here into this last race and finish strong. And do that with a smile on our faces and come out here and compete.

It’s a track that both of our cars, coming into Road Atlanta, have a lot of familiarity with. I’d love both of them to finish with wins. That would be a really great way to cap off the season.

And I think we’re capable of it. You know, it’s been kind of an up-and-down season. We came so close as you mentioned, with the prototype car there at Road America; a little bit short. I think it was just a matter of a few points.

But I think we’re holding our heads high, coming in here and feeling optimistic about our chances in the last round.

V: Both of your cars have had some rotten luck at times, I think is fair to say. What does it say about your team, that both entries are in the top ten of the P2 and GT3 championships anyway and how did your drivers manage to keep their heads high?

D: (laughing) Maybe I should say they’re gluttons for punishment, I don’t know. But to your point, it’s been a wild season for us. I think of a few things that have happened.

I’ll start with our GT3 car, right off the bat at Daytona, in the 24 Hour, we kind of had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in that race. I think around the six-hour mark when the first round of Endurance Cup points were captured, we had been leading or close to it. We were leading the race at one point with our team there in the GT3 car.

And I want to say it was with about eight, nine or ten hours to go; we literally got caught up in probably the most spectacular accident of the season with VSCA. It was the big “NASCAR crash”.

V: I remember that one. Oh, that was bad; in the tri-oval.

D: Yeah, something happened in front of us. And you just got to get lucky to miss it. But we got back on the saddle and finished the race. I think that just speaks to who the guys are. We brought it home and saw the checkered flag the next morning.

And then on the other side, if we shift gears to our Prototype team; they have run upfront pretty much in every race. But they have been oh-so-close.

It’s funny, I don’t know if you or the others know this, but our Prototype team is the “Pro” team. They’re our fastest, kind of alien drivers, but they’re also a little less experienced than the guys that are in the GT3 car, which are a little bit more seasoned; they have been around in CMS a little bit longer; we call that the “Endurance” team.

Their luck at Mosport, was the one that sticks out to me. We just had a last corner – I think it might even have been near the last lap – crash in that race at Mosport in the P2 car. Man, that one stung for a while. Thomas (Fisher) was behind the wheel at the time; he was really down and dejected after that incident.

V: Yeah, I remember that one as well. That was tough to watch. I guess it’s like they always say: ‘In Racing, anything can happen.’; all the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

D: Right. And you know, I think my job in this process with both teams – we talked about these two incidents – is let them know that it’s okay to laugh about these, because sometimes the things you look back on and remember, now we can laugh about, like Daytona. It’s behind us. We can look at Mosport. And I just try to remind them to trust the process. Trust the process, trust our team and good things will happen, if we just stay to hold ourselves true to what we’re trying to do.

V: And from the outside it looks like you guys have great chemistry in the team, and great teamwork; would you say?

D: Yeah, absolutely! I think that’s what sets our team apart, in my mind, from others. We are really, truly a group of friends. There is a high level of comradery. We have a fantastic sense of community. I think everyone’s proud, to wear CMS on their jersey, if you will. And I think that makes a difference.

V: Speaking of community. You founded CMSracing.com, an enormously popular sim racing community 23 years ago, in 1999 – if anybody can think back that far. You have over 2500 members. To put that into perspective: That is way more than VSCA has. What can you tell us about CMSracing.com and your community? How did you come up with that?

D: It kind of just started out like a lot of things happen. Back in the early days of sim racing myself and a few other guys met online, racing over dial-up modems…

V: Oh, the good old times…

D: (laughing) Yeah. We were playing Grand Prix Legends sim from Papyrus and some of the early NASCAR Racing sims. And we just kind of met and started out as a team of just three or four guys. Many people over the years have come and gone.

But a lot of the core guys from those early days – I’d say the first twenty or thirty people – are still around.

V: That’s incredible!

Running Champion Motorsports and the CMSracing.com community since 1999, 'the gang' meets up regularly. Pictured from left to right: Brett Stephens, David Anderson, Brian Blanchette and Phil Elmore - © 2022 CMSracing.com / David Anderson

D: Yeah, just a little-known fact: Kris Hudson, who is one of our drivers on the VSCA roster - and I think Kris has been on the track; if he hasn’t then he’s certainly on the top of our list of capable drivers – he is one of our early members from day one.

So, I think people like Kris; we have grown up together. As an example, that is someone that started at CMS when they were probably twenty years old, and now they’ve got kids and family.

So, over time it evolved. If I go a little further with this, it evolved to be more than that. We started to do some organized racing. We were doing some of our own races. But then we branched out even further, really with the explosion of the internet and sim racing really arriving.

We like to represent ourselves in great, highly visible opportunities like VSCA. So that is our opportunity to come and get to know new people, race with new people, represent the team.

We feel like it keeps us growing and then it also allows us to meet new friends and experience new things and see how other people do it. That’s what brought us here.

V: Just to put that into perspective real quick: The Euro currency did not even exist in 1999. Actually, it was established in 1999.

D: Oh, right! (laughing)

V: There was no iPhone yet. The iPhone was away another eight (!) years. We’re talking about a time that was even before the dot com crisis. (laughing)

D: Yeah, when you look back at it that’s probably the number one thing that I’m most proud of with CMS. It has lasted. And you just don’t really see that. There is so many sim racing communities and leagues and teams that come and go and we’ve stuck together.

And I think that’s just by being what I mentioned earlier – community first, comradery, not taking it too seriously. I think that’s what kept us together.

V: What would you say is one thing that you love about sim racing in general, and one thing that you dislike about it?

D: (laughing) That is an interesting question. I’ll start with what I dislike about it. This is for me, personally.

The older I get, the slower I get. (laughing)

You know, you used to be – back in those days, you talked about when we started – you would sign me up personally for one or two wins a month. Now I’m lucky if I get one or two wins a year, but I sure relish them when it happens.

I just celebrated my 50th birthday. Maybe I should look at it on the other end of that and just say that I’m glad I’m still able to do it. And really, I’m feeling like I’m just getting started. That’s the thing I dislike about it, that I’m personally not as fast as I was at one point.

What I love about it on the other hand is very clear to me – the moment you asked this question it popped right into my head.

It’s the people. I have met some great friends through this process. People that I have never met and people that I’ve met many times face-to-face. The people is what I take away from it that I love about it. You just meet some fantastic people.

V: I would have to totally agree with that. One hundred percent. And happy belated birthday to you, by the way!

D: Thank you, thank you! Just turned big fifty!

V: Way to go and by the way if anybody is thinking about this: I can confirm that I’ve also gotten a little bit slower with age in sim racing. Isn’t that kind of proof that sim racing is indeed a sport? (laughing)

D: (laughing) I think it is! I’ve played my role, you know. If they need someone that is slow and steady in the car, I’m the first person they think of. So, I’ve been out there dicing it up with all you guys in VSCA and I do my best to hold my own. (laughing)

V: You’ve done a lot of work in mentoring and training young racers and sim racers, for example Thomas Fisher, who is driving in your No. 79 Dallara P217. What would you say is more important in a driver - talent or mentality?

D: You know, that is an interesting question. Both matter. And both are really important. Especially when you’re trying to compete and represent the community like we do at CMS, outside of it, like a place like VSCA or the Majors or some other type of big racing opportunity.

We want to do well, right. We’re here to win and so you’ve got to have the pace. I really feel like the mentality that you talked about and the attitude and the race craft and all those things are equally – and probably, at least in my mind – a little bit more important, when I go to what is David looking for.

I would rather have someone who maybe is a little bit slower – I’d still want him to be competitive – but that they bring all those things of a great team-mate, that they work well with others, that they’ve got the right attitude, that they want to laugh and that they don’t take things too seriously or become toxic.

Because I think that’s what really brings the team together, to be highly performing. It’s the mentality.

V: Let’s change gears here for a moment and play a little quick-fire round of word association. I give you a word and you have to say quickly what’s the first thing that comes to your mind. Alright, are you ready?

D: Okay, yeah! Sounds fun!

V: Road Atlanta

D: Oh, this is a good one. I think chaotic. That’s what I think about when I think of Road Atlanta. Fast and furious. There is never going to be a dull moment, not a lot of time to breath. Multi-class is fun, but it can be maddening at this track. There is lots of focus required for ten hours.

V: VSCA

D: Two things come to mind for me here:

Immersive. I think you guys, yourself, Kyle, the others have done an amazing job bringing the immersion. I feel like I am doing sort of fantasy sports, when I’m at VSCA. You’ve done a really good job making it feel like real life. So yeah, I love that immersion aspect.

And then the other thing I think about is: Professional. You guys look, you feel, you come across, you act professional. And we’re proud to be a part of it.

V: Cameron Barker (driver of the No. 79 Dallara)

D: I think of Cameron as young and fast. That’s what comes to mind for Cameron. You know, young guy, tons of talent. A lot of people may not know this: Cameron drives multiple sims. He races in rFactor 2 as well as iRacing.

I believe he’s about to qualify for the second year in a row for the top-30 at the Virtual Le Mans eSports event with the rFactor 2 sim.

And great team-mate. That’s the other thing that I think about with Cameron; young and fast, but also doesn’t have an ego that precludes him from being a great team-mate.

V: Dallara P217 and BMW M4 GT3

D: I think new and old when I hear this. The Dallara is new to us at CMS; this is our first season anywhere to run this car. So, the fact we’re doing as well as we are while we’re learning the car, I think that’s something to feel good about.

And then the GT3 BMW, when I say old, I mean we have a lot of experience with that car. We have driven that car for several seasons at iRacing and we know it inside and out. And we love it, it’s a great, very well-balanced car.

V: Pet

D: I’m a cat guy. I’ve got two cats (laughing). And they like to snuggle up with me sometimes when I’m sim racing, which can be a problem. So, you’ve kind of try to decide to either let them do that or lock them out of the room (laughing). Their names are Lexy and Lacy. They’re getting up there in age. They’re twin sisters and they’re grey, short-hair tabby cats. They’re just such constant companions. I love my kitties.

V: I was just thinking, if I had three cats, I’d probably call them Clutch, Brake and Throttle (laughing).

D: (laughing) There you go! That’s a good one. I like that. That’s creative!

V: Electric Cars

D: (laughing) So, this is an interesting question, because it’s timely with what’s on my mind right now. And what I’m going to say here is: Not NASCAR.

And the reason I say not NASCAR is because yesterday I went to the NASCAR Playoff race here at Texas Motor Speedway near my house and the new cars in NASCAR are so cool, but they’re so loud!

And it made me think that all these electric cars, hybrid vehicles on the road and even what you hear in Formula One is the opposite of that. So, they’re not NASCAR, is what I think.

V: You think NASCAR will ever go electric?

D: (laughing) You know, I don’t know. They probably should, but it doesn’t feel like it. Maybe it wouldn’t be NASCAR anymore, right? NASCAR is loud and bold and rowdy and that’s what makes it NASCAR.

V: Maybe this is what will be “eNASCAR” in the future.

D: Exactly, exactly. Maybe they can figure out a way to keep them loud and have them be a little bit more eco-friendly at the same time.

V: Outside of racing, what other sport do you follow, and what is your favorite athlete or favorite team? For example, the NFL season just started, are you rooting for anyone there?

D: Yeah, so I’m a huge NFL fan. Being in Dallas, I’m sure a lot of people think I’m a big Cowboys fan, which I am. I like the Cowboys, love the Cowboys. I want to see them do well.

V: America’s Team!

D: Yeah, America’s team. They’re playing tonight, so hopefully they’ll get a win on Monday Night Football against the Giants. But you really can only be a fan of one team, when it comes to the NFL.

There is always one team that rules above all. And for me it’s the Tennessee Titans. I grew up in the area, when the Titans moved into Nashville. I loved the ‘Music City’ there and they’re kind of my team that I pull for on Sundays.

V: You’re from Texas. What would you say defines the Texas mentality and way of life?

D: I left Texas to go to school in Nashville, which was the same time when I became a Titans fan. But Texas has always been home for me and my family; born and raised; grew up here.

When I think of Texas, the thing that comes to mind is, I’m proud to be a Texan. I think the hospitality here is big and positive.

There are things about Texas sometimes that I’m not sure about. We were the first ones to open here in the United States with COVID. There seems to be a bit heavy conservatism in a lot of areas.

But there is just so many great things about Texas that I love. Everyone for the most part is going to welcome you with a big smile on their face. It’s just a great place to be.

V: And of course, you’ve got Dirk Nowitzki!

D: And we have Dirk Nowitzki, right!? We did our best to make him a Texan. And I think we’ve done a pretty good job with that, with Dirk. And now we’re working on Luka (Doncic) (laughing).

V: Oh yeah, that’s two good Texans to have!

D: Absolutely. Two good, converted Texans, right? That’s what I’ll say. I’d like to see a picture of Dirk Nowitzki in a Cowboy hat. Maybe we can find that posted with the interview.

V: Coming back to the league: VSCA has announced some of its plans and changes for the 2023 season earlier this month. What’s your take on things so far?

D: You know, I like it. I think you guys are moving in the right direction. I do think you want to keep it fresh. I’ve learned that through the years, I wouldn’t necessarily knee-jerk or change things for the sake of changing, but I love the idea of going to the full schedule (all 12 IMSA races).

That was one of the things when I first signed up the team for VSCA, I was like: ‘I’m wondering why they’re only doing a subset of the races?’.

So, being able to do all the races, including the Roar before the 24, that will be fun. I’m really interested to see what the new class (LMP3 class using the HPD) looks like with going from two to three classes.

And the safety rating thing is good. Because there is so many drivers, that only drive in leagues. I think just basing things on an iRating is hard. I think you’re moving in the right direction.

I wouldn’t try to necessarily expect that to be perfect on the safety rating, driver rating thing. There is always going to be nuances, but I think that’s a good thing to have.

And I’d love to see rewarding more and more, not just the fastest drivers, but the drivers and teams that are the cleanest. That should be worth something. I’d encourage you guys to think of more ways to reward the teams that represent of what you want on the track from a race craft perspective.

V: Just to add to that: VSCA has announced there will be a clean racing points system next year. Each entry has the chance to earn extra/bonus points for racing clean. It’s going to be based off the incidents total that any car has accumulated in a VSCA race. The cleanest entry will get the most bonus points. So that’s also going to be one of the changes.

D: I think that’s great. I don’t have the stats in front of me, but I’d be willing to bet, that especially our GT3 team - which is some of our more experienced, seasoned drivers, not just here at VSCA but in the sim racing community. I’m talking about Brett Stephens, Marc Johnson, James Sauceman, that’s the guys who are driving the car for us – I’m willing to bet they probably have the lowest number of incidents or we’re very close to it, because the guys are just very good with the car.

And I think that’s worth something. I love to see that you’re going to reward that type of approach.

V: A follow-up question: With the plans of VSCA, that have already been published so far and the changes, does that affect your team in any way? Do you guys already have some plans for next year as Champion Motorsports?

D: Yeah. Yeah, I’m sure it probably will affect it a little bit. There is always just the human element. I haven’t really done this yet. We’ve just been focused on finishing this season strong.

But as we get into the holiday time, it will be time for us to set our plans for 2023. I’m sure we might see a little bit of a tweak to the roster. I think we’ll take a look at the new car or the new class (LMP3 class, the HPD) to see if it makes sense to put an entry in there.

But absolutely, expect for us to be back. We’ve had a great time and I think we want to come back in here and be a staple in the field.

Hopefully we’ll be able to reserve a spot, we’ll get to pre-register or something. That’d be a nice thing.

V: Do you have anything else you’d like to add, before we go?

D: Just a couple of quick things. First of all, I want to thank you personally for inviting me to be here and spending the time. It’s nice to see you guys doing these types of things. I’ve enjoyed some of the other articles and podcasts you’ve put out.

And really, just everybody at VSCA for all the hard work you’ve put into this. I know that it kind of feels like a thankless job sometimes and I want you to know that you’re very appreciated. So that’s number one.

The second thing: I want to thank the guys and gals that drive our cars at VSCA but everybody at CMS that participates and is part of our team and community, that makes this happen. That’s what it’s all about. I’m just proud to see us here.

I was just doing a quick look. It looks like both cars are solid in the top ten, going into the last race. I hope we can put them both in victory circle for the season finale. That would be a great way to finish, wouldn’t it?

V: Absolutely! Well, we wish you best of luck, David, all of your drivers and we’re looking forward to having you back next year.

And I really appreciate your time today, for taking this interview. I guess, I’ll see you at Petit Le Mans!

D: Yeah, I’m looking forward to it! I can’t wait. We’ll get out there and rub elbows together and have some fun doing it, to close out the season strong.

V: Thank you so much again. For all our listeners and followers: Make sure you tune in on VSCAracing.com and the VSCA YouTube channel on October 8th, 14:00 GMT for the season finale of the 2022 VSCA SportsCar Championship, Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta! Thank you and see you next time!