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| Behind the Scenes with Lou Gigliotti |
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SH: Who has been the greatest influence on your racing career? How?
LG: Mario, Mark D, Parnelli, Senna, Lauda, Graham Hill, Jackie Ickes Jacky Stewart, Bob Tullius etc. I loved the sport from my first day at the track. But I must say that my first sponsor Barry Budlong, from Rochester NY brought me up from a B sedan Datsun to Super Vees and the Scirocco Bilstein Cup and made me understand what it took to be a pro. If it were not for Barry Budlong, I am not sure how far I would have gone or how long it would have taken to be a full time racer.
Right now my son Louis is my greatest influence on my racing career. He does what I had to do for years and it has made racing a pleasure.
Oh yeah, I had dinner at Mosport in 1974 (where I got my first Professional Pole position) with Graham Hill, who stopped at my sponsors motor home to get some of Gigliotti's Italian food. That was before there were gates, security, and fences around the F1 paddock. What an inspiration.
SH: How long have you been racing in the Speed World Challenge Series? What do you like about the series? Is there anything you would change in the series if you could?
LG: I started in the World Challenge Series in 1990 driving a Corvette with Kim Baker. Baker was the true professional and it rubbed off on me. After racing 67 World Challenge races, I took 6 seasons off from the Series to run in Trans Am (winning 2 races, Long Beach and Lime Rock). Some of the Trans Am series competitors didn't like Mitch Wright who was placed in charge of the series, so Mitch went back to World Challenge and vowed to make it the best series in America. He did and I came back when TA was on life support. Mitch would probably have made the TA series great but hindsight is 20/20.
What would I change? I would end the politics and lobbying somehow or someway. Mitch Wright had it correct when they first started the re-vamped World Challenge series. There was NO sandbagging because there was no reason to. A win was greeted with 3 cheers and a pat on the back and if there was a car that needed help, it got it without fanfare until the class was very close. Now even non deserving drivers are handed wins if they drive the chosen brand. Stop choosing and let's go race.
SH: What are your impressions of your 2006 racing season in Speed World Challenge GT?
LG: Without going into too much drama, I was not happy with the officiating, politics and the rules mess in 06. Enough said. I expect the 2007 season to be less cluttered with this nonsense.
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