A racecar enters a corner at 110 miles per hour when it suddenly bursts into flames. All of the oxygen is sucked from the car in one lung-crushing moment. The driver has a new understanding of the term "flaming metal death trap" as he realizes that he is also on fire.
Luckily, he escapes without injury. But do you know what that driver does first thing the next day? He gets back into that car.
Part time NASCAR driver Ryan Ellis doesn't have a death wish. He just loves what he does. So when his SuperLite car erupted into flames in the same exact spot for the second day in a row, do you think he stopped driving?
"Getting into that car the third time was a tough decision for me and my father," Ellis said. "I never really questioned whether I would or not, but I knew my dad was skeptical for safety reasons. I got in that third time and we didn't have a problem. Six months later, in our first season, we won the national championship which was my first as a driver."
The Beginning
Ellis is a third generation racer who began at the tender age of four. While other kids his age were learning cheat codes in Super Mario, he was learning how to make hairpin turns. It's not hard to see why something as trivial as two car fires in back-to-back days wouldn't be enough to dissuade him from getting behind the wheel.
"I know that every second I'm not in a race car, I'm wishing I was," Ellis said. "I think that unlike a lot of other athletes, I have become closer to my sport the more I've grown. It's been the one constant that I've always had. Friends come and go, but racing has always been something I've loved, as much as it can be frustrating from time to time, it's more than worth it."
It's clear that racing is part of Ellis' genetic code.
"My grandfather gave his life to this sport; he passed away in 1958 in a crash. My father raced until I was old enough to drive. I can only hope to carry on the family name and make them proud. It began as their passion, but it has always definitely been a passion of mine and that fire will always burn."
Real NASCAR
Those not interested in race car driving may not fully understand what the sport demands from its drivers or how exciting it can be. Casual observers probably get their impressions of NASCAR from Will Ferrell's Ricky Bobby. But in reality, it's a sport that has to be seen to be understood, according to Ellis.
"Come to a race," Ellis said. "It's amazing how much is happening at a race. The speeds don't even begin to be translated onto a television set. Stand right by the fence when 43 cars are flying by you at 200 miles per hour. It's a feeling and environment that can't be put into words."
What about those who say NASCAR is just a bunch of people driving around in circles?
"Racing does take talent. I have played many sports: college ice and inline hockey, baseball, and a few others. Racing is just as challenging as those sports, and I would dare say it is more mentally challenging. You are put in an environment where you're sitting in 120-plus degrees Fahrenheit in a three or four layer race suit for multiple hours pulling 3 g's within inches of other drivers. The room for error in this sport is minimal and the consequences are far direr than others. People die in this sport quite often."
Obstacles
The biggest challenge Ellis struggles with isn't fear. In fact, it's something much more mundane: money.
You turn on the Sprint Cup and you see all of these impeccable automobiles and well known drivers zooming around. What you don't see is the endless engineering and construction and tinkering that goes into each car. What you don't see are the hours upon hours drivers devote to practice and preparation. You definitely don't see the bill for all of that.
Most people just assume that if you're a good driver, sponsors will throw resources at you. Unfortunately, that's not the way it works. Unlike other sports, having talent isn't always enough.
"The biggest challenge I face is finding sponsorship," Ellis admitted. "A lot of the drivers in NASCAR are sponsored by family owned companies or their family's company is doing a business-to-business deal with the company that sponsors them. There aren't a lot of up and coming young drivers that are bringing upwards of $3 million per season and I don't have that. I need to make connections and make the best of every opportunity I get to make a name for myself."
Boxers can't fight with one arm tied behind their backs. So why should we expect race car drivers to win races when they don't have the proper funding? Ellis learned how to "find the limits of each and every car quickly and safely" because he knows he can't afford a wreck. He's in the ultimate "you break it, you buy it" position.
Ellis' race team spends roughly $30,000 to $50,000 a weekend. By comparison, the top teams in NASCAR spend between $160,000 and $200,000 per weekend. What's that expression about bringing a knife to a gun fight?
That additional money goes towards extra sets of tires, more engineers, better design, etc. Drivers still working towards brand name recognition are at a serious disadvantage. Those that are center stage follow the logic that if you can't beat them, you can outspend them. But Ellis isn't afraid to take matters into his own hands.
"In order to get into those better rides, I have to find ways to get $3 to $5 million in sponsorship, which is why I got a degree in marketing from George Mason University. I don't want to make excuses. I want to make it happen."
Goal
Ellis is only 24 years old. He's already run 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races over a three-year period. He was the 2011 Grand-Am ST Rookie of the year. But being an up-and-comer isn't satisfying enough for the hungry driver.
"I want to race full time in the NASCAR Nationwide and Xfinity Series in 2015. Full races with any team, really just anything to gain experience in the sport and continue to make a name for myself."
Ellis is fearless on the racetrack, yet responsible and controlled enough to make intelligent decisions. He may be young, but he's been racing for twenty years. He may not have the sponsorship dollars he'd like, but he's mastered doing more with less.
All things considered, the road ahead looks pretty good for Ryan Ellis.
