Sebring Exclusive
A farewell to our (ALMS/GT) champion
Sascha Maassen of Alex Job Racing
by Margot Orenchuk 
Photos courtesy Margot Orenchuk

SEBRING, Florida (March 20, 2004) --  What more can you say about a man that has driven so spectacularly in a series, so that no one can even come close to touching his record except for his almost as equally stunning teammate? Sascha Maassen has the most wins in the ALMS (21) and holds many track records for pole speeds. When you think of his driving, all you can say is  “Simply the Best”. Yet when I spoke to him in Sebring he wasn’t the least bit sad to be leaving the ALMS series. He was smiling and cheerful, but ready to move on, even though he didn’t know where he will be going. Cool and calm, at 8:00 AM on race day he told me he didn’t even know about the 12 hours ahead --  if he would be driving at Sebring! But, he would, and he did, and he took the checkered flag yet again in 1^st. This man is one unbelievable racer. And if Sascha is ready to move on to something else, all the GT ALMS drivers are also most likely walking around the paddock muttering “thank-you Sascha, now leave already!” But you have to think about what the fans will miss, once they realize he is gone; because drivers like Sascha only come along once in a lifetime, and we should feel very privileged to have been able to watch him race. When RFM had asked Herr Maassen to do our “Winter Interview” we did not realize this would be his goodbye to his ALMS fans. I hope you enjoy his answers as much as we did.  

Margot Orenchuk: Sascha, please describe to me what a typical racing day is like for you. 
 
Sascha Maassen: I wake up, go jogging or some other sport if I have time, I eat breakfast either in the hotel or on the track, have a meeting with the team, then keep my other appointments, then driving around the scheduled practices and PR duties, sponsors, etc. driving of course, and afterwards meeting with engineers, looking into the data.  I try to leave the track as early as possible, get a round of golf in if there is time. Quite often I have dinner appointments, and I always try to be early to bed.

MO: Tell us about your 24-hour victory at Hamburg! You had to stand for 2 hours driving a slot car? What was that about?  
 
SM: The slot car race is a race with 6 teams on six tracks. After two hours the tracks are changed among the teams so every team is on every track twice in 24 hours. Our strategy was that one driver should do the 2 hours alone, and as he did he would get used to it. It was not easy, but the good thing is that I had 6 hours of rest after two hours driving... and this was the second time I won this event.

MO: What is you favorite off-track activity? What to you do with those few special precious fun hours you get? 
 
SM: During my time in the US, I started to enjoy playing golf. Other drivers went to the hotel room at 4 pm. This was not an option for me. Too much sport is also not good at any race weekend, so golf has been the best option so far. Now I just have to understand and figure out this game...

MO: What has been your all-time favorite track? And why? 
 
SM: Macau. The first time I arrived there and saw the track I hated it. Then I won the race there. Well, of course I changed my mind! This is a track that you either love or hate. In general I do like all the street circuits. 

MO: Do you prefer endurance racing to sprint racing? 
 
SM: I prefer the mixture of both. If you just do one thing all the time you start to miss the other. 

MO: What is the fastest you have ever driven on a street? And what car do you drive at home?  
 
SM: The quickest car on the street was a Carrera GT doing 330 km/h (together with Jerry Seinfeld!) The quickest training run was 405 km/h. As a Factory Porsche driver, I "have" to drive a Porsche Carrera 4S!

MO: What is the funniest story you have about what has happened to you during a race weekend? 
 
SM: Sorry, that I cannot answer here... 

MO: Tell me about the "bump" at Miami last year (2003). What type of physical toll did that race take on you? 
 
SM: I was only afraid the car could break into half. As a driver I just made sure that my tongue was not between my lips and every muscle in the body was working during the ride over the bump!

MO: What is the one question you can't stand being asked at this point by the media? 
 
SM: This one: If you could take 4 people out to dinner, alive or dead, who would they be?  (thanks, Sascha)

MO: What is the one question you never get asked that you would like to be?
 
SM: Sascha: Is it true Lucas is older than you? Answer: Well, it just looks like it!

MO: Is there any racecar (series) that you have wanted to drive that you haven't yet? 
 
SM: Formula One of course, every racers dream I think. 

MO: Do you have any rituals you do before a race? (That you can talk about!)?  
 
SM: During my single seater career I always stepped into the car with my right foot first. Even if I had to go around the car to do so. 

MO: What is the craziest thing a fan has asked you to do it?

SM: The fans have been always very nice to me, and never asked for crazy things. Puuh! 

MO: Do you have anything special that you do before or during qualifying?  
 
SM: No.

MO: What was the most special racing memory you have of 2003?  
 
SM: Winning at Le Mans and seeing the incredible amount of people attending that race. 

MO: Who would you have most liked to race against? 
 
SM: No particular preference. But there are some drivers I do not like to race against, as they are not driving clean. But I better not mention names here.
 
 MO: What is the scariest memory you have behind the wheel? 
 
SM: I do not know if it is THE scariest moment but one of it: When I did not see the oil in Mosport and went off the track in a corner normally driven in 5th gear. Seeing the wall coming closer at an unhealthy speed... 

MO: If you couldn't be a racing car driver, what would you want to be? 
 
SM: Father to a big family. 

MO: If you could take 4 people out to dinner, alive or dead, who would they be? 
 
SM: OK, these are the kind of questions I do not know the answer right away. But for sure they would not have anything to do with racing.

MO: Will you miss racing in North America? Or are you just relieved you don't have to travel so much anymore? 
 
SM: I will come to the US almost as often as in 2003... 

MO: Tell us about the Daytona 2004, and what you thought of the [Grand Am] Brumos Porsche.  

SM: I thought we would win this race. We had a good car, a good team, and good drivers but sometimes it doesn’t work out as planned. I want to try it with the same package again next year. 

MO: Can you tell us about your new ride in 2004?  
 
SM: So far it seems to be sure that I will do two races for AJR. In Sebring and Atlanta. I will do one race for Brumos in Mount Tremblant and Porsche is finalizing a deal to run Lucas and I in the FIA GT, but this is not for sure yet. 

MO: Will you be defending your GT class win at Le Mans this year? Do you know if it will be with Petersen/White Lightning-AJR again? (Note: It was just announced that Petersen’s have been invited to Le Mans by the ACO in 2004)
 
SM: I hope to be there, it does look good but I do not know for which team yet.  

RFM would like to thank Sascha Maassen for the thoughtful answers he gave (but NOT for giving Margot the flu), and Kyle Chura from Alex Job Racing. We look forward to seeing Sascha at Le Mans this year defending his GT title!