"It's been such a great season"
Darren Law of Flying Lizard Motorsports
By Margot Orenchuk
Photos courtesy Margot Orenchuk
LAGUNA SECA, California (October 15, 2004) – One of the best teams to burst on to racing scene this year is Flying Lizard Motorsport. The distinctive red and silver cars began the season in Sebring by hustling to the front of the grid and they have spent the year there, giving Alex Job Racing the best run for the ALMS GT Championship that they have had for, well, a long time. Darren Law and Johannes van Overbeek are in with a chance for the championship as they hit the final ALMS race of the year, and RFM’s Margot Orenchuk talked with Law about the Lizards’ rookie year and his thoughts on 2005.

Margot Orenchuk: When I first met you in Phoenix, you had run 1 ALMS race and 1 DP race. Pre season, you picked the DP as the car you would prefer. Is that still your choice today?

Darren Law: You cannot ask me that. It depends on what the circumstances are and, I picked the DP originally because from a series standpoint it’s the premier class. I’d still pick it today. I love this team, I love this programme, and it’s been really good. We’ve kicked ass this year against Alex Job. I can’t pick! I love them both.

MO: What has been your favourite race this year? (With either series.)

DL: I would have to say Mid-Ohio, because we won. In the prototypes, I would have to say VIR because I had just huge battles for and 1 ½ hours straight.

MO: Do you find that you have to win to enjoy racing?

DL: No way, no way! I find that the thing that makes racing enjoyable is having a good, hard battle on the track. It’s enjoyable running up front, running in the back is no fun, but having a good fight out there is what makes it fun.

MO: With Flying Lizard Motorsports, you didn’t have any idea you were going to be doing so well and leading the points for most of the year. Did it make the season more enjoyable?

DL: Make the season more enjoyable to do? It doesn’t change the races.

MO: But in your other series, you are not running up front like you are here.

DL: But the driving part is a blast. For the #45 car it’s been such a great season, and going against [Alex] Job has been every race. And the best one had to have been Portland, because we came from dead last, and I passed [Craig] Stanton [of Petersen/White Lightning] with a lap to go; that was great fun.

MO: You had a very active schedule this year doing the 2 series.

DL: Ya, 21 race weekends with only 1 overlapping.

MO: What is the most frustrating thing you face every race weekend?

DL: The most frustrating aspect is not being able to be home with my family. And dealing with flying – when that hurricane came through it made a mess of my weekend!

MO: Johannes says you are very much focused once you get behind the wheel. What is your biggest focus when you are not?

DL: I like to think so. Do you mean on a race weekend?

MO: No. What do you do on your down time? To relax?

DL: When I’m not racing at all? Besides when I’m not making phone calls and talking about racing? I spend a lot of time with my family and my kids. I try to do as much as I can with them. I do quads. I do a lot of personal coaching with some vintage guys and some Porsche guys.

MO: When is the last time you raced here at Laguna Seca?

DL: The last time I was here was in 2000 I think. It’s been a while.

MO: Do you know who is qualifying the car? Who is driving in the dark?

DL: We take turns, so it’s my turn to qualify. So, depending on yellows, or something weird happening, Johannes will most likely be driving in the dark.

MO: Do you think that your other series, Grand Am, is detrimental to the ALMS?

DL: I do not think that. I feel that they are going in different directions.

RFM Sports thank the Flying Lizards for a great season and the time they have given us with cheerful good humour in 2004; and we thank Darren Law for sharing his thoughts with us and wish him success and safety in all his endeavours. We hope some day to know why they are named Flying Lizards, but we are not holding our breath!