How an aspiring NASCAR driver is using simulation to chase his dreams
It’s 11 p.m. on a Monday in late October and McComb, Miss. native Sawyer Ott is in the living room of his house in Oxford running practice laps on his race car simulator. Ott sits in a sophisticated racing simulation chair and methodically changes gears and clicks different buttons as he describes the complexity of the racing simulator.
“The procedures of the race and everything are exactly like they are in real life,” Ott says. “You start on pit road, you crank the engine up, you roll off, you pace laps, you pace behind the pace car on your own power and then you take off when the green flag starts.”
Whenever Ott isn’t describing his expensive simulator, all that can be heard is the whirring of his virtual car engine and the sound of him changing gears. He looks focused and at peace as he traverses over 100 mph on whichever track he’s picked to practice on that night.
“I’ll tell you I’m the best driver in the world because that’s what I believe.”
Raised in south Mississippi, Ott says he can’t remember not being around motorsports.
“Pretty much when I could walk I was driving,” Ott said. “I think I got my first four wheeler when I was four or five. Before I ever raced competitively I was riding something and playing with cars.”
He credits his mom’s side of the family for sparking his interest in the sport.
“I just remember growing up every Sunday having the races on,” Ott said. “My great grandparents were huge fans. Me and my grandpa, who lived close by, always talked about it. We always watched it.”
The influence of his family along with dirt bike and four wheeler racing against his little brother helped “snowball” the love of competitive motorsports in Ott at a young age. He went from racing dirt bikes against his little brother to a five year competitive go-kart career. In 2008 Ott won the Mississippi Karting Association’s championship, which further fueled his love and interest for racing.
“As I grew older and matured, I just learned more about the sport,” Ott said. “I was discovering more and more about the sport and the more I learned, the more I wanted to learn some more.”
Ott can’t identify just one aspect that captures his attraction for racing. His eyes light up with excitement when he describes the specifics that he enjoys about the sport.
“There’s so many different things in motorsports,” Ott said. “There’s dirt, asphalt, ovals, road courses, open wheel cars, and stock cars. It’s just so different than your typical stick and ball sports that I played and I enjoy watching. That might be why it attracts me to it.”
Ott’s competitive side might also have something to do with his love for racing. He sits up on his chair and authoritatively describes how racing is based on a person’s ability to drive. “You either have it or you don’t,” he says and Ott definitely believes he has “it.”
“I’ve always known I’m a really good driver,” Ott said. “I’ll tell you I’m the best driver in the world because that’s what I believe. That’s just how it is. I can’t change that.
I could lie to you and say ‘oh no,’ but if I ever want to succeed I know that’s the mentality I need to have and luckily for me it’s what I do have.”
“NASCAR should be respected as a top professional sport in the country and in the world.”
Stock car racing is the most popular form of auto racing in the United States. The largest and most popular stock car governing body is the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) which was founded in Daytona Beach, Fla. in 1948. With deep rooted southern roots NASCAR has always received an unfair reputation from those who don’t understand the sport’s complexities. Many in the media and pop culture have used stereotypes about the South to belittle the sport and label fans of the sport as inferior to those who don’t watch it. There was even a trend from the early to mid 2000s for stand up comedians to joke about the sport and its viewers. One of the most famous bits is from Jeff Dunham:
Ott knows critics try to belittle the sport and sounds annoyed when he addresses those who look down on the sport.
“I don’t really pay attention to that kind of stuff,” Ott said. “It’s a multi-billion dollar organization sport for a reason. There’s a reason multi-million dollar sponsors spend that money to put their stickers on a race car.
When people say stuff like that, it’s just that they don’t understand it. They see what used to be the culture. It was definitely a southern sport 30 years ago. Now they race in 16 different states, all over the place. It’s something that I don’t ever feel like I have to really make a case for. NASCAR should be respected as a top professional sport in the country and in the world.”
If people are still skeptical about the sport’s legitimacy, Ott has the solution. Go to a track for a race. His first experience came in 2001 in Daytona. Ott remembers taking pictures with the cars and the crew. He vividly describes going on pit road and seeing all the things he’d seen on TV live in person. He remembers the smell of burnt tires and exhaust fumes and of course he remembers Dale Earnhardt Jr. winning the race on the track that his father, Dale Sr., died on six months prior. Since 2001 Ott has been to many races including one at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a handful at Talladega Superspeedway and a couple at Phoenix International Raceway.
“All NASCAR fans know that if you can get a non NASCAR fan to a race, that’s it,” Ott said. “It’s a done deal. If you come to a NASCAR race and you really don’t enjoy yourself then there’s just something wrong with you.
If you like good food, hanging out by camp fire, getting drunk and watching bad ass American built machines go really fast and sometimes wreck — which sucks for the drivers but it’s kind of cool in person- you’ll have a fun time.”
“I honestly can say that if Sawyer ever got just one chance at racing he would be a great driver.”
While he’s currently finishing up school at the University of Mississippi, Ott knows he wants to drive a race car professionally and believes he will get his shot. He plans on getting testing time on some NASCAR tracks very soon. In the meantime he’s practicing on his simulator and is noticing improvement.
“I’ve had pretty good success on my simulator,” Ott said. “That’s why I’ve stuck to this iRacing thing. I’ve learned. I’ve noticed how much better I’ve gotten in the several months I’ve been doing it. I’m a completely different race car driver.”
Ott isn’t the only one who believes he can make a career out of racing. His close friend Brett Buford, a NASCAR aficionado himself, believes Ott has a shot at driving professionally.
“He can drive,” Buford said. “His simulator is used by NASCAR guys like Dale Jr. He has a good record and is pretty successful on the simulator, so I’d say he’s got potential.”
Ott’s younger brother Trestan, who he raced with countless times as a kid, couldn’t agree more with Buford.
“I honestly can say that if Sawyer ever got just one chance at racing he would be a great driver,” Trestan Ott said. “I just know it.”
While Ott is confident he will get an opportunity to become a race car driver, he says just being involved in the business is good enough for him.
“It it doesn’t work, I know I want to be involved in the sport in some way,” Ott said. “Whether that’s the business side, the marketing side or the engineering side. Anything honestly.
That’s how much I love the sport.”
