Throughout the history of motorsports, racing drivers have devised catchphrases to put racing into context. Often, their words can apply not just to racing, but also to life in general. Here are 10 life lessons racing drivers have taught us over the years.
Recently, we lost Formula One great Sir Jack Brabham, whose out-of-print 1971 memoir, "When The Flag Drops" is a must-read for anyone who can find a copy. Already a legend by the mid-1960s, Brabham won the 1966 F1 championship behind the wheel of his own car, the Brabham BT19, powered by his own engine (built by Repco from the aluminum Buick/Oldsmobile 215ci, soon to be Rover V, for his own team. No one had ever done that before, and it doesn't seem likely anyone will again, unless Jutta Benz plans to take over for Lewis Hamilton.

[h=6]Former F1 World Champion Sir Jack Brabham Dead At Age 88[/h]Three-time Formula One World Champion Sir Jack Brabham has died, according to Australian media… Read more


Thinking about Brabham led me to reconsider his title phrase (see below), and how well it applies to all kinds of situations, outside of racing as well. In fact, most great racing quotes — as most great quotes do — teach life lessons out of context. And so, I rounded up some similar racing phrases, that apply just as well to life itself, attributed to other drivers. Consider this your self-help minute, brought to you by the Late Jack Brabham.
[h=3]When The Flag Drops, The Bullshit Stops1[/h]This old saw may never be attributed precisely, but Brabham's deft use of it for his memoir will always resonate with us. Humankind has come up with a million ways to articulate this sentiment — e.g, "put up or shut up," "put your money where your mouth is," "say it don't spray it" (well, sort of) — but in a racing context there's a bracing splash of urgency that helps it land. On race day — or for our purposes just "day" — reality can't be manipulated with words. The stopwatch and running order don't lie. It's not about what you say you can do, it's about what you do you can do.
Capisce?
[h=3]To Finish First, First You Must Finish 2[/h]This bit of wordplay is often attributed to four-time Indy 500 winner, Rick Mears, but it's more likely he was calling on an old Indy racing adage. Some say it came out of the mouth of the great maestro of the Grands Prix, Juan Manuel Fangio, but I couldn't confirm it. Most recently, author Garth Stein appropriated it for his racing-as-existential-struggle, dog-as-philosopher novel, "The Art Of Racing In The Rain."
Either way, the point is, endurance matters. Shore up your steely determination so you don't sacrifice long-term goals at the altar of short-term gratification. It's obvious as hell until you're facing down some tedious triangulation of tasks, and you choose a quick way out the door. Don't do that.