Ignition By David Martinez

Ironically, every time I start a new page on this diary, something historic happens that helps me explain my story a bit better. Unfortunately, one of the most important and loved drivers Indy car has had, passed away a few weeks ago and unfortunately as well, an event like this one, launched my driving career.

[media-credit name=”Martinez” align=”alignright” width=”214″][/media-credit]I already told you about my first approach to racing and how my family was involved. However, I have not yet told you about the day it all started. It was September 1,1994 and my dad´s team had a F-2 race in Aguascalientes, Mexico. I remember the Thursday before race weekend when they were ready to hit the road.  At that point, my only and older brother was 17 years old, and about to turn 18 on Sept 3^rd. He had already climbed through the karting ladder with much success and was already racing in my dad´s open wheel team called MARTIGA.  Dad and my uncle “Capi”, as everyone used to know him, founded MARTIGA in the mid 80´s and had been successful for almost a decade to when this story takes place.

For some strange reason, I couldn´t make that trip or I didn´t feel like going, as I had always wanted to go with them to every race. Dad, Capi, Gerardo (my brother), and Luis (a friend of our family) hit the road on that Thursday afternoon on Capi´s new yellow mustang. I stayed with mom, who had always supported my dad and brother without any complains. We still knew she didn´t loved it and she deeply wished that we would spend more time home and forget about this crazy sport.

It was a bad weekend for MARTIGA at Aguascalientes, as the results were bad and my brother had a big crash on Sunday warm-up.  It was September 3^rd, my brother´s birthday so I talked to him on the phone that night after the race and waited for them next day. They never got back home as they had a huge crash on the highway on their way back when a tire blew up. Dad and Capi made it. My brother and Luis did not.

A couple of days before they left, my brother had built for me a go kart for the upcoming season. This was the last kart he would be able to build and I remember his words perfectly. “This will be the last kart I will build for you, so you better win and learn how to do it yourself”. This words and this tragic event, triggered my heart and desire to go out there and win.