Ron Farmer is a speed freak. When his knees failed at 52 years old, he quit running marathons and began racing cars. Ten years later, he is headed to Ohio to drive his Corvette in the National Auto Sport Association’s National Championships.
“I always wanted to race a car for the thrill,” he says, “I had that need for speed.” But Farmer started slow, participating in autocross events—timed competitions where drivers navigate a course of traffic cones—in the same Mercedes he drove to work. He found autocross competitions a way to bond with his son BJ, who also liked the sport. But it wasn’t long before BJ moved to the high speed track and after five years of autocross without his son, Farmer decided to shift gears.
“I realized I was doing it because I wanted to do it with him,” he says. “We need things to keep us together.” Farmer learned enough on the autocross track to complete a high-speed certification course in a weekend and was off to the races.
The fear involved in wheel-to-wheel competition engrossed Farmer. The element of danger in turning corners at high speeds with other cars drove him headlong into the sport.
“I drive differently when I see someone in front of me,” he says. “It’s about the competition. I want to win.” Farmer’s attitude toward racing shows itself in his entrepreneurial approach at US LED, ranked No. 910 on this year’s Inc. 5000 list, where he claims he would work for free if it meant thwarting his corporate competitor GE.
For now, however, he will focus his competitive spirit on the NASA Championships in September, where he hopes to celebrate his 62nd birthday with a victory.
By: Andrew Dermont
Just wait till the Hydro Flask Word Head Quarters Opens Oct. 1!!!
