I had no problems staying motivated because things that were happening were things I looked forward to.

You do a period of go-karting until you're at the age of qualifying for a ride in a 'school-kart,' then you qualify for driving school. And several of the driving schools have a competition series for their own students.

My biggest concern during a race is getting bored. The biggest thing I have to combat is falling asleep while going around and around.

There's something special about racing in real streets. The 'artificial' circuits have a certain sameness to them. But every race conducted on real streets has a character of its own - Barcelona, Monaco, and now Long Beach.

Speed takes a little bit of getting used to, but rules have to be followed. At any speed, the more you run, the more you get used to it.

But really - look at the span of my career, and it's something people dream about. And to be spared major injury: I had some moments along the way, but being able to retire on my own terms after having driven during those decades when safety conditions were more precarious than today - am I lucky, or  what?

The man upstairs is pushing the buttons, and if your name happens to be on that button, well, thank you.