Charles Krall (ARCA): We are going to go ten quick questions with Michael Self, driver of the No. 25 Sinclair Lubricants Toyota for Venturini Motorsports and the winner at Daytona to open the 2020 ARCA Menards Series season. First and foremost, and you might have done this after you got that win at Daytona, if you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?
Michael Self (driver): I did not do that after Daytona, unfortunately, and we’ve been trying to for a couple of years, but I would want to go on an African safari. Dana and I have been looking into them for a couple of years now. They are really, really pricey. You can do them where you fly right in to Capetown in Africa and stay at some of those treehouse-style resports where the animals come in and they eat your breakfast and you go on all different kinds of safaris. I think that’s my dream vacation.
CK: I wouldn’t mind checking out something like that myself, it sounds like a lot of fun. Second thing, what is your favorite thing to do away from the racetrack?
MS: We still get to travel around North Carolina quite a bit. We go to the beach. We go to the mountains. We really enjoy doing that kind of stuff, going around and spending time with Dana and our dog and getting away since so much of my time away from the race track is committed to school or to housework, any time we can get away and get a little vacation and not have to worry about school is really nice the last couple of years.
CK: I am very much in agreement. As much traveling as we do to go race we don’t get a chance to see all of the stuff that is right there around us so it is nice to get a chance to take a weekend or even just a day to take it all in.
You mentioned that you are in school, and we don’t have to just talk about current, but what is or was your favorite class and what is or what your least favorite class in school?
MS: As far as favorite class goes, it’s weird to say but I actually don’t hate classes that deal with numbers. I am in an economics class right now that is based on finance and investment theories and I find that to be very interesting. Least favorite class would be anything writing related. I think I am a pretty decent writer and I always got good grades with it, but I don’t particularly enjoy the process of writing.
CK: I think you and I could flip-flop those answers and be good to go. Numbers were not my forte in high school or college.
MS: I have a pretty decent memory so memorizing formulas, that really works out for me.
CK: I just can’t do it. I tried. I just can’t. I think this is an interesting one because everyone else we have talked to is one of the young guns and as much as you are still way younger than me, you do have a lot of experience. As you look where you fit in the big picture of the racing world, what kind of example would you like to set for those younger drivers who are coming in after you?
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MS: I think for me it’s the work ethic not only on the track and not even necessarily on the track but off the track. One of the things I am most proud of is you put the wins aside, average finishes, top tens to the side, I feel like I have done very well on track but putting together and maintaining a legitimate sponsorship with Sinclair now for a couple of years and a sponsorship that has grown over the years is something that I am most proud of. Dana and myself and my dad are the ones to do all of the legwork on that and it’s something that is so hard. Especially right now, we are fighting a massive battle right now. If we can make it through this, it’s getting that knowledge of how to manage sponsorship and sponsor relations and the business of racing to get the opportunity to race. There are so many kids that don’t have the ultra-rich families that are going to race no matter what.
There was a period when I was one of those guys and I had to fight and figure out a way to go racing based on someone else’s finances. I want those kids that don’t have the opportunity to go racing based off family money to look up and see there are guys that are putting sponsorship deals together. At one point I was that kid.
I was down on myself or down on whatever saying it’s just not possible. It is extremely hard but I was able to put something together with Sinclair and a little more with Toyota and get the opportunity to go racing off of that. I want to inspire people with that.
CK: It is inspirational. In this day and age to have someone come in with a true sponsor is great to see and I am very grateful you chose to come race with us. So I skipped a question. I try to go in the same order with each driver so I am going to go back to question number four. If you could pick anyone, and this could be a racing person or a non-racing person, living or not living, if you could pick anyone to share a pre-race meal with who would you want it to be with and where would you want to go?
MS: That’s a tough one to answer because it’s hard for me to eat on race day. There wouldn’t be a lot of substance to it. I really enjoy when Dana is at the race track because she is the one person who can keep me calm and that I enjoy being around and isn’t asking a ton of questions. She is the ideal person to have around in that situation.
CK: I think you picked the right answer right there, your wife. There you go! So what was the first car you ever owned? So I had a very sporty 1985 Dodge Omni four-door. Five speed. Topped out at 82 miles per hour downhill with a tailwind.
MS: My dad had gotten me a Mitsubishi Lancer when I was 16.
CK: How long did you have it?
MS: Realistically only a year or two. I got a Toyota Tacoma after that.
CK: Nice, a Tacoma. I’ll take one of those too. So I think I see you as a natural leader on your race team. You have helped elevate that 25 team the couple of years that you have been there. What do you see as the greatest contribution you bring to Venturini Motorsports and the 25 team?
MS: I would be more interested in seeing what other people said. I think 90% of the time I bring a pretty positive attitude. I try to stay lighthearted and having fun. One of my key things when I go to the track is to have fun. If I am not having fun at the track it turns into a pretty rough day for me. That is something I have always focused on and that includes chemistry with the guys throughout the whole weekend. Going to dinner, making jokes, not taking everything so seriously. I try to be that guy as much as possible and try to make the entire race weekend and enjoyable experience. Even though it’s work for everyone I want it to be enjoyable.
CK: We got into racing because it was supposed to be fun, right?
MS: Exactly.
CK: We might have keyed this off a little when I asked about your pre-race meal and who you would like it to be with. Do you have any pre-race rituals you just absolutely have to do before you go out a race?
MS: Not really. I have to eat on race days even though sometimes it’s a little bit difficult. I have extremely high metabolism. I don’t know if it’s high or fast metabolism, whichever one it is. But if I get hungry in the middle of a race I get cramps really bad and get pretty uncomfortable. It’s hard to eat one big meal, nerves I guess, so I try to eat constantly.
CK: I eat constantly on race day too but for different reasons. So I have one more question and then I am going to ask you a question that Drew Dollar has posed, and then I will ask you for a question to pass along to Chandler Smith who is our next victim on Ten Questions. The final question I have is a race track question. It’s two laps to go, let’s pretend we are at Salem Speedway which is our next scheduled race as we are talking here on April 3. It’s two laps to go, you are in second and the driver in front of you is one of your teammates and you are right on his bumper and you are just as fast if not faster. How does the 25 car end up going to victory lane?
MS: If it’s Chandler he knows I still owe him one for Madison last year. I am not going to wreck the guy but I am going to try to win and have him finish second, and I think that would be the case in any scenario. Even though it’s within the team I am there to win and the 25 team is there to win. I wouldn’t do anything to cost Venturini Motorsports any extra money or cause any damage or turmoil but I am there to win.
CK: The question Drew Dollar had is how is the housework coming along now that we are on indefinite quarantine? He’s thinking that might just be an excuse to get out of hanging out with all of those guys. But having talked with you in the past, I think we know you have a pretty big list of things to get done around the house. You have a long honey-do list but it’s also a great excuse, right?
MS: No, it’s not an excuse! We have gotten quite a lot done. We have all the trim done around the entire house. We still have some that needs to be painted. We have got, as far as painting and drywall work goes, we have one hallway left and the kitchen. The kitchen is the last project we are focusing on. We have gotten quite a bit done, a lot of the little detail stuff. More this weekend. We have some toe-kick to get installed and done. We are getting to the point where it’s time to get some landscaping done. It’s time to freshen the landscaping up.
CK: Isn’t home ownership wonderful?
MS: Yeah, it is!
CK: The last question is do you have a question to pass along to Chandler Smith?
MS: I have always wondered what Chandler does to study? He’s obviously incredibly talented, very naturally talented. One of the best I have ever gone up against. He’s so young. Does he do any prep work. I remember asking William Byron that when he was racing K&N. It was his first year and he was doing insanely well. It was almost bizarre how well he was going. I asked what he did and he said he watched a bunch of video. Does he do anything like that? Is there any pre-race stuff like that or does he get in and go?
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