Motorsport Superstitions

[Johnny1996]

This is a thread for the discussion of superstitions in the world of motorsport. Driver superstitions, crewman superstitions, and even superstitions you yourself have as a fan of a particular discipline of motorsport.

I am superstitious when it comes to NASCAR and Chevy in the sport. I'm a Chevy guy only on raceday, and any other day I'm impartial. With that being said, my superstition is that a Chevy driver will not have a solid chance of winning the race if I don't follow what is below:

It starts on Sunday night (or sometime Monday if a race is postponed) after the end of the Sprint Cup Series race. I shave Sunday night and don't shave again until the next Sunday night (or again, Monday if a race is postponed). On Friday, I wear a shirt representing some form of motorsport, be it circuit racing or drag racing.

That is my superstition, so what are yours, a driver's, or a crewman's superstition(s)? Tell below.

 

[NoobMan DS]

A well-known one is how the number 13 was prohibited from use for a certain period of time in Formula One, possibly due to its association with bad luck.

It was used once on Mexican racer Moisés Solana's BRM P57 in the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix, his debut race in F1. (notice that it's his home race) He was classified as finishing 11th despite having engine failure eight laps short of the checkered flag. He competed in seven more Grands Prix, but never with the number 13 again.

The number 13 made another appearance on British racer Divina Galica's Surtees TS16 in the qualifying session for the 1976 British Grand Prix, (notice that it's also her home race) but she failed to make the race. She had two other tries in 1978, but also failed in both occasions.

This year, the number's gonna make a return on Pastor Maldonado's Lotus E22, as chosen by Maldonado himself. Quite a symbolic coincidence, considering that he's a driver prone to crashing into things and, in some occasions, crashing into other drivers too, bringing "bad luck" to them.


Another one that is in my mind was how Jean Todt used to keep a small wooden box in his pocket when he was Scuderia Ferrari's team principal. He said that he would touch it before every race to fulfill his need for strength.


My own superstition? Well, nothing, really. If possible, I usually like to virtually drive on the track of the race which I'm gonna watch for a few laps, in a video game. (most of the time, it's GTR 2, and not even with a wheel, but with a gamepad) It's not necessarily in the same kind of car that is used for the race. But that's more of a ritual than a superstition, I guess.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

This year, the number's gonna make a return on Pastor Maldonado's Lotus E22, as chosen by Maldonado himself. Quite a symbolic coincidence, considering that he's a driver prone to crashing into things and, in some occasions, crashing into other drivers too, bringing "bad luck" to them.

I believe the number is actually quite famous in Venezuelan baseball, which is one of the reasons why Maldonado chose it.

 

[NoobMan DS]

I didn't know about that, thanks for the info!

 

[Bo]

Merchandise plays a big part for me. I always try and get as much of it as I can for my desired team. I also love free giveaways that are motorsport related. I have to get some of them, whether it be posters, mints, plastic crap or whatever.