Derek Daly’s professional racing career spanned 17 years, and his experiences are nothing short of breathtaking. Daly’s story is one that precious few have lived to tell. In 1984, Derek suffered one of the hardest crash impacts that a driver had ever survived when he hit the wall at Michigan International Speedway at 212 MPH. After fourteen surgeries and three years in therapy, he returned to full-time racing. He competed in the 12 Hours of Sebring – one of the premier motorsport endurance races in the US – and won the race two years in a row.
Born in Dublin, Ireland to a middle class working family, Derek’s career path was set at the age of twelve when he attended his first auto race. From that moment, his commitment to the dream of being a professional driver was unshakeable. On the way to his dream he worked as a laborer in the iron ore mines of Australia and, while travelling the race tracks of England, even taking up residence in a school bus.
His dreams became reality when he won Irish, British and European championship events. In 1978, he competed in the highest class of auto racing at the Formula One World Championship, and two short years later Derek was ranked 10th in the world. In 1983 he made his first of six starts in the Indianapolis 500.
In 1985 Derek started a 10 year association with ESPN as a motor sport color analyst. Since then he’s become the face of motor sports, seen on NBC, CBS, Fox and Speed Channel. USA Today highlighted Derek as “the best new face on sports television” and IndyCar Racing magazine voted Derek “the most popular motor sports television announcer.”
Moet & Chandon champagne awarded Derek the Joules Goux Award for his outstanding contributions to motor sports television. He was later nominated for ESPN’s Ace Award, and Derek received the 2000 Hall of Fame Award from “Motor Sport Ireland” for his leadership of Irish motor sport.
Derek became the ‘voice’ of motor sports when Electronic Arts signed him to be the voice of the Andretti Racing high-tech video game. MotorTrend Magazine voted the Derek Daly Performance Driving Academy as “the best driving school in America”. The school boasts title of the most advanced driver training / racing school in the USA, and even hit the big screen when Sylvester Stallone chose Derek’s program for his own race driving preparation for the film “Driven”. Robin Yount, Pete Sampras, Aerosmith, John Oates and Vin Diesel have also have attended the academy’s world-class driving programs.
Derek Daly is CEO and founder of MotorVation, a unique provider of consulting and learning solutions. Three core beliefs of the drive the company:
Belief #1: In most team sports, individual brilliance is often the difference between success and failure. In motor sports, individual brilliance has never rooted success.
Belief #2: To enable people to change their belief systems and subsequently their behavior, it is imperative to emotionally engage them.
Belief #3: The business of motor sports uniquely parallels the business of corporate America.
Derek literally wrote the book on how to become a ‘complete champion’. Race To Win: How to Become a Complete Champion was heralded a “future classic” by the Irish Times. Friend, former race competitor and international auto racing superstar Mario Andretti contributed the forward: “Derek’s book teaches lessons it took guys like me years to learn. Quite honestly, I believe the advice in this book resonates far beyond the racing industry.”
Using his hallmark “Five Factors of Fast” presentations, Derek has taught the timeless principles of his most valuable asset – speed. Companies like Xerox, Bayer, Deloitte, Growmark, USDA and Gallo wines have depended on Derek’s Complete Champion Model to motivate, inspire and enlighten their teams.
Derek’s wife and three sons reside outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. Derek became an American Citizen on September 28, 1993, but retains his wonderful Irish accent.
Complete Champion Model – Keynote Topics
The Four Factors of Fast
Complete Champion Motivation: Adversity is Your Gift
What will really make the difference between success and failure in 2010 and beyond? The competition on the race track and the corporate track takes champions choices to turn the sweat of the details into the champagne of victory. Derek walks his audience through real-life sports analogies to discover what makes the champions during difficult times. The choices become obvious and the future will become a welcome adventure. This module really hits home with audiences as they easily see themselves in the driver’s seat.
Complete Champion Teamwork: Winning Together Through Teamwork
Derek drives you down the Learning Lane to understand what happens when teams of people are truly aligned and efficient. At the Indy 500, there are countless variables to be covered to beat the competition at the highest levels. Unless the collective strengths of a teammates are pooled to work in harmony, sustained success is impossible. Derek uses powerful, real-life sports analogies in a unique, compelling and often hilarious manner. Enter his presentation an individual; leave as a teammate.
Complete Champion Selling: Building a High Performing Sales Force
What choices do champions make that helps them achieve greatness? What model do they emulate? Take a riveting drive down the Learning Lane and understand how your sales team can make those same choices. Victory Lane awaits those who learn the habits, skills and vocabulary of the champions. Derek will teach you that your personal choices will determine how often you celebrate as a champion. This module has energized people from California to The Czech Republic and taught them that the greatest power we all possess is the power to choose.
Complete Champion Leadership: How Fast Can You Get Fast?
Ask yourself “Has the speed of doing business increased in the past 10 years?” Now ask yourself, “How fast can we get fast?” Derek Daly shows you the two steps to getting fast. First, put the right people in the right places and have them doing the right things. Second, remove the speed bumps that slow them down. Those who learn how to do both will lead the pack right into Victory Lane. This module has been well-received from the school room to the board room. Derek walks people down the path of discovery to understand why Speed will be the competitive tool of the successful corporations of the future.
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