International Racing Champion, Formula 1 and Indy Car Driver, Master of Fast, Entrepreneur, Best-Selling Author, Professional Speaker
Irish driving legend Derek Daly is the epitome of the Complete Champion. From the Victory Circle to the Announcer’s Desk, Hall of Fame Race Car Driver and Network Television Color Analyst Daly has spent nearly three decades as the face of the motorsport world. He counts Sylvester Stallone, David Letterman and Jay Leno amongst his friends.
Born and raised 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.
Derek’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.
His early dreams became reality when he won Irish, British and European championship events. In 1978, he competed in 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. He became 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 by ESPN for an Ace Award, and Derek received the 2000 Hall of Fame Award from “Motor Sport Ireland” for his leadership of Irish motor sport. In 2010, he was inducted into the Sebring Hall of Fame.
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 foreword: “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.” His second book, A Champions Path: Be Extraordinary was published in 2017.
Derek’s gift of communication has made him one of the most sought after motivational speakers in America. His Be Extraordinary Model and Speed of Business Principles have influenced Fortune 500 companies and the US Government.
Derek and his three sons reside outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. Derek became an American Citizen on September 28, 1993.
Topics:
Culture – Formula WON: How to shift from Good2Great2Extraordinary
A Culture of Extraordinary is not an abstract concept but must be encoded into the DNA of teams. Imagine your team learning how to think and act differently as they push themselves to the edge of what might be possible. They will understand what it means to go beyond their best. They will embrace the restless pursuit of marginal gains. Your team will understand why the Zone of Peak Performance is not a crowded place. Derek uses powerful, real-life sports analogies in a unique and compelling manner, that leaves audiences in awe. Even the US Government DoD embraced this topic.
Accelerate to SAFE Speed: Speed Agility Flawless Execution
Today demands Speed Agility and Flawless Execution. You will understand the critical difference between going fast and being fast. Your teams will grasp how Trust and Preparation become the cornerstones of teams who push against boundaries. Your frontline employees will understand how to be Highly Aligned but Loosely Coupled, by being empowered to make quick decisions, with limited information. They will learn how to achieve trailblazing performance and understand why corporations sometimes struggle to emulate these valuable traits. This topic has energized both male and female audiences from California to the Czech Republic.
Drive to Survive: The Crucial balance between Safety and Speed
Having survived the hardest crash impact a driver had ever lived through, Derek shares his near-death experience that led to an unprecedented safety initiative in racing that continues today. Your team will learn how his sport developed the safest high performance work environments in history. When attitudes changed, lives were saved because Compliance did not replace Responsibility. Learn how your team can make critical performance gains by turning ever present Risk, into Intelligent Risks. You will understand the crucial balance between Speed and Safety. No one remains emotionally neutral as they grasp these breathtaking personal experiences.