Inside the Mind of a Pro Racecar Driver

What's it take to be a professional racecar driver? Racing champs Tony Kanaan and Ryan Hunter-Reay gave us a glimpse of life in the fast lane and shared their advice for ruling the racetrack at the NYC Turbo premiere.

First tip, Tony says to get going at an early age! "I started when I was 7 years old; my dad was a big race fan, we used to watch races together, he just gave me a go-kart and I started it."

Ryan also had the need for speed as a youngster. "I remember from a young age watching the Indy 500 and I always wanted to do it. It was the coolest thing I've ever seen. Go-karts, all that stuff just fascinated me."

And though these guys are all about going fast (200+ mph!) Ryan says its better to put the breaks on your emotions. "In racing you want to bring everything down a notch rather than in football where you want to be amped up, you want to bring everything back into control. There's a lot of thinking going on so, in a clear mind it usually prevails," he says.

Another key to prevailing--persistence! "In racing you go through so many races without winning and years where you find road blocks and things sometimes people don't believe in yourself anymore," says Tony who didn't let the obstacles stop him from taking the ultimate victory at the Indy 500.

So what's it like to actually win the big race? Tony explains, "Winning the race that I wanted to win and that the fans wanted me to win, it was probably the best moment of my career."