Charles Lacarre Vies for
Future in Stock Car Competition
Charles Lacarre hopes to achieve his dream as a stock car racer, a goal born when he watched his first NASCAR racer at a track just over 3,900 miles from Nîmes, France. While most aspiring racers from Europe focus on a career in Formula 1, Lacarre fell in love with NASCAR after watching a race held at Watkins Glen International.
“Ironically, I discovered NASCAR on a road course - Watkins Glen,” Lacarre said. “For an eight year old kid, spectacle meant crashes. But as I got older, I learned that spectacle could take a more refined form.”
De la France à Daytona
Naturally, Lacarre’s appreciation for NASCAR evolved from the highlight reel moments to one of the core elements of stock car racing – oval racing. “My love of oval racing developed when I realized that, contrary to European standards where you race the track, oval racing puts an emphasis on racing other drivers,” he shared. “The simple nature of ovals makes it much more difficult to find a competitive edge, and hence, so much more rewarding.”
At age 22, Lacarre understands the challenges facing today’s NASCAR drivers and teams, particularly with those looking at the series from the outside looking in. “It requires training, practice and understanding of how complicated an oval with four turns and banking is (all about),” Lacarre observed. “I think it is gratifying to figure that out. That’s why I love it!”
Beyond Lacarre’s love of NASCAR and its easily observable attributes, he embraces the intricacies and culture of racing found in the U.S. He realized he was more than just a young racer who realized his long-term focus, a mission he dubs “The Conqwest.”
A Man on a Mission
“When I fell in love with NASCAR, I fell in love with much more than a sport,” he said. “I learned to love the USA and it involved learning the language, the names of states and their locations, the culture. The size of my home country is the size of Texas.
“So, there was definitely some scaling to do and new units of measurement to learn too! It’s so huge and diverse that there is a lot to learn but at the same time, I always kept an accent that most American I have met call ‘cute,’ so, I guess I am remaining true to my roots naturally!”
Lacarre aspires to be himself while working diligently toward his dreams in NASCAR. In this case, he looks up to Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, whom he likens to one of the all-time greatest NFL quarterbacks. “He was the Tom Brady of NASCAR when I started watching,” he offered. “I loved his seemingly effortless way to win and rebound from tough breaks. With an approach balancing conservatism and aggressiveness, he is the perfect example of driving with your mind and playing mind games with your opponents.”
Can’t Stop Lacarre
While Lacarre continually works on his racecraft and approach, he possesses the mental and physical toughness prevalent with the greats of NASCAR’s past and present. Perhaps these qualities account for his willpower following a crash during a go-kart race in 2013 that nearly ended his career.
“When I was in the hospital for a couple days, all I wanted to do was come back to the track and race, regardless of my health,” he recounted. “Looking back at it, I thank the doctors who told me that I was not physically apt to do so.
At the time, I did not understand it. After a few weeks, I took this accident as a sign from the universe to put me on the right path: I did not want to become a go-kart driver, but a NASCAR driver in the American Wild West!”
There are times that the mental aspect of competing in motorsports, much less in any sport, is overlooked. After all, most of the focus is on who wins, the underdog who overachieves and heartbreaking moments that tug at our heartstrings. Undoubtedly, Lacarre overcame the physical and mental tolls from his accident while retooling his long-term career focus in motorsports.
“I did everything in my power to find opportunities in NASCAR, which I did by joining the NASCAR Euro Series development program two months after my accident,” Lacarre illustrated. “I was scared and I had to battle against my own mind to gain confidence back into the cars as my accident was due to a brake failure. But, I guess I remained focused and motivated by never questioning my passion and defining my goals clearly.”
Although North America countries like the U.S., Canada and Mexico produce most of today’s stars in NASCAR, Lacarre hopes to shake up the status quo as one of the first stock car racers from France. Ultimately, with some help and the right opportunities, Lacarre can author the next chapter of his inspirational racing story.
“It would mean the world and I would take so much pride in doing it,” he said. “While my goal as an individual is to race, my goal, as one actor amongst many in NASCAR, is to represent my different culture.
A Touch of France
“I would represent France in NASCAR just as much as I would represent NASCAR in France. I see how much enthusiasm NASCAR fans from France and Europe show when a European driver races in the national NASCAR divisions. And I would love to bring this enthusiasm, with performance as a plus!”
To learn even more about Charles, please visit CharlesLacarre.com
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Written by Rob Tiongson, February 10, 2022
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