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Brooks' Story
A must read & not too long
Choice
Brooks started his racing career at age 5 competing in a
class for 5-8 year olds called Kid Karts. His parents, Anthony
& Linda, looked into doing something that had wheels after
watching Brooks destroy 3 big wheels. “He was so hard on those
things, spinning, jumping, spinning them while in the air,,, he
was just nuts” says his mother. His dad, a High School Football
Coach, wanted him to play Football, but it was obvious from the
beginning that driving and racing seemed to dominate his
interests. “All he does is race! Hot Wheels, big wheels,
bikes, computer games etc; he gets all the kids in the
neighborhood together and sets up a complex road course and
proceeds to smoke every one of them, including some teenagers!”
“Even our Neighbors started making comments to us about getting
him into racing Dirt Bikes or something.” After seeing enough
and looking for something safer and more organized, his parents
contacted Gary Lee at WRP as well as former Indy Car driver Mark
Dismore at Comet Kart, for some advice and direction about
Karting.
1st
kart 1st Race
At age 5 Brooks competed in his
first race held at Whiteland Raceway Park in Whiteland Indiana.
Brooks had only practiced a couple times prior to racing but
several people said he would be fine and encouraged us to
enter. Sure enough they were right. After starting him on the
tail in 12th for the Feature, Brooks drove it towards
the front and finished 2nd in his first race. And
from that point on he was hooked in the biggest way!
Why
Racing
Brooks and his family approach racing as an educational activity
not as a career launcher. “Too many people think their kid is
going to be a professional driver, and that’s ok I guess, but
too many are counting on it and are devastated by the
setbacks that come all to often, we just never get caught up in
that stuff” says Anthony. Instead, the Levy’s took a coaches
approach to the sport. Every corner represented 3 Elements,,,,
Entry, Apex, and Exit. Each of these represented challenges
that required a Fundamental. What they did was stress the
Fundamentals until they were mastered. In turn progression,
they then traveled to different tracks that could offer new and
different opportunities. Brooks and his Brother would then
apply their Understood Fundamentals as they applied to each of
the new turns. “Wow did this work!” says Anthony. “I had no
racing experience going into this, just years of coaching sports
by breaking down elements to match Fundamentals to; racing I
thought shouldn’t be any different.” Brooks then added even
more challenges, Asphalt Ovals, Dirt Ovals, Street Circuits, and
Temp Circuits. He again just applied his Fundamentals to the
new tracks and to the front he went. Even when a track or kart
goes through changes, he adapted to the changes by altering one
or more of the cornering fundamentals until it was fast again.
Brooks’ dad, “I used to let air out of one tire, or move one
front or rear out of whack and wait see what the clock would
say. Within 3 laps he would be back to the same speed by
compensating, unbelievable!” “Sounds like a great thing huh,
try taking him testing; you never know if it was the change or
him?” Brooks comments on his favorite thing, new tracks, “When
we go to a new track for the first time, I am always the slowest
in practice, I usually get lapped! But that’s ok; I am finding
my line so I can be fast in the feature.” “Sometimes they are
fooled, that’s funny!” “It’s fun to beat kids on their home
track!”
Idols
Nelson Stewart, father of NASCAR Driver Tony Stewart, talked
with Brooks and his dad for a bit. His advice was this; race as
much as you can, race as many people as you can, race on as many
tracks as you can, and drive as many cars as you can. And most
important, have a blast with your kid, they grow up soooo fast!
Advice taken! Brooks’ idol is Tony Stewart! Be like Mike? No
way, Be like Tony! “The funny thing is,” says Brooks’
mom Linda, “Brooks doesn’t envy or idolize Tony because he is
rich and famous like other kids do, he idolizes Tony because of
his talent. “Tony can drive any car, on any surface, at any
track, any where, any day, against anyone, and WIN!” says
Brooks. This is what inspires Brooks to be like Tony. “I can
respect that” says Brooks’ dad, “Tony is a real guy with real
opinions and doesn’t fold or compromise his beliefs. He is
passionate and compassionate, and a dreamer that went for it!
Just fine with me if this is who my kid wants to be like.”
To Date
Brooks is now starting his 6th year racing where as
like Tony, has developed a diverse resume. To date, Brooks has
now competed in 6 different classes of Karts, raced on every
racing surface known, has had tremendous success, and has now
moved into Cars for the 1st time. Brooks’ ability to
drive cars that are extremely loose has served him well as he
continually switches from machine to machine as well as from
asphalt to dirt, sometimes in the same day. Driving a loose car
forces you to drive by feel and with your ears, this coupled
with his ability to never get rattled has become his biggest
asset. “He has this ability to never get rattled” says Maranto.
“Whether he is racing a new kart with no experience, or sitting
on the grid, in a large pack or on the last lap, this kid never
flinches,,, NEVER!” Because of this, he has earned the nick
name ICE MAN! Brooks has earned his opponents respect with
sound driving and understanding cause and effect. “Bad
decisions and gambling only puts you out of your race; to win
you have to learn to finish, like Mark Martin” says Brooks.
“Sometimes my car can win and sometimes it can’t, but if I drive
smart and don’t make misstates, I can get to the leaders and
maybe have a chance.”
Career
Stats
Brooks has
competed in 115 Feature events and has won 31 times, a 27%
winning percentage. Even more spectacular is his Finishing
Ratio; he has finished in the Top Three 71% of the time and the
Top Five 84% of the time. He has only had 8 DNFs in his career
with 6 of those while leading, with 5 of those leading on the
last lap and being taken out by another competitor! And the
last stat is by far the most important. Of Brooks’ 31 wins, 19
have come on different tracks and circuits in 4 different
karts! Can you say Tony Stewart? Looks like the kid is cutting
his teeth just like the master!
For more
information on Brooks as he moves into the Mini-Sprint for 2006
and Formula BMW in 2009, check back at his site often at
www.TeamCMG.com
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