Ryan Hunter-Reay was born on December 17, 1980 in Dallas, TX, though he didn't live in Texas very long. He lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL and has for many years. He certainly played to the Texas crowd during the luncheon, mentioning his gun collection, his desire to fire the six shooters in victory lane, and the fact that he's the only IndyCar racer to drive a pickup truck. Even though the mayor's office made RHR an "official resident of Fort Worth" and presented him with a silver cowboy boot, RHR is a Floridian at heart. He loves the water and finds peace in it. To relax, he enjoys free diving (which also helps him work on his breathing, to develop stamina during a race), spear fishing, and looking at his 150-gallon custom-built aquarium, which was featured on National Geographic's Fish Tank Kings. Evidently his son Ryden has inherited Dad's love of the water, as he played in the fountain on Wednesday:
Life is good for RHR right now, but that wasn't always the case.
Not much has been written about RHR's father Nick and his alleged ties to a Colombian drug lord, and that's good for RHR. From what I can tell, Nicholas Hunter-Reay smuggled cocaine out of the country, was indicted for it, and fled before he could stand trial. That all took place before Ryan was born, though Nick was eventually caught in 1988. Apparently he has served his time, because he was at the Indy 500 banquet, where Ryan also thanked him for buying his first go-kart and for supporting him all these years. I will not speculate or comment further on this situation, because I don't know many of the details. But if Ryan had to deal with this while he was growing up, that would certainly be difficult. So his life has not been all wine and roses.
Not only did RHR face difficulties in his personal life, but his climb up the racing ladder was also not easy. In a way, he embodies the struggles of many race car drivers today, who clearly have the talent but are unable to land a full-time ride. Despite scoring a win (at Surfers' Paradise) in his first year of Champ Car (2003), and winning rookie of the year honors in both IndyCar (2007) and the Indy 500 (2008), he has frequently found himself without a ride at the start of a season. The reason most often given for his lack of ride? Not talent, that's for sure, but a lack of funding and sponsorship. And until Andretti Autosport signed RHR midway through 2010, after a series of successful races, he jumped from team to team hoping to be signed by someone.
The year 2010 had to be a difficult one for Hunter-Reay. He had just lost his mother to colon cancer in late 2009, and his professional career seemed to stall. He showed admirable fight and determination in winning Long Beach, a race that had been one of his mother's favorites. Long Beach is a special place for RHR, as it's also where he met his wife Beccy. But 2010 was also the year RHR's racing career really took off. He signed a two-year contract with Andretti, and finished 15 of 17 races.
RHR was not on the radar in 2012. Sure, he had won races and scored some impressive podiums, but I don't think many people outside of the Andretti camp considered him a legitimate championship contender. The championship was expected to be a close battle, once again, between Will Power and Dario Franchitti. Well they got half of that prediction right. The championship came down to the final race at Fontana. With a 17-point advantage going into the race, it looked like Power would win it until he spun and crashed on lap 55, nearly taking out RHR in the process. The team managed to repair the car enough so that Power could return to the race and gain a few more points, but RHR finished fourth to claim the title by just three points.
I tell the Ryan Hunter-Reay championship story in my classes, because it's an excellent example of how teamwork leads to both success and loyalty. RHR was an unexpected (but not undeserving) champion, so naturally he was asked what was the difference this year compared to years past? Why was he able to be so successful in 2012? He said, quite simply, because he was finally part of a team. A team that had chemistry and worked well together. That didn't happen overnight, but it happened with the stability that RHR had not had previously in IndyCar. He valued team Andretti Autosport so much that he turned down an offer from Roger Penske, considered to be the most prestigious ride in IndyCar. At the time his decision was mildly criticized, with some saying "You don't turn down the Captain!" Hunter-Reay, though, is having the last laugh now, as the same team that led him to the 2012 series title also helped him win the 2014 Indianapolis 500. And RHR made sure to thank them during his post-race interview. During the Q & A at Wednesday's luncheon, one fan commended him for this comment, calling it classy. But clearly RHR knows what many people don't: racing is a team sport, and it takes more than one talented individual to achieve success.
I have argued in other blog posts that RHR is the best all-around race car driver in the world today, and I stand by that claim. He has won on all types of tracks: road courses, street courses, and ovals, both here in the U.S. and internationally. He has also been on the podium of endurance races such as the Rolex 24 and the 12 Hours of Sebring. He now has the elite Indy 500 win to go with his IndyCar series title, and is a favorite to win the title again this year. He's come a long way, and it's hard to imagine he'll have to fight for a ride again any time soon.
Some people, when they experience struggles in life, make bad decisions. When Ryan lost his mother, it was devastating. We saw him tear up as he talked about her following the Indy 500. But rather than let it tear him down, he channeled his emotions into fighting for a cause. He became the global ambassador for Racing for Cancer, an organization that seeks to fund cancer research and support early detection. He also is actively involved in Livestrong, and drives the #28 to represent the 28 million people living with cancer (it's also the day his son Ryden was born). And may I say, having interacted with him and listened to him this past week, RHR is a genuinely nice guy. He is almost impossible to root against (though my boyfriend does, because RHR took out his favorite driver at Long Beach). IndyCar has its long-desired American champion, and if more Americans knew his story, I think they'd all support him. Now it's up to IndyCar to tell that story, promote him, and make him a household name.
Sources
www.ryanracing.com
IndyCar website
Wikipedia
RHR Facebook Page
Carleton Place, April 18, 2010
Florida Sun-Sentinel, November 25, 1987 & September 24, 1988
Orange County Register, April 19, 2010
Seattle Times, September 10, 2012
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