Derek Daly
Former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland, Derek won the 1977 British Formula Three Championship and is known in motor sports circles around the world as a driver, writer, broadcaster, racing advisor, and businessman. He runs a professional services company called MotorVation, and had been a commentator for American broadcasts of the Champ Car series, as well as a public speaker.
Topics:
- Change Management /
- Motor Sports /
- Team Building /
- Technology

Driving Legend Derek Daly is the epitome of the complete champion. From 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 motor sport world.
Derek Daly'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 completed in the 12 Hours of Sebring - one of the premier motor sport endurance races in the US - and won the race two years in a row.
Born 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 took up residence in a school bus.
His dreams became reality when he won Irish, British and European championship events. In 1978, he competed in the highest class of auto racing at 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. Since then he's become 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 for ESPN's Ace Award, and Derek received the 2000 Hall of Fame Award from "Motor Sport Ireland" for his leadership of Irish motor sport.
Derek became the 'voice' of motor sports when Electronic Arts signed him to be the voice of the Andretti Racing high-tech video game. MotorTrend Magazine voted the Derek Daly Performance Driving Academy as "the best driving school in America." The school boasts title of the most advanced driver training / racing school in the USA, and even hit the big screen when Sylvester Stallone chose Derek's program for his own race driving preparation for the film "Driven". Robin Yount, Pete Sampras, Aerosmith, John Oates and Vin Diesel have also attended the academy's world-class driving programs.
Derek Daly is CEO and founder of MotorVation, a unique provider of consulting and learning solutions.
- There are three core beliefs that drive the company:
- Belief #1: In most team sports, individual brilliance is often the difference between success and failure. In motor sports, individual brilliance has never rooted success.
- Belief #2: To enable people to change their belief systems and subsequently their behavior, it is imperative to emotionally engage them.
- Belief #3: The business of motor sports uniquely parallels the business of corporate America.
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."
Using his hallmark "Four Factors of Fast" presentations, Derek has taught the timeless principles of his most valuable asset - speed. Companies like Xerox, Bayer, Deloitte, Growmark, USDA and Gallo wines have depended on Derek's Complete Champion Model to motivate, inspire and enlighten their teams.
Derek, his wife and three sons reside outside of Indianapolis, Indiana. Derek became an American Citizen on September 28, 1993, but retains his wonderful Irish accent.
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