Mecca of Speed: When did you first become interested in motorsports?

Dan McBride: I always had a casual interest growing up, watching Indy every year and F1 when it was shown on TV. My dad told me stories about going to Watkins Glen and Sebring when he was young, and he kept some slot cars in the basement which I played with- I remember loving all the different vintage sports cars that were part of the set.

Like many Canadians, I became a more serious fan when Jacques Villeneuve started having success in the early 90s.

Mecca of Speed: Out of the events you have attended, which one has left the largest impression on you?

Dan McBride: I have been fortunate enough to attend several noteworthy events over the years. My first race was sadly the Toronto Indy in 1996. The events of that day always bring to mind Hemingway’s (possibly bogus) quote on motorsports:

“there are only three true sports: mountain climbing, auto racing, and bull fighting. All the rest are children's games played by adults.”

As for positive impressions- CART at Laguna Seca in 2000 and Surfers Paradise in 2004 were both incredible events for a race fan.

Mecca of Speed: What do you think is the fuel that feeds Canadian’s love of motorsports?

Dan McBride: I think it is a combination of things. Canada has always punched slightly above our weight in motorsports and whenever a Canadian succeeds on an international stage it creates lots of excitement. If you look at the 90s we had Scott Goodyear, Jacques Villeneuve, Paul Tracy, Ron Fellows and Patrick Carpentier all winning races and I think the interest generated then still persists today. In terms of open wheel and road racing, many Canadians identify with their European roots so that might explain why those forms of racing are more popular.

Mecca of Speed: If you were the team manager of one of the new entry teams in Formula One, what driver would you want in the car and why?

Dan McBride: As long as we are dreaming let’s assume that Research in Motion is our sponsor and they want a Canadian driver, in which case I would give Robert Wickens the seat. He has shown speed and ability to win at every level (including the 2007 Atlantic race in Portland in the rain, which I attended).

Mecca of Speed: What are your interests outside of motorsports?

Dan McBride: I am a passionate skier and consider myself lucky to live in British Columbia, arguably the best place in the world for skiing. During the summer I spend my spare time sailing (I am a beginner but have had some wonderful experiences as a crew member in our local west coast waters as well as an ocean crossing in the south Pacific) and golfing.

Mecca of Speed: You have described yourself as a ferocious reader, where did your passion for literature come from?

Dan McBride: My parents were both school teachers and instilled a love in reading in me from a very young age. Throughout most of my life I have had a stack of books on the go as well as a reading list. As an adult and a parent it is tougher to maintain but I still tend to read every night before going to bed.

Mecca of Speed: Is your taste more fiction or non-fiction and can you recommend a book in that respective category?

Dan McBride: I prefer novels but also enjoy biographies of exceptional individuals. A couple of novels that I can recommend are The Wind Up Bird Chronicle (Haruki Murakami) and 100 Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez). Neither of these are particularly easy reads but are highly rewarding once you get into them.