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December 3, 2004
Lapter's need for speed
Israeli is trying to be a professional race car driver.
DAVID SILVERBERG SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
If someone approached Aric Lapter and said Formula One racing is
dangerous, he would laugh. Living in Israel is dangerous, he would
counter, and there is nothing the Tel-Aviv resident would rather
do than race 250 kilometres an hour in an upcoming qualifier in
England.
"We should do things we love to do," said Lapter, 28.
"I love feeling the earth move quickly beneath me."
While he is long on ambition, he is short on funds – racing
is one of the more expensive sports in the world. Everything from
engine repairs to authority fees can cost upwards of thousands,
a major stumbling block to reach the Formula Palmer Audi every year.
Lapter is looking for a sponsor – "I think I need $80,000"
– to give him the financial support to reach his goal. He notes
that many race car champions passed through the U.K. circuit.
In an Italian driving school, Lapter said he was one of the fastest
drivers. Before and after, he's been practising with Go-Kart, and
don't think he's racing around kiddie laps. More sophisticated than
the North American version, Israeli Go-Kart hones the skills Lapter
will need to overtake the professionals. Steering, tire placement
and safe driving are essential lessons, he said.
"Here, people don't understand my passion," said Lapter.
"But in Formula One, I'd represent my country."
Lapter is no stranger to danger for the sake of national pride.
He served in the Israeli army from age 18 to 21, in the combat engineering
department where he primarily dealt with mines and explosives. As
an Israel Defence Forces reservist, he's been stationed at the front
lines of Lebanon and the edge of the Arafat compound. Armed with
an M-16, Lapter has fought the Hamas militia and killed a Palestinian
soldier in Nablus. The senseless world of combat has prepared him
for motor sports, in an unlikely way.
"I've stood in front of people who aren't afraid to die,"
he explained. "With that in mind, I have to take fate into
my own hands."
Lapter may also construct a car with his own hands, money permitting.
With his technical background as an engineering student at Tel-Aviv
University, Lapter hopes to create his own car – Formula Lapter.
With a projected completion date of 2005, the car features a 1.6
litre Renault engine turbo charged with 160 bhp. Like the legendary
Ferrari who became a racer after being a mechanic, Lapter expects
to integrate driving with inventing.
Despite violent episodes in his country, Lapter grits his teeth
and thinks about motor oil and sharp turns. He survives by dreaming
of greatness, a tactic he learned from a racing legend.
"My hero, [late Brazilian racer] Ayrton Senna, taught me how
to seek perfection and to work on my weak areas. Race car driving
teaches you about yourself and how far you want to go."
Senna, a three-time F1 champion, inspired Lapter when he was young.
The Israeli modelled his driving style after the Brazilian, and
nestled Senna's story of success deep in his mind. After all, Lapter
realizes he's the underdog. "But I like coming from behind
and surprising people," he said. "I like overtaking a
car ahead of me and speeding to the finish line."
Lapter said he is not the only underdog Jew with race car ambitions.
The Sheckter family (Tomas and Jody) are the only Jewish racers
to ever enter Formula One, he explained, and Jody became world champion
in 1979. Lapter is ready to shock the crowds as the Sheckters once
did.
The Israeli recalls Italian colleagues at the driving school doubtful
of his ethnicity. An Israeli race car enthusiast? A Jewish F1 lover?
Lapter said Israelis are known to be among the world's best pilots,
but he's going against the asphalt.
"Looks like I'm becoming a ground pilot," he said, laughing.
David Silverberg is a Toronto freelance writer who has
been published in Saturday Night, Lifestyles Magazine, Canadian
Jewish News and Quill & Quire.
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