WATCH: Ben Jnr follows in his dad’s footsteps
His father, Ben Mogenrood, has taught him most of his skills.
An aspiring young racing driver said he is on his way to making a name for himself. He has been drawing inspiration from his father, Ben Morgenrood, who is a legend in the world of motor sport.
The 18-year-old Benjamin Morgenrood said he is ready to take his place in motor sport, but first he needs to brush up on a few skills and finish school.
His father instilled his love of the sport in him at a young age. He said his journey started with his father being by his side and facilitating his training.
“My dad offered to buy me a Datsun, which we turned into an overall track car. That got me starting to learn to build cars for racing – cutting and welding,” Benjamin said.
“We started doing really well on the overall track, being first in every race. We then went on to circuit racing in Kayalami.
“In 2017, my dad entered me in the V8 Supercar series and by the end of the year I was third in the championships. As far as I know, I am the youngest driver to have placed in the V8 Supercar series. It was a lot of hard work, especially on race days. Sometimes engines fail and you need to swap them within a few hours,” Benjamin said.
“My dad is definitely the sole reason why I am doing this. I would not be where I am today, if it were not for him. He has taught me everything I know – all the good and bad things; what to do and what not to do. He has been supporting me in everything and I eventually was able to participate in motor-sport championships.”
He said his father has taught him the lines one needs to take, braking areas and when is it safe to overtake.
Although Benjamin would give himself a decent rating as a beginner, he said he still needs to perfect certain skills. For instance, there are certain turns that a driver needs to make while driving at 280 km/h.
“It is not a beginner’s level racing, because there are no special features designed to help you. It is mechanical all the way,” he said, adding that while racing he continues to improve on his skills.
“I think my problem is the lines I take through the corners, which would end up affecting my corner speed. I am still learning the cars and their limits,” he said.
He believes his future in motor sport is looking bright and wants to participate not only for the love of it but to make a career out of it as well.
“If you do what you love and get paid for it, it is truly a dream job. However, that is just a dream as I am still focusing on finishing school,” the young racer concluded.
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