- Truly Adams has been around racing his entire life and hopes to one day race in Formula 1.
- He was one of six finalists in a development program for Formula 4 racing this year.
Some kids try baseball.
Others go for soccer.
But Truly Adams has wanted to be a race car driver since he was 6, maybe even earlier.
“This sport is the only sport I’ve ever been good at. I’m happy I’m doing pretty well at this,” Truly told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, in a recent interview.
Truly, who lives in Moreno Valley, California, said his goal is to eventually become a Formula 1 driver, but he’s open to “anything I can win at,” which could include NASCAR or IndyCar.
Truly has been racing most of his life, almost 11 years by his recollection.
He turned 15 in September, but he’s already making his mark.
Earlier in that month, he was one of six finalists from a field of 62 competitors in the Feed Racing Finals in Magny-Cours, France. He’s a two-time World Karting Champion and was the fastest driver at a Mexico Formula 4 test, which led to the invitation that got him to France, according to his bio.
Feed is a development program for younger drivers interested in Formula 4 racing.
Truly, who has hit speeds of 130 mph in his racing, hopes to head back to France next year to compete in the French Formula 4 championship.
Fundraising is the big hurdle at this point, and Truly is hoping to raise $300,000 or more through donations and sponsorships.
His mother, Kara Adams, said that after the recent run at Feed, champion F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve told the family he could see her son driving F1, but he asked whether they had the budget for it because that’s what could keep him from getting there. Villaneuve is a Feed cofounder.
Truly’s confidence and abilities certainly don’t appear to be an issue.
“Truly pushes us all, I would say, to kind of go past our own expectations. Because … always since he was 6 years old, he’s always said, ‘I’m going to race Formula 1.’ We were like, ‘Oh, that’s cute.’ Now, it’s like maybe he could do this,” she said.
When Truly made it to the finals in the Feed competition, it was already a win, but then to learn that no American had made it that far made it even more impressive, Adams said.
His father, Troy Adams, a driving coach and former NASCAR driver, had briefly discouraged the idea of becoming a race car driver, knowing the expense would be a factor, but soon came around. Adams noted that he was putting Truly on his lap while he coached when the boy was only 2 or 3 years old.
“When your kid shows some aptitude, you have no choice really but to support him,” Adams said.
Truly also grew up around the sport, learning to drive 60 mph go-karts at a young age. His family owns Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside, California, which touts itself as “the longest continuously running kart racing facility in the world,” since 1959.
Making the switch to Formula 4 wasn’t so difficult, he said.
“It’s funny how people say a Formula 4 (car) is much different than a go-kart, but it really isn’t. It’s just a car with four wheels and a motor,” he said, granting that one of them — the Formula Four car — is a bit more comfy than the other.
A go-kart is much lower to the ground, without suspension, and it’s much more “aggressive on your body and on the car itself,” said Truly, who keeps an aggressive training regimen as well that includes endurance runs and weight lifting.
He also uses a driving simulator in addition to regular driver training. He offered that he’s on his simulator a “very unhealthy amount every day” and that he’s very addicted to this sport.
Eric D. Lawrence is the senior car culture reporter at the Detroit Free Press. If you’ve got a tip or suggestion, contact him at elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.
