Driver of the Week: David BeardCar and DriverThe world needs people with a natural inclination to take things apart and the talent to put them back together as good or better than they originally were. That ability is a core part of David Beard's DNA.The son of a car dealership technician, Beard was exposed to working on all manner of vehicles at a young age, and those skills took root. Proclaims Beard, "I've never taken any of my cars to a shop. Okay, maybe once."Beard's mechanical interests and a strong competitive spirit led him into BMX racing as a teen and then 10 years of motocross competition, a great way to develop the car-control and racetrack skills needed to track test cars for C/D. In his 10 years in the C/D tech department, he's tested about one thousand vehicles.Ski-DooA lifelong Michigander, hockey was and is a big part of his winters, as is a love of riding his snowmobile on northern Michigan's beautiful trails; his current sled is a Ski-Doo MXZ XRS with 170 horsepower, and he'll regularly ride 400 miles in a weekend.AdvertisementAdvertisement"It only goes 109 mph," Beard says, sounding a touch disappointed.Car and DriverMix those ingredients—racer, snowmobiler, competitive persona—and Beard is the ideal driver for C/D's annual Lightning Lap event. His mechanical interests mean you may catch him working on cars or even playing with his 3D printer, which resulted in, among other things, a taco tray for our long-term 2024 Ford Maverick pickup.What's Beard taking apart and putting back together now? His newest project is restoring a 1982 Honda MB5 motorcycle, a tiny bike sold here for only one year. Oh, and he's going to make it go faster. Of course.You Might Also LikeGift Guide: Best Ride-On Electric Cars for KidsFuture Cars Worth Waiting For: 2025–2029
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