MONTEREY, Calif. — Nick Galante grew up as a snowboarder on the east coast, but he always had his eye on two things – racing and golf.
Since moving across the country to the west coast in 1999, Galante has amassed multiple wins and championships in Formula cars, GT cars and professional karting.
He began his racing career at age 27 but was a quick study and found tremendous success. Now, the Monterey resident is returning to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca April 29-May 1 to race in the Michelin Pilot Challenge series of the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship, presented by Motul.
He will be driving a car with a sponsor very close to his heart – the Racing To End Alzheimer’s No. 22 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS.
How long have you lived in Monterey?
“23 years – I came out in the summer of 1999 when I was 22 years old. I was living with my buddy in Vermont, and he knew I loved to race cars and that I worked at golf courses, so he told me that I should go to Monterey. I asked, “where’s that?” and he notified me that Laguna Seca was about 20 minutes from Pebble Beach golf course. I did some research and Monterey sounded like heaven on earth. So, we drove cross country that fall, and the rest is history.”
What was your first experience at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca?
“When I first got to Monterey, I walked into the Pebble Beach Pro Shop and asked for a job, and they gave me one. Then I started hanging out at Laguna Seca and fell in love with the track and the cars. One day I noticed during a track day that people were getting into the passenger seats of the race cars, so I walked up to a guy with a Ferrari and asked him if I could ride with him. He said sure, but I didn’t even have a helmet, so he got one for me out of his trailer. I knew nothing about racing at that point, other than what I learned from playing video games. When I left that day, I went to Goodwill and bought an old, used motorcycle helmet and always kept it with me for when I stopped by Laguna Seca.”
You became immersed with WeatherTech Raceway and racing from the start. But how did your racing career formally begin?
“I was caddying full time, while focusing on racing part time. I didn’t have any sponsors and I was racing on my own dime – I started with go karts and then moved to racing my own car at auto cross events in Marina. Then, in 2007, I tried out for a scholarship at a racing school in Sonoma – the Jim Russell Championship Series Scholarship Shootout. I placed second, but I had a guy who was helping me out who I met at the golf course, and he helped me pay for the first race that season in Sonoma and I ended up beating the guy who did win the scholarship. That was my start, and things took off from there. I started in a driving school, and now I instruct at Skip Barber’s school, so everything came full circle.”
Are you a better golfer, or driver?
“Driver. Golf is so hard. It’s not by a wide margin – I’m pretty good at golf. I’ve played Pebble Beach probably 55 times and my best round was 75.”
This IMSA season you’re driving the No. 22 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS with teammate Sean McAlister in the Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport series. What’s that been like, and how’s the new Hardpoint team?
“Things are going really well so far. Sean is a great driver and a great guy. He’s not new to racing, but he’s new to endurance racing, with pit stops. He’s been awesome and taken right to it. Team Hardpoint is a truly professional team, and they don’t spare or chance anything. They cover every detail and are very thorough, and they’re a top team.”
There’s something special about the car you and Sean are driving. Tell us about your sponsor, the Racing To End Alzheimer’s program, and the man behind it, Philip Frengs.
“I met Philip, who runs a company called Legistics, through caddying at Pebble Beach, and we got to talking and realized we both loved racing. A friendship grew based on a love for golf and racing. He is the man who founded the Racing To End Alzheimer’s car after his wife developed Alzheimer’s and dementia. He realized that with that unfortunate disease, there’s not much you can do as a loved one to help ease it. So, he decided he wanted to create something to raise awareness and create a charity that does give back, raise funds to help find a cure and put a spotlight on this disease. This is a cause close to my heart because I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer’s 10 years ago, and her name is one of the names that rides with us on the car. My aunt is currently battling it as well, and she also rides with us, along with Phil’s wife. We have names of people all over the world who ride with us. Phil comes to every practice and test session; he comes to everything and is one of the most dedicated race sponsors I’ve ever seen. He’s 100 percent immersed in it, and we could not ask for a better sponsor and partner – he inspires me.”
How do people make a donation to Racing To End Alzheimer’s, and get the name of a loved one on the No. 22 car? What does it mean to you and Sean to drive that car?
“People can go to www.R2endalz.org to donate and find more information as to how to get a name on our car. The deadline to have the name on there for our race at Laguna Seca is April 24. For Sean and me, driving that car means a lot, and you can subconsciously feel the support from the hundreds of people whose names are on the car, and their families and friends as well. It’s a little extra boost, and it’s an honor to be driving that car. It really does help to be driving a special car like that and know what it means to so many people all over the world. It’s a great way to give back, and it makes you feel proud.”
What advice do you have for a driver who’s never raced at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca before?
“The handling is so unique at Laguna Seca compared to most tracks… the way the car feels. You have to remember that what you’re feeling, the rest of the field is feeling the same way. I don’t want to give away too many tips. But honestly, you have to prioritize the straightaways at this track. The turns preceding the straightaways are so important to get right. Exiting turns 5 and 11 is how you get momentum going, especially going up the hill after 5.”
How special is WeatherTech Raceway to you, and how do you feel about the Corkscrew?
“This track has its own special mystique, because of the history here and because it’s where I got my start, and it was the track that drew me to motorsports to begin with. Everything I’ve been through at this place, and the fact that it’s my home track, combines to make it so special to me. I raced the Corkscrew in the video games I played for years, and when I finally drove down it, it didn’t disappoint. That roller coaster feeling where your stomach turns upside down and you get that giddy feeling – it’s unmatched anywhere else. But it’s also the fact that the feeling doesn’t end right after turn 8, you keep dropping in elevation through turn 9. I didn’t expect that feeling to continue that long.”
Keyword: Q&A With Michelin Pilot Challenge Driver Nick Galante