Driver Profile: Tom Martin – From Rockets To Racing

During the week Tom Martin works as an aerospace engineer at SpaceX, where he designs rocket systems. ““When we’re going to geo-synchronous orbit, the acceleration forces are pretty amazing and we need to get up to 17,000 mph, so working with speed and pressure is kind of a day-to-day thing,” says Martin. “But honestly, being in a race car is much more exciting. After all, I’m not on the spacecraft and anyway, the flying is done by computers.”

 

·        Age: 28

·        Residence: Redondo Beach, CA

·        From: Austin, TX

·        Licenses: SCCA Pro, NASA, SVRA, PCA

·        Day Job: Mechanical Engineer, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX)

 

 

·        9/120, Formula SAE World Championships, 2010

·        First Place (M5), Targa Newfoundland, 2012

·        First Place (E0), 25 Hours Of Thunderhill, 2013

·        First Place (MP4), The Hawk With Brian Redman, 2014

·        First Place (GT3A), The Hawk With Brian Redman, 2015

 

 

·        Battery Tender MX-5 Cup, Round 1

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
April 29-May 1, 2016 

 

 

Current Racing Challenge:

 

·        Finish in top 10 of Global MX-5 Cup in 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published Articles

 

 Learning Curve: If You Can’t Be Safe And Clean, Go Home

 

 

 

 

 

·        Le Mans

·        COTA

·        Road America

 

 

·        Allan McNish

 

 

·        Spec Miata

·        Wolf GB08

·        Porsche 356

·        Porsche GT3 Cup

 

·        Stilo ST5 Carbon

·        Alpinestars Tech 1Z gloves

·        Momo Advanced Driver Cooling shirt

 

 

·        French cooking