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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
GURSS: The Outlier
Mark Martin, the ageless wonder, wore out the young ‘uns in the 24 Hours of Darlington Saturday night...
Jade Gurss  |  Posted May 12, 2009   Mooresville, NC
Faster. Louder. The weekly column on SPEEDtv.com by Jade Gurss. (Harold Hinson Photo)
Mark Martin, the ageless wonder, wore out the young ‘uns in the 24 Hours of Darlington Saturday night before being swallowed whole in Victory Lane by the world’s largest box of Cheez-Its. To be doing what he is at age 50 is remarkable, but I was also struck by how well Joey Logano performed on the treacherous Darlington track.

The book “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell prompted me to revisit one of my recent columns about whether great drivers are born or made. Outliers – a scientific term for extraordinary things far outside of the “normal” experience – are deemed exceedingly rare or special. To say there are perhaps 50 legitimate Sprint Cup drivers in the world makes all of them an outlier in the global sense, but even within the ranks of the 50, there are some who are unique.

Does Logano fit the criteria of an outlier – an exceedingly rare individual who finds success beyond all others? Or, is Kyle Busch the outlier of this generation? We are seeing Busch several years further into his career than Logano, so only time will give the real answer.

The book describes the underlying themes of extremely successful people – not your average CEOs – but truly exceptional cases such as Bill Gates or artists such as the Beatles, who impacted society around the world. The book makes a case that no matter an individual’s singular brilliance, their success is heavily dependent upon fortunate timing, an exceptional work ethic (what Gladwell calls the “10,000 hour rule” – or the devotion of at least 10,000 hours to one’s chosen field), and being surrounded by a supportive team of people.

Logano started racing at age six in quarter-midgets and was a champion by age seven. Though he is young on the calendar, he has 11 seasons of racing in a wide array of vehicles as he reaches Cup. Too many people outside of the team have been impatient with the 18-year-old, who is still learning the Cup tracks and the new car, but his drive at Darlington (prompted perhaps by advice from Cale Yarborough) was a sign of the great potential he exhibits. Because of his experience, Logano certainly fits the 10,000 hours rule.


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