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Old 25 Oct 2009, 07:11 (Ref:2569134)   #1
vancecooley
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vancecooley should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
"Gentleman" driver

I have heard this term quite a bit lately. Recently saw a post saying teams will have one pro driver and one "gentleman" driver. What does that mean exactly?
Sorry, new guy to the sport...
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Old 25 Oct 2009, 07:20 (Ref:2569142)   #2
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The359 should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
In FIA GT, FIA GT3, and the GT4 Cup, all drivers who entered are given a ranking by the GT Bureau. The rankings are Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, and they are based on a driver's experience and history in motorsport. If I recall correctly Bronze and Silver are considered "gentleman drivers", in that they do not race as a profession or career, they do it more as a hobby and usually pay for the expense of it themselves, and in their racing career they have not really won any major championships.
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Old 28 Oct 2009, 01:01 (Ref:2571091)   #3
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Gentlemen Driver = lot's of money, possibly, most likely, slow.

some are quicker than others and have become PROfessionals, but gents are usually not as quick as their PRO counterparts.
like the The359, stated, more of a hobby driver. a way to burn money those SOBs.
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Old 28 Oct 2009, 02:00 (Ref:2571115)   #4
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cmk should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridcmk should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridcmk should be qualifying in the top 3 on the grid
As implied above, the term does not have a firm definiton - 'amateur' is much more useful in some ways, but not in others. A pro-am championship needs those driver gradings to try and establish some way to quantify an individual's experience in motorsport, and also their potential (to control young drivers with tons of pace pairing together because their inexperience leads to a short success resume).

The colloquial usage of gentleman driver implies that they do not make their income from driving, be it as a racer or a driver coach, and that they fund their racing out of their own pocket or through a commercial agency they have some sort of controlling interest in and promote through their racing. Most are slow, but some are fast, and that doesn't mean they have become pro - they're still paying to play. Look to Raymond Narac and Franz Konrad as examples of the latter from recent memory.
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Old 28 Oct 2009, 07:36 (Ref:2571192)   #5
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Porsche917K should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
A couple examples good and bad of "gentleman drivers"

Trackspeed Porsche GT3 RSR (FIA GT Series)
David Ashburn - Gentleman driver
Sascha Massen - Porsche Factory Driver

Flying Lizard Motorsports GT3 RSR (Le Mans)
Seth Neiman - gentleman
Joerg Bermeister - Porsche Factory Driver
Darren Law - Professional

Both fairly prominent teams in big races. They usually start the pros and begin very competitive and slowly fall into the pack although there are exceptions as the people above me have listed.

two exceptions are

Raymond Narac, and Johannes Van Overbeek

I hope that helps, and at least makes a little sense.
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Old 28 Oct 2009, 08:09 (Ref:2571209)   #6
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They are probably slower because like me any damage comes out of our own pockets, I know for a fact I would be a lot faster if someone else was picking up the tab and doing all the hard work, there is no doubt at all it slows you down.
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Old 18 Nov 2009, 15:45 (Ref:2584294)   #7
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Perhaps one of the best "gentleman" drivers of all time was Bob Akin. He was often as fast as the pros but was able to drive intelligently and do what was best for his team, as a team owner. It's common for team owners to step in as a "gentleman" driver but far too often they let their ego take over and make mistakes that effect the entire effort.
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Old 19 Nov 2009, 17:25 (Ref:2585208)   #8
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I love the term Gentleman Driver, harks back to a bygone era. Chaps with a wealthy back ground having fun, spending loads of money, latter day Hooray Henry's perhaps.

Anyway, I have yet to meet any driver who exudes 'genlemanly behaviour' once the flag drops!

Perhaps thats because I race in Classic Thunder, no offence to fellow racers.
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Old 27 Nov 2009, 17:14 (Ref:2590285)   #9
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dxk1 should be qualifying in the top 5 on the griddxk1 should be qualifying in the top 5 on the griddxk1 should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
Perhaps the best ever "Gentleman Driver" was Count Alphonso De Portago of Spain. He, unfortunately, was killed in a driving mishap during the 1957 Mille Miglia.

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