Happy Father's Day!

ONE RACE, TWO GRIOT'S, ENDLESS SHARED MEMORIES

Ask anyone remotely interested in motorsports, and they will probably know about the Monaco Grand Prix. A high-speed circuit in the tight confines of the world's wealthiest principality is an awesome spectacle. As per Griot family tradition, waking up at the crack of dawn to watch the Monaco Grand Prix, then the Indy 500, was only normal. Even when the race winner seemed to be determined in qualifying, the race is interesting simply because of everything else; the location, the super yachts, and the tight track that allows no margin for error.

In 2014, Richard was invited to participate in the Historic Grand Prix at Monaco, and I dropped everything to go watch him. It was everything I had imagined, and it's hard to replace watching my dad race on a circuit I had lionized all my life. It was one of the best weeks of my life and the completion of my father's lifelong dream. As we were heading home, I remember him telling me, “My new dream is to do that with you.”

Fast-forwarding twelve years and a lot of racing together, my dad waffled on whether we would participate in 2026. I told him that it was not my dream to go, but his. However, if he believed that waiting a couple more years would be wise, he was underestimating the power of father time. My sound logic prevailed, and we were both on our way to Monaco this past April to participate in the 15th Historic Grand Prix.

While that alone is a story, there are many more stories from that week. It was a family affair, as my wife and children came too, and my dad and I were the only father-son duo participating. The cars came back intact. We both did quite well in our group, and we did it together.

I am truly blessed to share my father's passion and incredibly grateful that he allowed me the chance to enjoy it with him. It is a special bond we share, and the memory of that week will never leave me for the rest of my life. Monaco was special, unreal, in fact, but it may as well have been a dirt track in Tuscaloosa. I was racing with my dad, and we were both doing what we love together. That's as good as it gets.

Behind the Wheel: Monaco 2026