Ryan Cavalieri has been a factory driver longer than most of his current rivals have been alive. We sat down with him at the Rage paddock for twenty minutes — this is the edit.
You've been doing this for twenty years. What keeps you showing up?
The same thing that got me into it. I like figuring out problems. Every track is a new problem. The day the problems start feeling the same is the day I stop.
And the people. I've got friends in every country I race in. You don't get that in most jobs.
There's a rumor you're retiring at the end of the year. True?
There's always a rumor I'm retiring. Ten years now. I'm not going to say I'll race forever — that'd be a lie — but I'm not planning a farewell season either. If I stop, it'll be because I'm not competitive anymore, not because I'm bored.
What's changed most about the sport since you started?
The kids are faster earlier. When I was coming up, you had a couple years of running at the front before the next wave arrived. Now they come through in six months. It keeps me honest.
Also the cars. The cars are so much better. A mid-pack 2026 buggy would've won nationals in 2010.
Best advice you ever got?
Don't build ahead of your talent. Meaning: if you're not running at the front with what you've got, a new chassis won't change that. I still see people skip that lesson.