If I failed, or fail in the future, of course I'll be unhappy. I don't know what else I would do. However, my father passed away when I was eight and even then he was traveling all the time. I really didn't know who he was. All this time I've spent in racing, in all the paddocks, there are still many people who knew him. And luckily for me, they often feel compelled to tell me some story about him, or just relay their feelings for him. All these experiences are special. They provide another dot in a picture in my mind. Through all these stories, I've been able to put these dots together and the resulting resolution is far better than anything I would have had if I didn't race. Racing, in a very emotional way, has tried to give my father back to me as much as it ever could.
EC: One of the great 'what-ifs' of racing was the North American Touring Car Series. It had the potential for a great series, but never caught on in the same way as the touring cars in Europe and Japan. Was the NATCS the platform that got you the factory ride for Le Mans with the Viper?
DD: Absolutely. I won the Supertouring title in '97 (in a Dodge) and then the series died. I was left without a ride. The industry was a mess with the Indycar split-up (remember Supertouring was CART sanctioned). I was left with no options and no one to call except the folks at Chrysler. They put me to work in their fledgling Truck test program and a handful of races in the Oreca Viper.
EC: How prepared for Le Mans were you, compared to the other races you had participated in? Few drivers get to that podium on Sunday afternoon yet you were there as a winner, one of the few experiences your father never had. That win must have been very satisfying.
DD: I was completely unprepared for Le Mans, or any other Viper race early on. I struggled more in that first year in the Viper than anything else before or after. Tommy Archer helped me more than anyone, especially at Le Mans and learning the track. We'd later become teammates. But coming from a 300-hp front-drive car and stepping into a 600-plus-hp rear-drive car really threw me off. For a long time, my instincts were all wrong. Plus, I had some personal issues that affected my motivation. I got over it, but it was tough.I like to say I drove the Le Mans-winning car that first year, but it was the team who really won that race. The drivers just never threw it away. Justin Bell, Luca Drudi and myself simply cruised to the win on the shoulders of an excellent team.Honestly, at the time I felt guilty by winning. I didn't perform very well, I wasn't fast. That's such a special race and means so much to a great many people, it felt like an injustice in my mind that I got to the top step.Of course, now I love it. It's a fantastic accomplishment, but I try not to fool myself. In '99, we broke a timing chain in the 20th hour, running second. The team still finished one-two. I felt more pride and more a part of the team than I did in '98. Odd, huh?
EC: How about your personal views of racing in Europe versus the USA?
DD: At first, I hated going to Europe. I had something I was dealing with at home and I was going to drive a car I didn't seem to get. Eventually, I began to embrace the experience, especially after I began to deal with the time changes better. My whole time in the FIA GT series was still a struggle in the Viper. It wasn't until part of the way through '99 that I finally got my grip around the car. That's a long time for any driver. Fortunately, I haven't had that problem since and have been able to jump into different things much easier, perhaps because of that experience.
EC: Your resume consists of a great many different series contested, from NASCAR to GT racing. Did you ever consider open-wheel?