Charles Krall (ARCA Racing): Okay, here we are with 10 Questions with Mason Diaz, driver of the No. 25 Toyota for Venturini Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series East.
The first question I have for you is if you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you want to go?
MD: “Probably Australia.”
CK: Why Australia? What’s down there?
MD: “It’s a really cool place, I feel like, and a part of the world that is unlike anywhere else.”
CK: You know they have a lot of dangerous animals down there, right?
MD: “One hundred percent. I have been to Mexico, I have been to Europe, but I haven’t been down there yet.”
CK: I would like to check that out myself. Alright, question number two. What is your favorite thing to do away from the race track?
MD: “Honestly the only thing I do is work and race. I enjoy iRacing, does that count?”
CK: I guess we can make that count.
MD: “It’s still a kind of racing, just a different kind.”
CK: Question number three, and you are a lot closer to this than I was unfortunately, what is or was your favorite class in high school?
MD: “Math.”
CK: Why do you say that, because I was not math at all. Are you just naturally adept at numbers?
MD: “It just clicked with me. I hated history I hated English, I hated writing. I am still in school but I am kind of sad I have finished all of my math classes.”
CK: I remember the last math class I took. It was a self-paced remedial math class in college. It was horrible, I hated it.
Okay, if you could pick anyone to share a pre-race meal with, living or dead, who would it be and where would you want to go?
MD: “This would be a pretty common answer but I would want to go Hollywood. I don’t know, I think maybe Cole Trickle.”
CK: Yeah, he’s still alive.
MD: “Yeah, that’s my answer. Cole Trickle and I would want to go somewhere in Daytona.”
CK: You know that’s where he and Rowdy Burns went out to eat that one time.
Let’s look far into the future and your racing career is finally coming to an end and you have some championship trophies on the shelf. What kind of example would you like to set for those who come in after you?
MD: “With all the struggle that comes with performing and getting to the higher ranks, anything is possible.”
CK: That is for sure. I think a lot of kids don’t realize that. They think it’s a very closed path and that’s just not the case.
MD: “It’s not, right now my dad’s company is very busy. I am wrapping trucks right now. We have a side job right now. I am sitting here wrapping a box truck just trying to make some more money.”
CK: Gotta make it happen man. If this is what you want to do you have to chase it.
What was the first car you ever bought on your own.
MD: “I have been pretty fortunate and I haven’t had to buy a car on my own yet.”
CK: So what was the first car you ever had?
MD: “It was a 2006 F-350 Super Duty. I still have it.”
CK: What is the biggest contribution you give to your race team?
MD: “The biggest contribution I give them is feedback about their program. I am not in the shop 100 percent. The best thing I can give them is feedback on what is working and what’s not working. Since I am not at the shop I can’t say working on race cars, so it’s about feedback and constructive criticism.”
CK: Do you have any pre-race rituals you absolutely have to do before getting in the race car?
MD: “I will always finish a bottle of water within 15 minutes of getting in the race car. If I don’t I feel freaked out a little bit. Thirty laps into the race, I am going to need it.”
CK: Especially on those hot days.
This is the last question that I am going to ask you and then you are going to ask me one to give to Corey (Heim). Wherever the next race is, whenever we are allowed to go back racing, it’s two laps to go, you’re in second place. Corey Heim, your teammate is right there in front of you. What is the outcome of that final lap?
MD: “The outcome of the final lap is whatever I can push the limits to with a Toyota still winning the race.”
CK: That’s a fair answer. I like it.
MD: “Whatever I can do with a Toyota still winning the race.”
CK: So you’re not afraid of a little contact you just don’t want to take yourselves both out?
MD: “Whatever gets Toyota first place and doesn’t leave us with junked racecars.”
CK: Speaking of Corey Heim, do you have a question for him that you’d like to hear his answer to? Can be anything, racing, non racing. Anything.
MD: “I don’t want anything common. I want something outside the racing world. What is his favorite restaurant? Let’s do that.”
CK: Alright you’re already off the hook! Seven minutes! Now you can get back to wrapping trucks.
