Derek Daly
Formula One and Indy Driver; International Racing Champion and Author
SPEAKER FEE RANGE: Please Inquire
TRAVELS FROM: Indiana
Derek Daly’s professional racing career spanned 17 years, and his experiences are nothing short of breathtaking. Daly’s story is one that precious few have lived to tell. In 1984, Derek suffered one of the hardest crash impacts that a driver had ever survived when he hit the wall at Michigan International Speedway at 212 MPH. After 14 surgeries and 3 years in therapy, he returned to full-time racing. He competed in the 12 Hours of Sebring – and won the race two years in a row. Derek literally wrote the book on how to become a ‘complete champion’. Friend, former race competitor and international auto racing superstar Mario Andretti contributed the foreword: “Derek’s book teaches lessons it took guys like me years to learn. Quite honestly, I believe the advice in this book resonates far beyond the racing industry.” Derek has taught the timeless principles of his most valuable asset – speed. He is in high demand by companies who depend on Derek’s Complete Champion Model to motivate, inspire and enlighten their teams.
Irish driving legend Derek Daly is the epitome of the Complete Champion. From the Victory Circle to the Announcer’s Desk, Hall of Fame Race Car Driver and Network Television Color Analyst Daly has spent nearly three decades as the face of the motorsport world. He counts Sylvester Stallone, David Letterman and Jay Leno amongst his friends.
Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland to a middle class working family, Derek’s career path was set at the age of twelve when he attended his first auto race. From that moment, his commitment to the dream of being a professional driver was unshakeable. On the way to his dream he worked as a laborer in the iron ore mines of Australia and, while travelling the race tracks of England, even taking up residence in a school bus.
Derek’s professional racing career spanned 17 years and his experiences are nothing short of breathtaking. Daly’s story is one that precious few have lived to tell. In 1984, Derek suffered one of the hardest crash impacts that a driver had ever survived when he hit the wall at Michigan International Speedway at 212 MPH. After fourteen surgeries and three years in therapy, he returned to full-time racing. He competed in the 12 Hours of Sebring - one of the premier motorsport endurance races in the US – and won the race two years in a row.
His early dreams became reality when he won Irish, British and European championship events. In 1978, he competed in the Formula One World Championship, and two short years later Derek was ranked 10th in the world. In 1983 he made his first of six starts in the Indianapolis 500.
In 1985 Derek started a 10-year association with ESPN as a motor sport color analyst. He became the face of motor sports, seen on NBC, CBS, Fox and Speed Channel. USA Today highlighted Derek as “the best new face on sports television” and IndyCar Racing magazine voted Derek “the most popular motor sports television announcer.”
Moet & Chandon champagne awarded Derek the Joules Goux Award for his outstanding contributions to motor sports television. He was later nominated by ESPN for an Ace Award, and Derek received the 2000 Hall of Fame Award from “Motor Sport Ireland” for his leadership of Irish motor sport.
Derek literally wrote the book on how to become a ‘Complete Champion’. Race To Win: How to Become a Complete Champion was heralded a “future classic” by the Irish Times. Friend, former race competitor and international auto racing superstar Mario Andretti contributed the foreword: “Derek’s book teaches lessons it took guys like me years to learn. Quite honestly, I believe the advice in this book resonates far beyond the racing industry.”
Derek has taught the timeless principles of his most valuable asset – speed. Companies like Xerox, Bayer, Deloitte, Growmark, USDA, Department of Defense, Federal Reserve Bank, Pepsi Co, State Farm, Zurich Insurance and Gallo wines have depended on Derek’s Complete Champion Model to motivate, inspire and enlighten their teams.
Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland to a middle class working family, Derek’s career path was set at the age of twelve when he attended his first auto race. From that moment, his commitment to the dream of being a professional driver was unshakeable. On the way to his dream he worked as a laborer in the iron ore mines of Australia and, while travelling the race tracks of England, even taking up residence in a school bus.
Derek’s professional racing career spanned 17 years and his experiences are nothing short of breathtaking. Daly’s story is one that precious few have lived to tell. In 1984, Derek suffered one of the hardest crash impacts that a driver had ever survived when he hit the wall at Michigan International Speedway at 212 MPH. After fourteen surgeries and three years in therapy, he returned to full-time racing. He competed in the 12 Hours of Sebring - one of the premier motorsport endurance races in the US – and won the race two years in a row.
His early dreams became reality when he won Irish, British and European championship events. In 1978, he competed in the Formula One World Championship, and two short years later Derek was ranked 10th in the world. In 1983 he made his first of six starts in the Indianapolis 500.
In 1985 Derek started a 10-year association with ESPN as a motor sport color analyst. He became the face of motor sports, seen on NBC, CBS, Fox and Speed Channel. USA Today highlighted Derek as “the best new face on sports television” and IndyCar Racing magazine voted Derek “the most popular motor sports television announcer.”
Moet & Chandon champagne awarded Derek the Joules Goux Award for his outstanding contributions to motor sports television. He was later nominated by ESPN for an Ace Award, and Derek received the 2000 Hall of Fame Award from “Motor Sport Ireland” for his leadership of Irish motor sport.
Derek literally wrote the book on how to become a ‘Complete Champion’. Race To Win: How to Become a Complete Champion was heralded a “future classic” by the Irish Times. Friend, former race competitor and international auto racing superstar Mario Andretti contributed the foreword: “Derek’s book teaches lessons it took guys like me years to learn. Quite honestly, I believe the advice in this book resonates far beyond the racing industry.”
Derek has taught the timeless principles of his most valuable asset – speed. Companies like Xerox, Bayer, Deloitte, Growmark, USDA, Department of Defense, Federal Reserve Bank, Pepsi Co, State Farm, Zurich Insurance and Gallo wines have depended on Derek’s Complete Champion Model to motivate, inspire and enlighten their teams.
- High Performance Thinkers - Culture of EXTRAordnary: How to Shift from Good2Great2Extrordinary
Remember Good to Great back in the 90’s? Today, it has shifted from Great to Extraordinary. Align this platform with the right culture, and your team can develop something truly unique; a Culture of Extraordinary. Imagine your team learning how to think and act differently as they push themselves to the edges and boundaries of what might be possible. Your team will embrace what it means to go beyond their best. Derek uses powerful, real-life sports analogies in a unique, compelling and often hilarious manner, that leaves audiences in awe. Even the US Government DoD enjoyed this topic. - High Speed Sales Teams: How to AccSELLerate Your Team
Having survived the hardest crash impact a driver had ever survived, Derek shares his near death experience that led to a safety initiative in racing that continues today. Your team will learn how his sport continues to develop the safest high performance equipment and work environments; that has literally saved lives. Understanding this will empower your front line employees to make quick decisions, with limited information, in compressed time frames. You will understand that Compliance does not replace Responsibility. Learn how your team can make critical performance gains by embracing intelligent risks, as it activates its own S.A.F.E. model (Speed, Agility, Framework, Execution). No one remains emotionally neutral as they grasp his breathtaking global experiences. - S.A.F.E. The Crucial Balance Between Safety With Speed
Having survived the hardest crash impact a driver had ever survived, Derek shares his near death experience that led to a safety initiative in racing that continues today. Your team will learn how his sport continues to develop the safest high performance equipment and work environments; that has literally saved lives. Understanding this, will empower your front line employees to make quick decisions, with limited information, in compressed time frames. You will understand that Compliance does not replace Responsibility. Learn how your team can make critical performance gains by embracing intelligent risks, as it activates its own S.A.F.E. model (Speed, Agility, Framework, Execution). No one remains emotionally neutral as they grasp his breathtaking global experiences. - The Speed of Wow: How Fast Can You Get Fast?
If the speed of doing business continues to increase in the next 10 years; ask yourself, How Fast can you get Fast? Derek takes you down the success road to understand the critical difference between going fast and being fast. You will grasp how to remove the Speed Bumps that slow you down. You will learn how to achieve trailblazing performance and why corporations sometimes struggle to emulate these valuable traits. This topic has energized both male and female audiences from California to the Czech Republic. - Culture of Extraordinary: How to Shift from Good2Great2Extraordinary
Remember Good to Great back in the 90’s? Today, it has shifted from Great to Extraordinary. Align this platform with the right culture, and your team can develop something truly unique; a Culture of Extraordinary. Imagine your team learning how to think and act differently as they push themselves to the edges and boundaries of what might be possible. Your team will embrace what it means to go beyond their best. Derek uses powerful, real-life sports analogies in a unique, compelling and often hilarious manner that leaves audiences in awe. Even the US Government DoD enjoyed this topic.
We can help ideate, source and book speakers that aren't on our website, too. Leave an inquiry or call us at