On March 19, 2015, at age 69, Wayne Ducote achieved the greatest victory of his auto racing career. At this season-opening race at the world famous Sebring International Raceway in Florida, Wayne savored the deep satisfaction of standing on the podium and accepting his first Gold Cup award.

The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA series features “road courses” with multiple turns, heavy braking, hard acceleration and high g-forces. This type of racing and this race in particular – at one of the most challenging tracks in the US – demands a high level of physical fitness. The mental demands are even higher.

Wayne is in great physical shape, but it’s his mental ability that makes him so successful. He’s not driven by adrenaline or the youthful impulsiveness and aggression that can lead to errors or accidents. Instead, Wayne is calm in the car, aware, choosing his next move as he anticipates the moves of those around him. And he never gives up. Age, he says, has given him patience. In fact, his goal in racing is not necessarily to win first place, but to learn from every race and to race better and smarter than last time. As a result, Wayne is experiencing his best finishes since he started in this series three years ago. Recent successes include his proudest racing moment: sharing the winners’ podium in New Orleans with his son and fellow racer David. Wayne had just turned 70.

Wayne’s approach to racing mirrors his outlook on living. By paying attention to the daily lessons of life, you can make today better than yesterday and tomorrow better than today. In auto racing, they talk of “seat time” – time behind the wheel, time racing. The more seat time you have, the better the driver you can be. In life, that’s called experience. When Wayne’s behind the wheel, experience becomes excellence.

Wayne Ducote … Peoples Health Champion.