Sabato’s Need for Speed
Soap Opera Weekly: Will we see you a driver’s uniform?
Antonio Sabato Jr.: Maybe (laughs). I’ve been driving on my own for years. I turned pro three years ago. I did some races, Skip Barber Racing School, and I just did the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Weekly: Brad Bell (B&B’s executive producer) doesn’t try to stop you?
Sabato: No, he loves it.
Weekly: What about your mother?
Sabato:She tries. She gave up, but she doesn’t like coming to the races.
Weekly: How did you get into racing?
Sabato: My dad was in Grand Prix, which won three Academy Awards back in ’66. It was about Formula One.
Weekly: What if you had to choose one career?
Sabato: If Ferrari came to me and said, “You can be our test driver and live in Modena [Italy] for a year, and we’ll pay your expenses,” I’d probably go. I’d give everything up. It’s the technical aspect of racing that inspires me. The way the pistons work, the way you’re supposed to drive on the track, and the competition between one guy and 24 others. It’s one man, one machine.
Weekly: Could you work in the pit crew?
Sabato: I can work on cars and motorcycles. Engineering, maybe not, but putting parts together, yeah.
Weekly: Have you had any spectacular crashes?
Sabato: Nothing too bad. The car was on fire one time. I’ve had internal injuries — my wrist was hurting for a long time and still cracks, and my rib was cracked in a go-cart accident.
Weekly: What happens when your car is burning?
Sabato: You get out as fast as you can! It’s calm. I crashed a Ferrari at 165 mph one time. Your life flashes behind your eyes and in front of your eyes, the hood is going here, the car is burning up and you get out. The next day, I went straight up to Laguna Seca [racetrack]. I was so frustrated. I said, “I gotta get back in.” I went to the Skip Barber school and did the full a week of courses. I had other crashes after that. That’s just the way the sport is.
Weekly: Is there always a bit of fear?
Sabato: There’s an excitement, but I wouldn’t call it fear. It’s adrenaline.
Weekly: Do you get the same rush from acting?
Sabato: In a different way, very much so — especially when you have to get into a certain type of emotion or a place that’s not easy to get to. It’s a thrill, but it’s different. When you’re starting a race and you see those lights going, and then you’re going and you’ve got other guys around you…. I get goose bumps.
Weekly: Do you want to be the next Paul Newman, racing into your 70s?
Sabato: I’d love to be Paul Newman! Own your own team, win Indianapolis, win the Champ Car series three or four times and use other people’s money? That’s perfect. He’s working with Norman Haas. He still drives to this day. He loves it.
Weekly: What are you like when driving on the street?
Sabato: Pretty calm. I have my moments. I’ve been getting into my motorcycles a lot more, because it’s a lot harder for the cops to see a motorcycle coming than a car. The worst cops are in this city. That’s why I love Germany!
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