When it comes to extracurricular activities, most high school seniors opt for traditional sports like football or baseball to fulfill their competitive edge. Mark and Liam Snyder, however, enjoy a different pastime: Formula One racing. Since 2016, the twin brothers have been professionally racing against drivers all across the country. And these boys have talent behind their drive, with Mark winning a national championship in 2018 and Liam winning one last year. While they’re quickly coming up on another finish line with graduation approaching in the spring, they’ll never forget the experiences they shared on the race track together.
Mark Snyder: I’VE LIKED CARS… ever since I was 9 or 10 years old. My dad brought us to the race track, and we see these cars spinning out of control, flames shooting out of the back. I was like, ‘I want to drive one of those!’ So my dad bought us a Miata, and we started driving down this private road. You can get speeding tickets on the highway for going straight at 80 miles an hour, yet we were drifting corners at around the same speed.
Liam Snyder: MY MOM… originally did not like us driving. Whenever we would crash, she would get super, super nervous. Nowadays, she’s generally used to us being fine. Instead of asking if we’re OK, she’ll now ask how bad the car is. One time my mom got on the radio while I was racing and yelled, ‘You need to slow down!’ She was no longer allowed on the radio after that. You never tell a racer to slow down.
MS: WE’VE BEEN RACING PROFESSIONALLY… since we were 14. We were the youngest licensed race car drivers in the United States back then. We had to drop every single sport because racing is a full-time lifestyle. It’s always working on the cars, posting videos, talking to sponsors and practicing on the track. It’s all about the connection between you and your car.
LS: RACING… is really competitive. Everyone puts in their best effort, but as soon as you hit the track, it’s just you and the car. The team has done all they could to get you in there, but then you go out and lay your whole year of hard work out there. No one cares if you’re 17 or 50. You’re just another driver on the track.
MS: IN 2018… I raced in the SCCA National Championships at Sonoma. I ended up winning by 17 seconds. The only thing I can remember was how dry my mouth was during the race. I couldn’t even talk when I came in for the interview. I was like, ‘Give me a water first, then I can talk.’ I did my victory lap with no helmet and I came in with my flag. I was like, ‘I have no idea how I’m here right now.’
LS: FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS… I have been trying to win a championship, and I had gotten second at both races each year. They were both for something stupid, like my clutch getting destroyed or getting blinded by the sun. If you made one mistake, you either got passed or you crashed out. But this was my year to win. I had to have a perfect race.
MS: YOU’D THINK… the driving part would be more stressful, but it’s actually the spectating where you have a connection with someone. When I was racing, I was just having fun passing people. It was the people on the sidelines that bit all of their nails off and were about to pass out. I didn’t realize how stressful it was to watch a race. My heart was like 100 beats a minute when my brother was on the track. It was the longest 45 minutes of my life.
LS: I WAS FIGHTING FOR FIRST… throughout the whole race. There were cars spinning around, flying everywhere, bouncing off of each other, clouds of smoke in the air. It was like ‘Days of Thunder.’ I just kept my head in it. I came here to race. Whatever happens, happens, but I’m getting past whoever I can get past. The top 10 were all separated by a tenth of a second. You couldn’t even blink your eye between the top 10. The whole field was bumper to bumper, 100 miles an hour all in one line. I only won by a half-second. It was a really close race.
MS: THERE’S A SAYING THAT... college ruins racing. If you go to college, you’re done with racing. It takes two races a year to keep your license, so we decided we’re going to do two or more races over the summer to keep it. Texas A&M also has a huge formula SAE program, so we’re gonna be part of the building team and try to possibly be two of the test drivers.
LS: I LOVE… the competition of racing. I love the thrill, the adrenaline, the rush and the excitement of it all. You never get tired of it. It’s like an addiction of just wanting to get back behind the wheel. You can never get enough drive time.