Lindsey Besecker
Sports Editor
Photos Courtesy of Bob Boughey
Most children daydream about what they want to be when they grow up. Popular choices include becoming a firefighter, an astronaut, the president of the United States or a racecar driver. For Pepperdine senior Bob Boughey, commonly known as “Bangkok Bob” by those who close to him, his dream of becoming a Formula One racecar driver is coming true.
Boughey, who grew up in Bangkok, Thailand (which led to his nickname), is in his first year racing internationally for Formula BMW Asia.
“It’s real hardcore open-wheel racing,” Boughey said in an e-mail interview, as he is taking a semester off and training in Thailand. “Safely speaking, it’s the most prestigious stepping stone for motor sports.”
Senior Bob Boughey, center. sits with fans after a race in Japan last month.
Boughey said his “passion for speed, love for cars and some unbalanced chemicals in the brain” initially brought him to racing. He also interned two summers ago for BMW Thailand in the marketing division.
While Boughey was interning there, some of his coworkers found out about his love for cars, so they told him about a scholarship program that BMW offers worldwide.
In order to win the scholarship, all entrants must compete in a race with other competitors from all around the world. After the race, about 25 candidates are chosen for the scholarship – last year, Boughey was one of the recipients.
“No drugs can beat this rush,” Boughey said. “Besides, it’s every boy’s dream, just happens to be real for me. I feel really blessed.”
The actual scholarship goes toward a training program, worth $50,000 (without the extra training that the program provides). The main components of the program are driver training, physical training, media training and sponsorship training.
The scholarship program also includes sponsorship deals, not including personal sponsorship. Overall, Boughey said the scholarship ends up being worth about $100,000.
Within a six-month period, Boughey will race 14 times and in a number of different countries, including Malaysia, Japan, Bahrain, Thailand, China and Korea. His sponsorship by an Asian airline helps him travel to all those places.
Next up, Boughey will race in Shanghai for a Formula One grand opening.
He raced in Japan and placed fifth in the race and second in the Rookie Cup classification.
BMW’s motor sports Web site (http://bmw-motorsport.com/) lists Boughey as ninth overall on Team BMW and second in the Rookie Cup standings, just 60 points behind the leader.
Through his training and racing, Boughey aspires to race in Formula One worldwide.
However, he first plans to return to Pepperdine for the spring semester and finish his studies around his racing career.
Boughey said his biggest accomplishment thus far is “beating people who have been racing for a far longer time than I have.”
The media in Thailand have also covered Boughey’s accomplishments. Last year an Asian magazine featured him in its main article, and last Sunday Boughey was on the front page of a major Thai newspaper.
Not everything has gone exactly as Boughey has planned.
He crashed in a race earlier this year; he said he was the first Formula BMW car in Asia to actually go up into the air and flip over.
“All this after flying into the wall at about 100 mph,” Boughey said. “You know how your life is supposed to flash by in front of you? Well, none of that happens. … After you realize you just survived, all you worry about is the car, how much it’s going to cost and if it’s going to be fixed in time.”
After working with BMW on the business side of things, Boughey knows he is not meant to sit at a desk all day. As some people may say, he has the need for speed.
09-23-2004