Rembrandt Charms president Eric Lux (pictured) remembers the primary time he was bitten by the racing bug: He was 7, and his father purchased him a go-kart.
“From about 7 to 14, I used to be just about dwelling on the go-kart observe,” he says.
It helped that racing ran in his household. His father—Chris Lux, founder and head of the Buffalo, N.Y.-based charm company—raced as an beginner. So did his mom. His father’s cousin Ron Lux raced on a professional stage (and was killed in a observe accident).
Racing turned such an obsession for Eric that in highschool he was homeschooled so he may concentrate on it. In 2003, at age 14, he was the youngest licensed racing driver in the US. In 2005, he turned one of many first 16-year-old drivers to compete and end 24 Hours of Daytona.
Lux spent six years as a full-time skilled racer throughout and after school. However ultimately the household enterprise beckoned.
“I had simply accepted a reasonably large NASCAR contract once I bought a name—my father was ailing,” Lux says. “I put every little thing on maintain.”
Chris Lux was quickly again as Rembrandt’s chairman and CEO. Eric stayed with the corporate and have become its president in December. However he nonetheless runs about seven skilled races a 12 months. In February, he participated in Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, the place his workforce got here in sixth. (In 2022, it was first.) In March, he’ll compete in one other endurance race, 12 Hours of Sebring.
“I’ve been capable of preserve a foot in each worlds,” he says. It helps he’s sometimes capable of merge the 2.
“One of many issues that I’ve at all times negotiated with the race groups is, in lieu of prize cash, you have got ‘Rembrandt Charms’ on the automotive,” he says. “We at all times invite our jewelers to the races, and we normally have 40 or 50 jewelers come and watch.”
Nonetheless, the game requires fairly a bit of coaching, together with time on the health club, and common observe on a racing simulator in his basement. Whereas the simulator doesn’t come near what it’s actually like on the observe, it helps Lux keep the correct mindset.
“The primary profit is simply creating the psychological consistency, lap over lap, making good time, with out making errors. A giant a part of racing is the psychological focus you want each time you get within the automotive. The extent of competitors today [means] everybody’s pushing to the restrict each single lap, each nook. You may have to have the ability to try this with out making errors.”
Racing, he says, is basically about “focus and with the ability to assume forward so far as technique, the place you will be on the observe. That at all times evolves because the race goes on, as there’s points together with your automotive or different vehicles. These that may piece it collectively quickest, in assist of their engineers and the pit lane, normally have the most effective consequence.”
However that hyper-focus is what Lux enjoys.
“It’s one of many few issues in life that lets you shut off and disconnect from each different concern or thought in life,” he says. “It’s such a launch to have the ability to park all of your ideas about enterprise, or household, or no matter is likely to be bothering you or consuming you, and concentrate on the duty at hand and full it. I discover that basically difficult and likewise refreshing.
“There’s much more lows in racing than there are highs, however each a type of highs makes it price it,” he provides. “You’ll be able to have a tough stretch, and the second you get again on the rostrum and win a race, nothing else issues.”
Which is why he hopes to by no means surrender the game utterly. “I’ve been doing this 19 seasons and possibly been with about 50 totally different groups and 50 totally different vehicles,” he says. “I don’t understand how for much longer I’ll have the ability to preserve doing it, as I’m turning 35 subsequent month. I occur to be quick sufficient that they preserve calling me again. So long as I preserve getting a name to come back again, I’ll be there. I adore it and want to preserve doing it so long as I can.”
(Picture courtesy of Rembrandt Charms)
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