Peter McKay on swapping his Lotus for a Clio, motorsport, and the best driving roads in Scotland.

He also shares his tips for public speaking.

This week, there’s a distinct Lotus theme as we talk to motorsport podcaster and journalist Peter MacKay. Hailing from a background in the Scottish whisky industry, Peter is pursuing his dream of becoming a motorsport commentator.

He runs the Peter MacKay Motorsport Podcast, which you can find on your podcasting platform of choice.

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Where does your love of motorsport come from?

Peter: My mother is responsible! When Colin McRae became World Rally Champion in 1995, it was my mum who introduced me to this incredible sport and Colin became my childhood hero.

My mother drives like Michele Mouton and I used to love being her co-driver when I was young!

My grandfather also played a major role in my love of motorsport. He was involved in raising funds to build a sculpture of Jim Clark in his birth town of Kilmany in Fife. I was born 22 years after he passed but I am a huge Jim Clark admirer. Such is his legacy, I suppose.

What inspired you to pursue a commentary career?

P: As an only child, I made my own company. Often my mother would come into my room to ask who I was speaking to. In fact, I would be commentating on my ongoing Scalextric race, or on Gran Turismo on the Playstation!

I’ve always wanted to be a motor racing commentator but from the age of 18, I was working in the family whisky firm. For the next decade or so, I gave my commitment to the firm and developed my own skills and the company’s success.

My father and I sold our interest in the firm last October, so I now have the freedom to pursue my dream.

Tell us a bit more about your podcast.

P: I started the Peter MacKay Motorsport Podcast last summer.

I began by talking about a wide variety of major motorsport series then started to bring guests onto the show. In November, I visited Jim Clark’s cousin, Doug Niven. Doug raced for many years for the famous Border Reivers team and acts as a family trustee for the Jim Clark trust. He is an extraordinary man and shared so many stories during our chat.

Thanks to a friend, Alan Waugh, I was able to interview 2019 Independent British Touring Car Champion, Rory Butcher. Rory, ever the gent, arrived at Knockhill on a frosty Sunday to sit down with me for an interview and afterwards help JCW Mini Challenge driver, Ronan Pearson. On his wedding anniversary!

Over a coffee prior to the interview, Alan asked me what I wanted to achieve in the sport and I told him I wanted to become a commentator. He told me that I should speak to Knockhill as they are always keen to meet new talent. I wrote a letter to Knockhill explaining my ambition and Rory very kindly put in a good word for me, which I will always be grateful for. He is a champion on and off the track.

This year, I will be joining the Knockhill commentary team and I am co-hosting their podcast. Rory Butcher and Alan Waugh were instrumental in this.

I also travelled to the Rolex 24 hour at Daytona and interviewed Jordan, Wayne and Ricky Taylor, Ryan Dalziel, and Katherine Legge. This was a genuinely life-changing trip and gave me even more fuel to the fire.

[Editor note: Jess has appeared on Peter’s podcast, find the episode here.]

Last year you swapped your dream car for a Clio RS, can you explain how this came about?

P: A long story really! I bought the Lotus in January 2019 and used it as my only car as I had use of another vehicle for work mileage. However, a change of circumstances and a new job meant I needed to run my own car to travel all over the UK for work.

So, I looked around for something cheap but fun. The Clio RS 200 fitted the bill perfectly.

After just over a year of owning my dream car, I took the decision to sell the Lotus. Travelling to races all over the world does come at a cost and I didn’t want to be held back. Therefore, I sold the Lotus to free up a considerable amount of budget to help me achieve my goal of becoming a motor racing commentator. I wouldn’t have sold the car for any other reason!

How does the thrill of the Lotus compare to the Clio?

P: They are very different cars to drive and require a completely different style of driving. But I honestly couldn’t separate them for enjoyment.

My Lotus was a 3.5-litre V6 Exige S Club Racer with 350 bhp and weighed just over 1000kg. So, it really needed plenty of room to roam! A month after I bought the car, I took a day trip to Campbeltown from Perth. The drive home will remain in my memory forever. Particularly, the section between Inverary and Tyndrum which has a delightful combination of fast sweeping corners and smooth tarmac.

Once the Lotus was up to full operating temperature, everything came alive in the car and it felt invincible. Without the intervention of power steering, the car delivers a thesis of information to your fingertips which in turn gives plenty confidence when pushing on.

The Clio RS 200 is tailor-made for my local B-roads. Even with relatively basic tyres, the car has immense front end grip. It also feels small on the road so you can really press on when you want to. Unlike the Lotus, the engine is really old school. You have to use all the rev range. It’s asleep below 4000rpm! A front-wheel-drive car, manual gearbox and normally aspirated engine is still an intoxicating combination. And best of all, the car cost me less than £6000!

There’s a bit of a Lotus theme here, tell us about the best car you’ve ever driven.

P: Yes, predictably it’s a Lotus again! I purchased my Lotus Exige from the Scottish dealer, Leven Car Company. Laura Montgomery, who sold me the car, looked after me so well throughout my ownership. I recall one day when I brought the car in for MOT and instead of the usual Kia courtesy car, she gave me the keys to the dealership’s Exige Sport 410 demonstrator. This car hits 60mph in 3.3 seconds and benefits an upgraded close-ratio gearbox. It was a huge step up from my humble Exige Club Racer! When the supercharger spooled up and unleashed full power, the punch was breath-taking.

On your website you say you perform well under pressure, what advice do you have for people who struggle in high-pressure situations such as when public speaking?

P: There are a few main things to focus on when public speaking. The first, and most important, is preparation and knowledge. More preparation and research will give you confidence in what you are saying, and that really helps to settle the nerves.

When I present scotch whisky tastings, they can be quite interactive sessions, whether I like it or not! Enthusiastic members of the crowd sometimes like to ask difficult questions. With good knowledge and preparation, I’m able to handle anything they can throw at me.

The other piece of advice I would give would be to expose yourself to public speaking as much as you can. Take any opportunity you can to perform, and study others you think do it well.

Let’s talk drinks for a moment. Tell us about your career in the whisky industry.

P: The scotch whisky industry has been incredibly kind to me and has taken me all over the globe. My father has worked in the whisky business for 43 years, since the age of 17.

I worked in our bottling hall in the school summer holidays from the age of 16 but it really wasn’t my thing at all. However, as soon as I turned 18 I could get out in front of customers and relished that opportunity.

I joined the family firm full time at 20 years old and began public speaking almost immediately. In the early years, I cut my teeth travelling all over the UK in a transit van, building up our customer base and running our exhibition stands. Working on a commission basis really motivated me and by 21 I was able to acquire an Audi TT 3.2 V6. I thought I was jack the lad! At 22, I added a Suzuki GSXR supersport motorbike to the collection. Unfortunately, the Suzuki incurred a premature death in a gravel trap at Knockhill. Oops!

My greatest experiences in the industry have been in The Netherlands. I travel there 8-10 times per year to go on tour performing whisky tastings. The Dutch people are so welcoming and their knowledge of Scotch is very impressive. I’m immensely lucky to feel that The Netherlands is a second home to me.

Any recommendations for whisky fans?

P: For any Scotch whisky fans, a trip to Islay is a must. The people on the Island are so friendly and there are nine distilleries to visit! Get a few friends together and hire an Airbnb or the Bowmore distillery cottages. It’s a brilliant weekend away. Oh, and the drive to the ferry is magic!

For those living in or near London, go and see the folks at Milroy’s of Soho. A five-minute walk from Tottenham Court Road tube station. The team are young, enthusiastic and oozing with passion for whisky of all kinds. The owner, Simo, is a big bike fan too, which gets my vote.

Finally, we all know Scotland has some incredible roads. Which ones should everyone try and drive when visiting?

P: I am immensely lucky to live in Scotland. Arguably, it is the finest country in the world to indulge a passion for driving. I live in a town centre and within 10 minutes I’m into a dreamland of B-roads to enjoy.

However, the finest road in Scotland is, without question, the road from Perth to Tomintoul via Glenshee and Braemar. I wrote a piece about a drive I took along this road in my Lotus.

As a scotch whisky salesperson, I travel to the Speyside region all the time and the route from my home in Perth to Speyside is pure gold. I have driven it in a Transit, Caddy van, Audi RS3, Clio RS, Lotus and Golf R. But the car doesn’t particularly matter — the road is just that good!

You can find Peter on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. To find The Peter MacKay Podcast, just search for it wherever you prefer to listen to your podcasts.

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Behind the Wheel is written by Jess Shanahan. It shares stories of people and their cars from all over the world. Please subscribe if you’d like to receive the next interview straight to your inbox. Or, feel free to reply to this email if you’d like to put your story forward for consideration.

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