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By Jason Roundy
David Byrnes, 26, is the best driver as far as anyone in the small town of Battle Mountain, Nev., can remember. He doesn't hear the crowd's applause, not because he is the star of a movie, but because David Byrnes is deaf. Byrnes was born deaf to now remarried Donna Fairbanks, 42. His stepfather, Marvin Fairbanks, 50, was retiring from auto racing and wanted Byrnes to take his place. His stepson's disability posed a conflict that was easily resolved. "My stepfather thought I couldn't drive because I couldn't hear," Byrnes said. "I wish hearing people would realize that I can drive better than most of them." But this is a common misconception that many deaf individuals are faced with. "You should see how a police officer reacts when they find out that I am deaf," said Wade Hester, 31, a Utah State University student. "It is really funny when they try and talk louder so they think I can hear them." Byrnes graduated from USU in the Spring 2003 semester with a degree in business information systems. While he is working as a Systems Administrator in Boise, Idaho, he spends some of his free time practicing and trying to raise money for racing school. "Through my recent fundraiser I got $1,000. Now I only need $2,500 more to attend school in Las Vegas," Byrnes said. Finding the funding is not his only problem, getting people in the Formula-1 industry to accept him has proven to be even more difficult. There is a concern that he will not be able to hear cautions over the car radio system installed in every F-1 car. There are still different color flags waved at the race for different scenarios that occur throughout a race. If the flags are not satisfactory, a series of lights could be installed on the dash, alerting the driver to different track conditions, in place of a radio system. Recently a professional race car driver, Sarah Fisher, competed and won in F-1 without using a radio system due to lack of sponsorships. She could not afford the equipment, but competed and won just the same. "I have learned that you need to be blunt and be strong, that I need to fight," said Byrnes. He has not let any excuse get in the way of him realizing his dream as he continues to compete in amateur races. He feels he has an advantage over other drivers who "rely on the sense of hearing too much." Being deaf has helped Byrnes learn to use the sense of feeling more acutely, sometimes warning him of car troubles before most racers would notice them. "Using the sense of feeling helps me to know when a mechanical problem will occur. Other drivers have their sense of feeling blocked by their hearing sense," said Byrnes. Though he is a long way from competing professionally, this USU alum has overcome adversity and has overwhelming confidence that his passion with someday pay off. "I have the skills and abilities to compete professionally," Byrnes said. "We all have our struggles in life, I just want people to give me a chance."
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