Dr. Robert Hieb, interventional radiologist at Froedert and The Medical College of Wisconsin races cars as a hobby
Dr. Robert Hieb, an interventional radiologist at Froedert and The Medical College of Wisconsin, started racing in 2001, and he became serious about it when he obtained his SCCA regional license in 2004.
Today, he races both his own spec Miada and a friends Panoz GT race car.
"This type of racing really show cases the drivers talent because all the cars are basically the same," Hieb said.
According to Hieb, the cars he most frequently race start off life as street cars, and are then converted into racing cars.
Hieb started out racing as a driver for a team sponsored by motorsportsexhange.com and datatoys.com.
He purchased his spec Miada in 2006, and tries to race six weekends a year he said. "Most of my racing is done at Road America at Elkhart Lake and Black Hawk Farms Raceway in Beloit."
As a driver, he recently won a multi driver endurance race-at Thunder hills Raceway Park in Willows, California. There were forty cars in the event.
"Winning a race like this one takes consistency and the ability to drive quickly, but not abuse the car," said Hieb. "We each drove an hour and 20 minutes, we came in for a pit stop and the car went back out with a new driver; it was incredibly exciting."
The track at Road America, is a 14 turn, four mile high speed race course, and his Hieb’s favorite. At road America, Hieb can get his car up to speeds between 115 mph to 120 mph, on different less technical tracks he drives in the 140 mph range, he said.
"I have always liked fast cars, my dad had fast cars, and I have always been a racing fan," Hieb said. "I am incredibly passionate about it, I think it is the most fun that you can have as far as a hobby goes, and my kids like to watch me race. My son Charlie is four, and he can barely wait until he is five then he can start race carting, and we can do it as a family."
