Sports car veteran driver Danny Watts has announced his retirement from active competition, but is in the news for an entirely different reason on Monday.
The 37-year-old Brit has announced he’s gay, penning a first-person piece for the Huffington Post and also doing interviews with both Daily Sportscar and Autosport. The latter article features a well-written op-ed from author Matt Beer.
In the Huffington Post piece, Watts, an eight-time starter and 2010 LMP2 class winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, wrote that hiding his sexuality in the heavily white male heterosexual world of motorsport was simply becoming too much to keep under wraps.
“There isn’t any one moment that stands out in my mind as the moment I realized I would need to live in the closet if I wanted my motorsport career to go anywhere; it was just a general feeling I got,” Watts wrote.
“All the other guys in the paddock had girlfriends, so I got one to blend in. When that relationship ended, I got another one, and so I continued pretending to be straight for seventeen years.
“Staying hidden was nothing but torture and pain.
“I hope that there are a few people who are supportive. If the response I’ve had from the queer motorsport community thus far is any gauge, I feel hopeful that I’ll find a supportive group to start driving change for my queer siblings in the sport I love.”
Within the motorsports world, Watts’ name is best known to the sports car paddock, and he was a regular with the Strakka Racing team alongside co-drivers Jonny Kane and Nick Leventis. But he isn’t particularly known to the racing world at large.
This announcement comes as Watts has opted to call time on his full-time driving career and instead will focus on coaching for the future. It also represents one of the higher profile names in racing announcing his sexual orientation, which makes it newsworthy.
Despite some detractors (as you might expect), a number of other drivers and key motorsports figures have revealed their support for Watts, and why this news matters, on social media today:
Really proud of my mate Danny. Also, great article and MUST-READ editors notes at the bottom. @mattofautosport 👏🏻 https://t.co/GDWg23DIdq
— Martin Plowman (@Plowey) February 20, 2017
Danny Watts massive respect mate see you soon👍
— Steven Kane (@TheStevenKane) February 20, 2017
I've known Danny as long as I've been racing. Always had massive respect for him and nothing will ever change that! #Respect #TopGuy https://t.co/MtIKIEUODW
— Jack Harvey (@jack_harvey93) February 20, 2017
Being different in motorsport is never easy. I stand with you @wattsracing. 👊🏻🏁
— Pippa Mann (@PippaMann) February 20, 2017
Massive respect to Danny Watts on and off the track. https://t.co/gxi5CGu48B
— Ryan Eversley (@RyanEversley) February 20, 2017
People questioning @autosport running the Danny Watts story aren't reading it properly. He wanted to do this to put his mind at peace
— Glenn Freeman (@glennfreeman39) February 20, 2017
On Danny Watts' announcement: why does it matter? These lines are why. It shows how motorsport needs to change. This is a step towards that. pic.twitter.com/DNQQYvs9Ga
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) February 20, 2017
#Dannywatts @autosport very well handled👏🏻
— Lee McKenzie (@LeeMcKenzieTV) February 20, 2017
HUGELY important in still-closeted motorsport : Former Le Mans racer Danny Watts comes out as gay https://t.co/j5wn842K9U via @BadgerGP
— John 'legacy blue check' Voelcker (@johnvoelcker) February 20, 2017