Larry Gagnon's NMA Experience
Motorsport journeys rarely follow a straight line. For some, it starts young and never really lets go, evolving over time as priorities shift but the passion stays the same.
For Larry Gagnon, a student based in Canada, racing has been a huge part of his life. From competing on the ice to racing bikes, he’s built years of hands-on experience in very different and demanding environments, all driven by a genuine love for the sport.
Now, as he looks ahead, Larry is beginning to think about what comes next. While his competitive career may be changing pace, his focus is firmly on staying involved in motorsport and finding new ways to apply everything he’s learned along the way.
His story highlights a side of motorsport that often goes under the radar, where experience on track becomes the foundation for a long-term future in the industry.
Without further ado, let’s hand over to Larry…
Can you tell us about your background - where you grew up and how your interest in motorsport first developed?
My entire life has been spent in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The home of hockey, good beer and ketchup flavoured potato chips. Winters are rough, as it can dip to -20ºC regularly.
Summer is never long enough, and it can often get to 30ºC. Given these weather extremes my two main hobbies evolved to hockey in the winter and racing in the summer. I have been a fan of motorcycles my whole life, having bought my first bike, a 1982 Yamaha 550 Vision, at 18 years old. I had never considered racing as something I could do. That is, until one of my friends told me about his experience in the Vintage Road Racing Association (vrra.ca).
That peaked my interest and I ended up buying a well worn race bike, a 1980 GS750. There I was, at 49 years old, in my first motorcycle race. In a matter of only a few months I was consumed with racing. If you think drugs are addictive, try racing. Over the last 11 years I have spent every spare dollar I have had on racing parts, bikes, tools, equipment, etc..
For me, racing is a combination of technical knowledge, mechanical and engineering ability.
What first made you realise you wanted to pursue a career in the motorsport industry?
Well, the easy answer is “I need money for racing”. Actually, I am quickly moving towards the sunset of my career as a rider, but I wanted to stay connected to racing and help people improve their race programs.
Further to that, people new to racing often waste money on parts that don’t do anything to improve performance or they get bad advice from those not qualified to deliver it. I had my own experience with those pitfalls and I wanted to help people avoid them.
So, two years ago I sought out sources of education in the motorsport industry. I wanted something that offered a quality education and came with some credibility in the industry.
I found the National Motorsport Academy program and I was impressed with the program content, delivery method and relevance to what I wanted to pursue.
I signed up right away. Imagine going back to school at 58 years old. It was a bit intimidating, but I got over that fast. The program delivery and how it is supported made it easy for me to learn.
You’re currently based in Canada - how has being involved in motorsport there shaped your ambitions?
The Canadian racing community is quite small. We tend to rely on eachother a great deal for support, whether it be a technical question, or insight into race strategy or the fine details of a track surface.
I got to know a lot of very sharp racing folks very quickly. That helped to accelerate my program, over what I would have been able to accomplish on my own.
What made you decide to study the BSc in Motorsport with the NMA?
I never went to College or University. I only began to invest in my education after I was 40 years old. Since then I have completed an executive masters degree and several Management programs. The only thing I was missing was an undergraduate degree. Obtaining one has been a goal of mine for a long time.
As I mentioned previously I wanted to educate myself in the world of motorsport in a credible way. The NMA offers a unique program that I could not find anywhere else.
There are other institutions that offer a bachelors or masters degree in motorsport but the content is not the same, and those program are certainly not 100% remote.
Being a Canadian, that was important to me.
What stood out to you about the course when you were exploring your study options?
The course, in my opinion is comprehensive. It touches on everything. It is the foundation
needed to choose and build on an area of expertise.
Finishing the program doesn’t mean the learning stops. It just means I am free to go deeper into my area of interest.
How are you finding the experience of studying online alongside other commitments?
I’m an older guy, so getting up early is no issue. I start studying at about 5am and I go until 10am or 11am, every day.
There is no question you have to put the work in. Creating a study routine is paramount. Make it a habit. This program isn’t a cakewalk. The hours of study can impact other commitments, but like anything, in order to get it done, it has to become a priority
So, as the finish line looms only nine months away, I am comfortable putting off lower priorities, for now.
Is there a module or topic so far that’s really captured your interest?
I have an extensive background in Digital Forensics and Incident Response work. I am very
comfortable around data. As a result, I am definitely partial to Module 7, Vehicle Dynamics and Data Acquisition.
After finishing the module I concluded that I could do a little better than the products that I used for data analysis and I started writing my own software for motorsport data analysis. It will function as well as the popular packages, but it will be simpler to use, so anyone, including new folks, can easily make improvements to their performance.
In addition, I have linked the software to an AI model and it is now analyzing data and giving advice on how to go faster. This is a very cool project and I am quite enjoying it. Excited to get it to product status this year.
Have you found yourself looking at motorsport differently since starting the degree?
Nothing could be more true. There is so much to know in motorsport. While this program
touches on many aspects of motorsport engineering, there is tremendous opportunity to develop expertise in every area. The thing that really impressed me was the interconnectivity of all the systems on a race vehicle.
The challenge of creating balance between performance and reliability, and the multitiude of things you have to consider when making even a single change to vehicle setup is incredible. In my mind, the drivers get the glory, but the engineers make it happen..
What are your long-term goals within the industry?
I’m older and I have done a number of different things in my life. At this point, I am done working as an employee. Time to do my own thing on my own terms. I am launching my own company with two main areas of focus. Obviously the first focus is the data analysis software.
The next area is consulting, designing and prototyping aerodynamics components for race vehicles. The plan is to travel from team to team around the world and help them out with aerodynamics work and also provide support for those that use my software.
What advice would you give to someone considering studying motorsport at degree level?
First, jump in with both feet. Don’t allow yourself to become intimidated by the program. It takes work, and commitment.
It has to be a priority in your day. You will struggle if your not putting in 3-4 hours a day. Once you are in, never be afraid to ask for help, even with the simple stuff.
There is excellent support offered by our instructors and there is also a chat board that the students use often.
A big thank you to Larry for sharing his experience with us!
