Legal or illegal, Detroit Pistons rookie Saddiq Bey has always loved cars and racing.
“I love cars, and I grew up loving cars. Even back home, (we had) burnout sessions,” Bey said Sunday at Belle Isle. “People would have their fast cars and race late at night, and stuff like that. It has always been something that I’ve been interested in.
“I used to watch, and they were just like spin their cars around and there’s just a lot of people who’s watching it, so they burn the tires out. I never attempted because I didn’t want to burn out my tires. You just have to find areas where we can go and hopefully not get caught by the police.”
While serving as the Grand Marshal for Dual II of the Detroit Grand Prix, Bey been learning the ins and outs of IndyCar racing, a drastic change from street-level racing that pique his interest years earlier.
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“I didn’t even know how detail-oriented it was down to the nitty-gritty of every part. It really broadens my horizon and in the scope of things,” Bey said about watching drivers in the pit. “I think everybody’s professional for a reason, for the sport is great to see what they have to go through and training they do to be able to be their best as well.”
The Pistons’ forward’s passion for cars blends seamlessly into the Motor City culture. Despite a few hiccups driving in the snow this winter, Bey is the proud owner of a Dodge Scat Pack.
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“I’m biased towards (my car). I think I can outrace anybody. I think how fast (the Scat Pack) is, and how popular the engine is and when you turn on the car noise it makes. I saw them a lot back home and I see them a lot here,” the 22-year-old said about his decision to purchase a Scat Pack.
“I don’t know if it’s legal for me to answer it was definitely over the speed limit,” Bey said about the fastest he has driven.
“I love cars, and it might hurt my bank account a little bit in the future because I love cars so much. Seeing these cars like, you always look at your car and think this one looks a little bit better. So I might need to get another one. I’m basically forced into this (racing) culture by the environment but it’s great. I love to be a part of it.”
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Pistons’ Saddiq Bey loves his Scat Pack, city’s racing culture