Mitch Trubisky had the racing helmet with “Chicago” on it, the racing suit with “Trubisky” on the waistband and even the authentic Formula One car.
What he didn’t have was the green light.
“We’ll see if they let me drive the Formula One car out here,” Trubisky said. “I don’t know if they will. Supposedly I won’t fit.”
Trubisky, the Bears’ 6-foot-3, 222-pound quarterback, fit after all, though it was a bit snug. Trubisky was secretly shooting a teaser video last month for the F1 Festival at Soldier Field on June 8. And while he was itching to get behind the wheel, the Bears were never going to let their franchise quarterback drive one of the fastest race cars in the world.
“A motorcycle is kind of dangerous, (but) I would get in an F1 car if they let me,” he said. “I don’t know about the contractual agreements (with the NFL), I’m just pretty sure you can’t get hurt. As long as you’re safe and smart I think it’s a pretty good, fun idea.”
Still a firm “no,” Mitch.
Trubisky had to settle for making a cameo at the end of the video — climbing out of the cockpit and taking off his helmet to reveal that he’s the event’s surprise celebrity promoter.
British race-car driver Jessica Hawkins did the precision stunt work, spinning out on concrete where end zone seats had been temporarily removed, creating clouds of burnt rubber and coming within inches of putting black tread marks on the Soldier Field turf.
Only through camera trickery could Trubisky pose as a female race-car driver who appeared to be about half his size.
“We’ve made it look like he’s been driving the car, so maybe now we can make it look like I’ve thrown the ball that far,” said Hawkins, a W Series driver who’s also a stunt driver for the “Fast and Furious Live” tour. “It’s been great to meet him and sort of introduce him to our world.”
Trubisky admitted that F1 is a sport that’s somewhat new to him — it’s much more popular in Europe and elsewhere than in the U.S. — “but to have these cars here (in Chicago) and try to help their sport become bigger in the States, I’m happy to do it.”
The F1 Festival will run from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. outside Soldier Field. At 2:30 p.m. organizers will show off the cars’ power and speed by staging live runs down Museum Campus Drive from Waldron Drive to McFetridge Drive.
The band Judah & the Lion will perform that night and organizers also expect Chicago celebrities to make guest appearances. Trubisky hopes to be one of them, but the Bears have scheduled their three-day 100th anniversary celebration at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont that same weekend.
The F1 Festival “is a great chance for people who haven’t been around (F1) cars up close, like I haven’t myself — this is (my) first time seeing a car in person, seeing how fast they’ll go,” Trubisky said. “You’ll be able to see doughnuts and everything that they do.
“I know if you’re not first, you’re last. That’s all you need to know,” said Trubisky, who, as a fan of the comedy movie “Talladega Nights,” couldn’t resist the Ricky Bobby reference.
Trubisky has been getting deeper into auto racing since his days at the University of North Carolina.
“Freshman year of college we got to go on a NASCAR course in Charlotte,” he said. “I think we were going 210 or 220 (mph), and I heard these Formula 1 cars can go up to 240.”
Trubisky added, “My good buddy (and teammate) Kyle Long was always talking about racing. He loves playing the video game, he loves going to races.”
Trubisky has come a long way from the rookie who famously arrived at Bears camp in his grandmother’s hand-me-down 1997 Toyota Camry two years ago.
“It is in the family,” Trubisky said. “My brother has it. I have a car that goes a little bit faster,” referring to his Audi S7.
“Grandma’s Camry, I don’t think it goes past 100. If you’re in an F1 car you can do circles around my Grandma’s Camry,” Trubisky said with a laugh. “But it’s Ol’ Reliable, for sure.
“You don’t need this helmet riding around in a Camry. It’s nice and safe.”
Twitter @_phil_thompson
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