What is the meaning of "Dentist" in Racing Community?

If you are a fan of car racing then you must have at least once seen a comment using the word "dentist". The dentist referred to here is not a doctor who specialized in dentistry, but it's a nickname for a driver or racer who can participate in various expensive competitions but has mediocre racing skills.

I myself was very curious when I saw many "dentist" driver chats in the comments column of a racing channel which at that time was broadcasting the race live at the Monza circuit, in Italy. In the comments, there are some who write the word dentist.

Other accounts have also asked about the term dentist, explaining that the words "Dentist" are intended for a driver who uses financial strength to participate in car racing competitions but his racing abilities or skills are mediocre.

The Origin of the "Dentist" Word in the Racing Community

A YouTuber named "Jardier" (@JaroslavHonzik) asked on Twitter about the origins of the term "dentist". And some answers began to emerge. One account states that the term began to be widely used during the 2023 IMSA Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring race.

Anybody have a link to where real life LMP3 class got that "dentist" nickname? I cant remember where it originates 😅 - Jardier (@JaroslavHonzik)

Sebring race after a lmp3 rammed a porsche hypercar under safety car 😅

— Tom Mason (@TomMason2763719) June 13, 2023

And several people also answered with the same incident, namely the moment when an LMP3 car hit a Hypercar when all the cars were moving slowly because they were behind the safety car. The LMP3 car suddenly crashed into the back of the Hypercar car and damaged both cars which required repairs in the pits.

From this incident it can be seen that the LMP3 car tried to overtake all the cars because it wanted to unlap (so that the number of laps followed the race leader) but the Lmp3 driver seemed to be ignorant of the conditions around the car and ended up crashing into the Hypercar in front of him which should have been easily avoided.

The Lmp3 driver was then nicknamed the "Dentist" because he was deemed not to meet the criteria of a true racer. He is considered to use his wealth to be able to enter the race, not because of his racing ability.

The Driver is a Real Dentist?

Then why use the Dentist term? Why not use another profession? According to information circulating on the Internet, especially among racing fans, before the IMSA race at Sebring this year, there was indeed a dentist who was also a racer.

But the dentist seems to make a mess during the race to the detriment of other racers. Since then any racer who messes up or doesn't show the skills of a true racer is known as a dentist driver.

Until now I have not found the name of the racer who also works as a dentist. If I find it I will definitely update the information here!

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