Upstate New Yorker Brandon Kidd, like many in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge paddock, balances feet in two worlds: testing the No. 09 Stoner Car Care Racing fielded by Automatic Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4, and his regular job, which for Kidd means working as a financial advisor.
But in 2020, Kidd took on a third role with the Gorsline Company, dedicated to one of the most challenging group of professionals to insure: race car drivers.
For over 50 years, the Gorsline Company, led by John Gorsline, has been an industry leader, pioneering coverage by helping underwriters understand racing and develop policies that take racing’s increasing safety precautions into consideration.
Kidd, armed with a degree from hometown Syracuse University and a certificate in financial planning from the NYU School of Professional Studies, has been a registered financial planner and New York State life, accident and health insurance representative since 2015. Racing cars since the age of 11, he joined the Stoner Car Care team contesting the Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2018. Looking to combine his two passions, he found Gorsline via social media and made the connection.
“Believe it or not, I found John via his Instagram account,” said Kidd. “He had so many pictures of drivers in his feed and they were all the drivers I was racing with. The bio talked about “protection strategies” and I didn’t know what that meant, so I clicked on the website and learned about his business – and I found out he was from nearby Rochester! I emailed him, telling him that we were in the same business and lived near each other, and that he was doing what I wanted to do. I work with race car drivers on a local level, but I wanted to do it on a much larger level. We met up in late 2020 and I started working for him, especially at the races he couldn’t get to because of COVID.”
As Kidd navigates this new endeavor, he has been able to call on other company employees who have been with Gorsline for years. They have acted as an en masse group of mentors as he continues to get up to speed on the area of expertise that Gorsline has created.
“We have an amazing group of people here,” said Gorsline. “I’m just the tip of the iceberg, the front guy, if you will. The people behind me are really smart and very capable.
“Brandon is a very good asset to the Gorsline Company,” Gorsline continued. “He’s a good race car driver, he knows the insurance business and he cares about people. We want him to carry on the company tradition of taking good care of people. Our philosophy is – people buy insurance from us; we don’t sell it. We’re here for the families and the drivers. Our client list, which we would never publish, has some of the best drivers in racing. We protect our clients, and Brandon has the right attitude toward that philosophy. He’s not here to “sell” people, he’s here to help people.
“We don’t have any “standard” policies. Each insurance policy that the company writes is individually designed for each driver’s needs.”
The idea of a people-first approach to finance is one that speaks to Kidd’s own philosophy when it comes to his clients.
“What I like about John is that it’s not just a tagline: the most important thing to him is putting the clients first and doing the right thing. That’s the way I’ve always conducted my business so I know what that means. We have a lot of the same values.”
The People. It’s a thread that continuously comes up as one speaks with either Kidd or Gorsline about their personal and professional priorities. One need only take a tour of the Gorsline suite at Sebring International Raceway and look at the walls full of photos to see the value of friends and clients – because for Gorsline, they are one in the same.
“I keep doing this for the people. I have worked with so many people over the years, some I still can’t mention. I remember when Phil Hill summoned me to the Rolex 24 at Daytona to insure his son, and all he cared about was that I did it right. I worked with Derek Bell, now I work with Justin. Parnelli Jones and his sons. Dr. Panoz, Hurley Haywood, Stirling Moss – I remember when Stirling awarded our scholarship (given annually to “a young aspiring driver who consistently displays exceptional talent and a professional respect for motorsports”) to Bryan Sellers in London, at the Autosport banquet.”
Kidd attends various races all over the country under the Gorsline brand, meeting drivers and other contacts influential in the racing world. “Brandon has been instrumental to the company in targeting new young talents in the racing world,” said Gorsline. “He shares our passion for motorsports - it’s not a job, it’s a life-long path that combines both a passion for motorsports and being able to help others.”
I understand what all the racers are going through. I share their perspective and empathize with them, and that makes all of this relatable. I’m very lucky that John has asked me to join his team: it’s quite an honor to walk around the racetrack and represent that name and his 50-year history. There has been a lot to learn, and it’s been quite a lifestyle change, going to the track and not always getting in the car. But it’s another reason to be at the track, and I’m really able to help the drivers, be it with financial planning or insurance, so that’s a good thing.”
