Racer/Weed Supplier Randy Lanier Recounts His Wild Trip in New E book

Randy Lanier needed to be a race automobile driver from a really younger age, with desires of competing in top-tier occasions such because the Indianapolis 500. However for a South Florida hippy, and small-time weed supplier, within the Nineteen Sixties, this aim was out of attain.

“To actually be an up-front runner in racing, it takes not solely a crew, however a crew with fairly a little bit of funds,” Lanier informed Automotive and Driver on the event of the publication of his new memoir Survival of the Fastest: Weed, Speed, and the 1980s Drug Scandal that Shocked the Sports World, which he wrote with automotive journalist and author A.J. Baime (Go Like Hell, The Arsenal of Democracy).

To be able to purchase the cash he wanted to be aggressive on the observe, Lanier got here up with a novel plan. He would turn into head of one of many largest marijuana smuggling operations in American historical past, increasing his enterprise till he was transport in tons of of 1000’s of kilos of weed from South America in a single haul.

The unbiased racing crew he based with the income, Blue Thunder, was fairly profitable. In its first yr, the crew received the IMSA Camel GT collection. In 1986, Lanier raced within the Indy 500 and was named Rookie of the 12 months. However the glory was short-lived. His rising efforts coincided with the rising efforts of the so-called Conflict on Medication. Dwelling like a real-life Miami Vice unhealthy man caught up with him. In 1987, Lanier was arrested and given a sentence of life in jail with out parole.

The detailed tales of South American drug lords, large-scale weed cultivation, quick boats, even sooner vehicles (on and off the observe), wild partying, and Miami actual property are fascinating. As is the almost schematic consideration to element Lanier delivered to his smuggling operation, which featured transportable weed-bale transporting shifting walkways; unsuspecting transport crews; dummy cargo (together with a zillion tons of cement); large cargo vessels with secret compartments; and CIA-level stakeouts, surveillance, and gadgetry.

Much more fascinating, maybe, is the story of Lanier’s reformation in jail, and (spoiler alert) his eventual launch. This appeared notably compelling, because it labored in direct distinction to the extraordinarily punitive nature of the up to date legal justice system.

“Jail isn’t arrange in any respect for reflection and self-growth in any respect,” Lanier stated. “It’s arrange for recidivism.” Lanier credited his eventual parole, after 27 years of incarceration—seven of them in solitary confinement—to his spirituality. Youthful work with a guru taught him the flexibility to vary his expertise by altering his notion. He parlayed this attitudinal positivity into studying, finding out, and considering. Finally, he grew to become a mentor, a yoga teacher, and a suicide watch volunteer—skilled to take a seat and discuss with individuals who tried to take their life—in jail.

Now on the surface, Lanier has devoted his life to offering providers, consolation, and ultimately freedom to different non-violent hashish offenders. He presently accomplishes these campaigns and actions by way of his not-for-profit, Freedom Grow. “These folks shouldn’t be presently incarcerated when there are 38 states, and all these companies, making hundreds of thousands of {dollars} promoting 1000’s of kilos of hashish, legally, each week,” Lanier stated. “These folks want to come back house.”

To fund his initiative, he now has a license from the state of New Jersey to legally domesticate weed.

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