Like most siblings, Roman and Cash Felber love to one-up each other. For the race-enthused brothers, that’s true both on the track and in life. The 14-year-olds are identical twins, born five minutes apart.
“I'm older, I know more,” said Cash Felber.
“No, you don’t,” replied Roman Felber.
Their racing journey started just two years ago when their dad Josh took them to watch a Formula 1 race in Austin.
“We actually went to the Formula 1 race in Austin in 2022, and after that weekend, they were like, just how can we do this? We want to do this. And I'm like, I don't know, let's figure it out,” said Josh Felber, Cash and Roman’s dad and team owner of FLBR Motorsport.
The twins learned how to drive at K1 Speed in Canton. They started with Go Karts and didn’t waste any time.
“I like racing because it is fast,” Cash said. “You have to be consistent, mentally tough. You have to be fit physically. You have to have good neck strength.”
Their first race coach, James Burley, the owner of K1 speed, said he’s been impressed with how quickly the brothers have progressed. The brothers quickly became the fastest racers at K1 and even won a 12-hour endurance race together with one other teammate.
“When it comes to racing, like any other sport, there's a talent factor involved and I could tell right away that these guys had a talent to them,” Burley said. “They grasped the fundamentals of racing, they took to speed pretty quickly and they really absorbed the information that we were giving them. So we could tell right away that they had a natural knack for it.”
At the beginning of 2023, the brothers finally stepped foot in a Formula 4 car and they haven't looked back. Their sights are set on making it to Formula 1. There’s a saying out there that it's easier to become an astronaut than to become an F1 driver, but Burley said the brothers look promising.
“The road to Formula 1 is astronomically large and there are very few drivers that make it,” Burley said. “But when you have drivers who start this young, who have that much focus, have that much ability and that much motivation, it can happen.”
Josh said since they were little, his boys have been competitive. He said it’s especially unique being the father of not just one talented racer, but two. His favorite part about them though is that they help each other.
“They're both within like tenths of seconds of each other when they're on the track and one time one is faster and another time another one is faster,” Felber said. “They're always working to help each other. And if they're out there battling, they've both said, well, I'd rather have my brother right behind me than somebody else.”
To some people, the brothers’ life might look like all fun and games, but it’s a lot of hard work.
“It’s all about being the best you can be and just next time getting better and better and better,” Roman said.
A typical day for the brothers includes being homeschooled, working out and spending hours either on a race track or in race simulators.
“My sister thinks that we just play games on here all day. But it's not a video game, it's a training tool,” Cash Felber said.
“Oh yeah, this is a training tool,” Roman added. “So it's much harder than, like, a video game.”
And they’re not wrong. The Formula 4 cars they drive go upwards of 130 miles an hour.
To succeed in the craft, the Felbers said extensive practice on race simulators is crucial to hone their skills, prepare for races, and optimize car performance, as they mimic real-world conditions and allow for testing various scenarios.
Trina Felber, the twins’ mom said at first she wasn’t thrilled about the idea of her sons racing, but said she didn’t want to get in the way of their dreams. She said she wants to support her boys in any way she can.
“I have to stop and think that, you know, if they played football, if they played hockey, if they played soccer, it doesn't matter what you're playing, even martial arts, the risk of injury is always there,” Trina said. “So I keep that in mind and as long as we keep them as protected as we can and they've got the best coaches, they're on the best teams and the cars are safe, I feel it's not my responsibility or it's not my place to tell them they can't do this. I just have to take a deep breath and watch them go round and round and round and it's really exciting.”
At the house or on the track, there’s always some friendly competition, reinforcing their unshakable sibling rivalry.
“I want him to succeed, but obviously he's not going to succeed more than me,” Roman said.
“I mean, I beat you last race,” Cash fired back.
But underneath the jokes and sarcasm, there's also some brotherly love.
"Yea, we love each other," Cash said with a nervous smile.
"Love him, I guess, Roman added while laughing. "I love him."
The Felber brothers still have a long road ahead of them to F1, but said they won’t stop until they get there. Every day putting the pedal to the metal. The best part about it, they said, is doing it together.
“I’m going to be an F1 driver,” echoed both Cash and Roman.
The Felber brothers first race is this weekend in New Orleans. They will be in Ohio at Mid Ohio Raceway June 19-22. The brothers are also constantly looking for sponsors. To keep up with the Felbers you can follow them at FLBR Motorsport on Youtube and Instagram.
