S14SwimShark105

Hey, I made this thread so that I and other people who are interested in wanting to become a professional race car driver can learn more information on how to move up the ladder and get to the top. Any information on ANY racing series is fine, for example; World Touring Car Championship, WRC, Formula 3, US Touring Car Championship, etc...

Information on how to get sponsorships and recognition would also be great.

I know it takes a lot of money, and I know most of the people pay for their seats, but what about the other people?

I hear many professional drivers started with karting when they were younger but I know that is not the only way.

Anyways, information on any Touring Car series would be greatly appreciated.

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Nikeboy355

You have to have a car and take it to the track a lot...
It takes a lot of money and time to afford racing development...

Each track event last year cost me about $500 a day when considering all the costs involved... Track fee, gas to get there, motel room, trailer rental, gas for the car, fluid changes, tires, brakes...

If you go to one a month, then that's $6000 a year without even taking into consideration the cost of the car...

First you start off by going to track days... Improve on your times...
Then try and enter a Time Attack to see how you do... How you work under pressure...
Join NASA and/or SCCA and start racing with them...
Network with other racers and companies...

Hope in the end that someone trusts you enough to hand their car over to you...

Treating racing as a hobby and competition are two different things... Figure out if you are really that competitive... and rich...

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johngriff

Everything listed is all paid seats, and some of them you have to start racing at the ages of 4-5, oh and not be an american, its mostly a euro only boy's club.

Trans AM cars is probably the closest one of you will get, paying your own way on a retired doctors money to racing competitively in touring cars.

How to get sponsors is simple. If you can get allot of people to pay attention to you all the time, and believe what you say and do, then you will have all the sponsors in the world.

IF YOU HAVEN'T Stared shifter carts yet, PLEASE DO. You will get the lowest cost per outing + most experience there.

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azndoc

I'm no professional in any motorsports.

But this is what I see that works.

To be competitive you have to drop what you are doing now other than driving, make your car competitive, drive a lot, get better, hit the tracks a lot, and eventually someone will notice you and may want to speak to you.

No one is going to come walking up to you on your first trip to the track asking you to drive their car. Pipe dream.

I will say one person's name that I'm sure many have heard in the drifting world. He works his ass off, drives his ass off, and after all that hardwork it's finally paying off.

Joon Maeng. Now that guy is all fucking heart.

S14SwimShark105

Some good info here thanks, I was planning on getting a shifter kart or getting a rotax kart and competing in the rotax championships but I am also debating between getting a Porsche 944 to race in the Porsche 944 Spec class through Nasa. The thing is, is that where do you go after karting?

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eli_eli

one of my really good buddies maintains a bunch of Porsche's for, the Porsche club of america...he just recently got his licence through NASA i believe to start racing with them competatively in the boxter class...he drives his own car though...as i believe they all do...he is located in socal as well, anahaim area

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nismonotmugen

I dunno, you can try racing schools also?

Dousan_PG

get a time machine
go back to 5 years old and start racing because dad forced you to
be born into a rich family
have lots of money

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SILEIGHTY_DET

it all depends on the money you are looking to spend . i bought a shifter cart due to taking my car to the track was burning holes in my check book . i spend 100 bucks for a day at the track with my kart , most of the time less . 25 for the day at the track , two gallons of race fuel and mix , a spark plugg , new gear box fluid , and a full set of race tires are 150 , or you can buy the pros take offs for 40 . the reaction times are faster and the karts are more responsive . its where most of the top drivers have come from ... jeff gordon , michael and ralph scheumacher ... almost all f1 drivers came from kart . also , if you live in norcal there are twelve tracks in a four hour radious . four of which are within a hour from home . its the most cost effective competitive racing that i could get into in my oppinion , and everyone at the track is friendly and gives advice on improving your driving . if you total your cart at worst your out five grand , or you could pick up a used season kart from a team at a swap meet for three grand or off of craigs list . KART IS HELLA CHEAP

hope that helps , just my experience and oppinion

Scott

S14SwimShark105

haha I wish I had a time machine and was born into a rich family that forced me to do go karting. I have seriously been considering about racing go-karts, but I like racing touring cars so much more. BUT if that is one way to get into professional driving then I will for sure give it a try. I work at k1 speed right now haha but I know the karts there dont even compare to shifter karts.

what to do, what to do

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Maximamike

Rotax, rotax, rotax. You will not get anywhere in a gearbox kart unless you are willing to throw massive amounts of money into the sport. Rotax has a great program to move up in and maybe get you a small sponsorship into a gearbox kart.

SILEIGHTY_DET

i love driving my car at the track too . i just couldnt afford 2000 every time i went to the track . go drive a real shifter kart . when you cant hold your head up straight with out a neck collar , then see how you feel . you will feel your body the next day due to the cornering g's . once i did i was hooked , it was just the more practical route for my financial situation . alot of kart shops will rent race karts for the day , some tracks rent them as well . like infineon raceway . good luck

Scott

HyperTek

What I want to know is how to get into nascar.. sure it seems borring. but each racer is like a instant celebrity, and they get paid good. and you still got tons years to do it hahah.

I know this lifetime i would never make F1.. sucks.

Your in socal, hit up the local go kart tracks
http://adamsmotorsportspark.com/
http://www.apexracing.com/
http://www.lakc.org/

not those kiddyshit indoor crap like dromo1, pole position, k1 etc..

On a side note- you could take up the hobby of sim racing, its dam fun..
NASA actually recognized simulation racing as a form of motorsport.. Someone who plays sims will have more experience then a beginner. There are leagues, etc, even endurance races online.
http://www.bhmotorsports.com/
http://www.simracingtonight.com/

I usually frequent the forum at http://www.racesimcentral.com/ . Alot of real race car drivers post there and play the sims as well.

my favorite right now is Rfactor , its an open source sim with a growing mod community
http://www.rfactorcentral.com/
[ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=JYoBcMejPBs[/ame]
F1 88 season mod.. mad fun, been playing it online... Whats cool about these games is your going to suck! I still suck after 3 years of playing them, I cant ever set pole position, theres always guys that are liek 3-4 seconds faster then you no matter what.. Just got to get better at driving.

With the sim racing, at least you will get the enjoyment out of it, enough to fill your cravings if you cant afford to race a real car. at least for me. Once you try a real sim game, you dont ever want to play gran turismo or forza through a gamepad again

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Maximamike

I'm pretty sure Adams Kart track shut down or is in the process.

i3igpete

almost all nascar drivers start on the dirt ovals. i'd see if there are any nearby sprint car assn's if that's where you're looking.

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cfrost

ding ding ding

go out there and do it because you love it, and if you have the natural skill you'll find the right path

don't ask people on here, ask the guys who ARE out there racing spec-classes and trying to do what you want to to do

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S14SwimShark105

One of my managers that I work with, got into Nascar and Truck racing by working for 76 Racing Fuel for 8 years or so until they gave him a chance at driving, he said ok and gave it a try and did really well, so now he drives for them with full sponsorship. Craziness man , but yeah go-karts are damn fun, Adams kart track closed down?!?!?! man.... that sucks . Dont get into racing if you want it for the fame and the money, I dont think you'll last long in the industry like that, you got to have the passion for racing, winning and all that other good stuff that it takes to become a race car driver. the NEVER GIVE UP mentality haha

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614duece40

no offense to the people on here, but ask actual racer's, pro or am. you'll get your best info from them.
best thing you can do is build a decent track car and race your ass off every chance you get. if your good, you'll get sponsered.

McRussellPants

errrrr right.

it takes alot more than being a good driver to "crack it big". And talking a really big game will get you further than driving half the time.

Shifterkarts won't teach you to drive fast they'll teach you how to race.

Hanging around a track alot is your best bet.

Theres no racecar driver that got where he is off talent. and the biggest mistake I've seen people make is "Im pro now I don't need to practice"

get your competition liscenses and instructor liscenses and roll with that.

if you want to race Nascar get on a dirt oval and do well, talk a big game and don't burn any bridges and in enough time you'll get better and better rides, but probably not paid.

McRussellPants

Also "Time Attack" is a good way to get a paid ride.

All those guys are stupid ricers so they have no idea how to drive and no idea what a driver is worth.

talk a big game and spout off lap times from tracks they don't know and you'll have a pretty good chance of scoring a seat with someone who can't afford a better driver.

you need a competetion liscense though.

steve shadows

Yeah once Im out school in one million years, im going to pretty much devote my weekends to doing it right over time.

This requires beoming somewhat finanically kick ass in life.

Assuming we still all use gasoline engines in 5-10 years

For now it's just a big jack off session.

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WhiteGLX

Dont get into racing looking to get sponsored or you will be doing it for all the wrong reasons. Most people get into some form of racing because its fun, fun for them individually, and most small racing classes dont have any type of worth while payout, only F1, NASCAR, Craftsman truck series maybe, and BUSCH.

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jussjepbrox

yeah takes alot of money you can pretty much do anything if you have money look at Nick HOGAN 1 day he was watching tv and said i wana be a pro drifter now look at him crashing vipers like its nothing

hijack3d

Looks like you have a lot of information on how to get started in racing...

So here's my .02 on getting recognition... or rather, remembered. In a world where important people meet a lot of people every day, the best thing I've done to help people remember me is: make a cool business card, don't talk a lot about myself.

People get bored with hearing about you, and they wont remember most of it unless you guys have something really cool in common. Make it a two-way conversation and try to laugh at least once. Remember something about them (if they have a kid there, remembering the kid's name seems to always win me super brownie points).

Make your business card memorable. My business card is made of plastic and has a background that looks kind of like it was run over by a mini-car, so people think it's cool (they were around 30bux for a box of 200 shipped).The material makes it unique and that uniqueness makes it more likely to be kept than just a regular paper one. Make sure it has information on how to contact you, and a link to a website where you have all that information on you that you wanted to tell them but didn't (mine goes to my website and myspace). There have been times I've given out my business card and have had random people ask me for one just because it's different. And it's been THOSE random people who've contacted me for something (like getting a free Fujita air intake kit for just having an S14).

Having a cool business card and good people skills are just some of the things... Knowing people already in the business who actually like you helps too.

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HyperTek

forgive me if im close minded, but i seriously dont see much growth potential playing with time attacking a street car or drift.. seriously karting is where its at. Work up into a formula car.

Or go to a racing school..

one of the local kart tracks by me was talkin about how they want to take a average joe pay-to-race person and take them up to the nationals with sponsorship..

Adams is not closed by the way.. they went under a new owner/management and last i remember had teens working there.

If your early 20s or something you might still be able to get somewhere. former F1 racer Damon Hill was considerd to have had a late start *his late father was a F1 racer in the 60s*, but Damon got into professional racing at 23. He became Schumi's rival in the mid 90s. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damon_Hill

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INeedNewTires

I can see where Karting would be really easy to feed into higher forms of racing... especially for you Californians (having double digit tracks within a few hours is nuts and i am SO jealous)... But what about us here in Texas? (Like you McRusselPants, thats why i quoted you) How are we to get into any form of racing besides dirt, motoX or drag..... Their are what 3 or 4 tracks here, only 2 of which are worth a shit and i dont know if they even let tours go there because their private country club type (MSR) And they dont open up the infield at TMS very often.... So are we just screwed if we live in texas or what? I'm hoping that i am very wrong and there are tons of opportunities to race and be involved in the sport but my minimal research thus far hasn't given me much hope.....

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HyperTek

doing time attacks seriously looks doubtful unless maybe word gets out and a sports car team or gt team hears about it. If your in a isolated state without many tracks, probably doesnt help.

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MomentumGT

S14SwimShark you kept pm'in me all this time about this very subject and it seems like you didn't believe me. LOL. j/k. It seems like most of the guys here are on the right track.

As far as 'Time Attacks' go its just a glorified auto-x with considerable media coverage. Talking to Sofronas and some of the GMG Global racing pit crew guys, they do Time Attacks to get there name out there and to show what kind of performance services they offer, etc...just like most race/import shops, small companies, etc...Its not wheel to wheel racing so more than likely you're not going to get noticed at a TA event. TA events are to glorify the amount of $$$ a company spends on a vehicle to go fast and show the general consumer 'this is what you need to buy' in order to make your car fast. Talking about the big companies anyway. The rest are industry guys who want to have fun racing against other industry guys. Then you have a few hardcore DIY'rs that take TA events so seriously its boarderline riceboy insanity.

TA events are good in that they provide a competitive atmosphere and try to limit the possiblities of getting a overly hooked up ride with a shitty driver behind the wheel smashed to bits. Its not wheel to wheel racing and majority of these guys shouldn't be holding a competitive liscense anyways. Rant over. lol.

-Jon

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S14SwimShark105

^^ haha whats up Jon, no I totally took your word for it when I was messaging you but I wanted to hear what other people had to say about getting into the racing inudstry. Also, for time attacks, the only people I see that get big recognition are the shop owned cars, cars that have massive amounts of money put into them basically for the advertisement of the shop.

As of now, Karting seems to be the best bet to get into any form of racing unless you have your connections to people who are willing to let you drive their cars.

I was recently reading up on the Skip Barber and the Jim Russell Racing Schools, they have their own series (which is open wheel racing) and if you go through their school and do very well, you could get a fully sponsored ride into the series. For about 4 grand to get a chance to race in open wheel and progress from there doesn't seem to bad of an investment at all. Even if you dont make it you will surely learn something from the school.

And to Hypertek, about your local kart track taking the average joe and turning him pro, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!! haha seriously that would be a dream come true.

Also I like racing because I love it, not for the money not for the fame or anything like that, I would just like to be on a new level of competitiveness and be able to compete on a professional level. I have the " Never Give Up" mentality so my determination is there. Now I need the experience and most of all...... MONEYY!!!!!!!!!

-Randall

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mehsilvia

About racing schools . . . you could make that up front investment and still need alot of track time to dial-in your skills - or - you could register with a National Race organization like NASA/SCCA and go through their HPDE programs (much cheaper/and alot of seat time) to eventualy get your Race License. All the while getting the much needed track time, experience, and network connections.

Regarding karting . . . this should compliment your road-racing. Using this as a way to keep sharp and on your game. I personaly wouldnt look at karting as a alternative or starting point at 20 somethin. That would be recommended for those 7yr olds mentioned a few times above.

Sponsorships . . . lets face it. Unless you were born into money and "forced" to race since you were 4, its unlikely to "just happen". However, many companies out there are willing to offer partial/full sponsorships to those who have the exposure that they are looking for. Alot of companies make it easy, posting applications and programs on their websites (follow them to the letter), but it ultimately comes down to marketing yourself. Sell that shit! If you cant get them excited about you, your car, your skills, all the while proving that you are committed to the industry/sport, then forget it. They receive thousands of said "applicants" and you need to stand out from the crowd.
Competition and full schedules are key to securing sponsorships. Mix in some car shows and a few televised Time-attacks, and your much better off then most.
One bit of advise that i received was to treat a sponsorhip proposal as if it was a job interview. Nuff said.

Ultimately, you need to love it and just get out there and do it. I would also not recommend that you start with a pre-determined spec class or goal until you have been through HPDE or race schools and spent alot of time at the tracks talking with the drivers and soaking it all in.

Just my .02c