How to become a race car driver.

[sil80]

I know there are a few of us on here that are pretty big into SCCA/Crown events and some others that might not be familar with them but still would like to become a race car drive in one form or another.. or machanic
I guess my question is that how do you become a race car driver? Like formula 1, rallying, any kind of circut racing(mainly something to get me on laguna seca <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> .
Are there schools you can go to that when your done based off your performance they will recommand you to someone? Do you have to have so much seat time before you can event enter a school or apply or something for a race team? I dont know... im just babbeling and I know there is a lot more then just thinking you can be a race car driver but thats why im starting this post.

Edit:
Ok so I went to skipbarber.com and there road america track(Elkhart, WI) looks ok, plus I could visit a friend in madison. Anyone been to this track in person?

[SilviaDriver]

hrmm..u wanna get on Laguna SEca??..work for Freshers Soft Frozen Lemonade..that will get u next to Laguna Seca..but not on it HAHA...but seriously..take a class

[Tuck&Poke]

i wanna become a proffessional race car driver too... i just dont know how to get my hidden talent discovered...plus i cant afford those damn racing schools... so id be pretty intrested too if you guys have any ideas <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

[Drifting Ricer]

The guy to talk to would be bbp240. He does club racing (at a amateur level).

But what you have to do is take 2 scca schools. (like 150 to 300 each) With a your race prepped car or rentel. Get a novice license after certain races events you become a full competitive racer.

The hard part and most expensive part is the car. You could build or buy. What allot of ppl will tell you is buy. Is cheaper plus it will get you on the track faster. If you build it, it will cost you more and the car might not be competitive.

I suggest you to start auto x, then hot laps days then full racing events. You can do hot laps, to get the feel for the local tracks that the scca uses. That way when you become a scca racer you would have allot practice time on the track already.

There are allot of clubs that rent the tracks for hot lap days. Find out who they are and start from there. But do start auto xing soon. &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

This what I have to say. I'm sure hippo and bbp240 will stuff to add to this too.

[tnord]

don't get ahead of yourself there speedracer. none of us will see the likes of F1/CART. the absolute most we can hope for is some IMSA action........and that's a long shot. a more likely series is something like USTCC, or whatever the hell the speedvision cup is called now. at least that's what i'm aspiring to do some day. &nbsp;

here are your first 2 steps to becoming a race driver
1) stop spending money on the car
2) start spending money for seat time

how much have i spent on entrance fee's and travel expenses and the like this season? over $1000. how much have i spent upgrading the car? bout $400, and that's cause i "needed" a new clutch anyway.

[DuffMan]

Hardly any real pro drivers come from SCCA.

They usually start off as little kids racing carts and then midgets and what not. Basically they learn wheel 2 wheel at the very beginning and spend years doing it at a amature level.

[sil80]

Stop spending money on my car? I dont know if I can do that.. are my race dreams over??? Naahhhh.
But I think your right tnord.. I spent most of last night reading up on diff race schools and they are expensive and really you dont get that much seat time tell you get to the advanced class's.
Im going to start hitting local SCCA events more and Mid-america Motorplex (http://www.midamericamotorplex.com/) as much as possible. Over the winter save some cash(not all of course) and next summer I will strive for something serious.
Well if there is anyone in the kansas city, mo area that wants to the same let me know.
OOOO by the way im going to the scca nationals in topeka kansas aug 31-sep 3 to watch club4ag compete &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'>

[tnord]

hey sil80.........

i'm leaving for my sr year at KU today, which as you probably know is in lawrence. keep me updated on the SCCA nationals thing, i'd like to go this year.

[sil80]

Tnord - I PM you... just a bunch of babble but it has my email in it.

I have add a pic of the track where the scca nationals is going to be held at in topeka kansas.

http://www.kcrscca.org/clubrace/images/hptmapspec.gif

Red dots = goods spots to watch from





http://www.kcrscca.org/clubrace/images/hptrace.jpg

[mazdog240]

I think Duffman hit this one on the head. I you wanted to be in F1/cart/WRC you should have been winning shifterkart championships when you were 10 and then moved into the Toyota Altantic or Skip Barber series. To just be getting into racing once you aree 16-18+ is way late to attain the upper level (F1/Cart etc) but it never hurts to dream and strive for the best and see what happens. &nbsp;There are a lot of schools though (skip barber/ derek daly / Bondurant / couple rally schools I don't remember the name of ) all of which are expewnsive but very worthwhile. &nbsp;

And to the person who asked about the Elkhart Lake track, my good friend used to live 10 mins from that track and he absolutely loves it, says it is one of his favs in the world.

[danwagar]

scca rally events are very easy to get into you don't even have to take a class. &nbsp;just build a car that will pass spec, you can actually do this cheaply for under 10000 if you are just going to be in one of the 2 wheel drive classes. &nbsp;if you need inspiration just read all the old scc issues where they build a datsun 510 into a rally car for as cheap as possible. &nbsp;i personally would use a 2nd gen rx-7, or a first gen talon tsi if you wanna get into allwheel drive.

[HippoSleek]

I'm wit Travis on this one. &nbsp;Over the spring, I learned that I needed to stop spending on this car (well, on THIS car anyway). &nbsp;

The path that's been recommended to me (and the path I'm taking) is:
1. &nbsp;Ten to twenty track days w/ Car Guys or NASA or whoever.
2. &nbsp;Buy or build car (need not be competitive, yet). &nbsp;Use it for the last five or so track days.
3. &nbsp;To get an SCCA license, you need to do two race schools which are generally offered one in fall and one in spring. &nbsp;A good way to go is to crew for a summer w/ another racer, take the fall school (car must have all safety gear at this point), improve the car over the winter, then do the spring school. &nbsp;Presto - provisional license.
4. &nbsp;Successfully complete two regional races to get your license.

You can take the comp schools w/ less seat time, but I wouldn't. &nbsp;First, you might fail - which would suck. &nbsp;Second, there is a lot to be learned by lapping a track. &nbsp;When you have a good instructor, you will learn a lot about being on and off line, how a car reacts at speed, and how to drive concentrate and self-analyze.

The big money schools are also great by all accounts I've heard - but they cost a LOT.

As for being a pro... unfortunately, I wasn't born into a racing family, nor was I running karts before I could do my multiplication tables. &nbsp;Those are the bulk of the paid pros. &nbsp;Still - w/ a few sponsors and some self financing, you can run an IT or Touring car and have most of the fun... you just have to keep your day job.

[240 2NR]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (sil80 @ Aug. 17 2002,4:18)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Edit:
Ok so I went to skipbarber.com and there road america track(Elkhart, WI) looks ok, plus I could visit a friend in madison. Anyone been to this track in person?</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Road America is a gorgeous track ( Iwas there two weeks ago), but skip barber is hella expensive (but probably really good). &nbsp;Sounds like you're in the midwest if you're looking at RA. &nbsp;Give the Midwestern Council a look. &nbsp;Their "backyard" is at blackhawk farms in Beloit, WI. &nbsp;2 mile road course on which they run high speed autox, W2W, as well as about 4 schools per year (for $85 a day, in your car). &nbsp;They also run races at Grattan, Gingerman, and Road America.

Hehe, I live in Madison, but I'm moving to chicago.

If all you want to do is drive Laguna Seca, drive to california. &nbsp;There are plenty of lapping days through various clubs on that and other tracks. &nbsp;I'd love to do a road trip like that.

[bbp]

I have been heavily involved in Driving Schools and Motor sports for over 10 years. &nbsp;I worked for a few IMSA, SCCA Pro, and PSR teams and was head instructor for a national driving school. &nbsp;I don't know if that makes me a pro or not, but here is my two cents. &nbsp;There are two paths to get into it, buy into it, and work your way in. &nbsp;It also depends on how committed you are. &nbsp;Do you want to be full Pro or would amateur stuff suffice?

If you want to get into open wheel cars, drop the 240sx and go buy a shifter kart. &nbsp;This is the fast track to open wheel. &nbsp;Most Indy car and F1 drivers play with shifter in the off-season and between races. &nbsp;Karts are great for learning car control. &nbsp;The trade off is you don't get much carry over to sedans as far as suspension set-up etc. &nbsp;A good shifter can be had for 5-7k. &nbsp;Much less to campaign than sedans overall.

If you are looking to just get into some kind of racing, SCCA offer different levels of preparation and cars. &nbsp;Whoever mentioned SCCA does not breed Pro drivers doesn't know many pro drivers (Pobst, Galati, Said, Newman...). &nbsp;

Understand one thing, if you have a hard time affording the entry to a drivers school, you are not ready to go racing. &nbsp;It is incredibly expensive, especially if you are footing the bill by yourself. &nbsp;

Here is one way to go about it.

1. &nbsp;Find someone to crew for. &nbsp;This will teach you the in's and out's of that series (IT, IMSA). &nbsp;I'm always looking for eager crew guys;) I am currently working with two guys who are interested in getting into the sport. &nbsp;
2. &nbsp;Do drivers schools for a year or so. &nbsp;It makes life allot easier when you show up for your race and you already know the line. &nbsp;Too many people skip this step and end up crashing at their first race or they are simply a moving chicane for everyone else. &nbsp;Car guys, Tracktime, Bondurant all very good.
3. &nbsp;Buy a pre built car. &nbsp;This will save you money in the long run.
4. &nbsp;Make a budget and stick to it. &nbsp;Your budget should be a cash account, not credit cards. &nbsp;It sucks making payments on a bunch of parts that got mashed at the races (be willing to accept the fact that everything can be totaled relatively easily)

If you can afford it, skip the autox thing and go straight to school. &nbsp;If not autox is a great way to get started. &nbsp;I found after I did some track stuff...autox kind of seemed boring.

OR

Write a big check to a team or Skippy and go racing. &nbsp;Just about anything can be done if your wallet is FAT enough. &nbsp;Most of the drivers in IMSA are paid rides. &nbsp;The drivers bring a sponsor or pay for it themselves. &nbsp;These guys have allot of money and basically buy a ride for the season. &nbsp;Some are paid drivers, most are not. &nbsp;I know when I crewed in the series I was amazed at the amount of money these guys were putting on the table to go play. &nbsp;

The difference between pro and amateur racing is dependant on whether there is a purse going to the winner. &nbsp;Not necessarily the level of the driver. &nbsp;NASA has "Pro" racing, it is basically SCCA IT rules, but they put up some money for the top 3 (don't get too excited, it isn't much, but hey! anything is better than nothing)



</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">how much have I spent on entrance fee's and travel expenses and the like this season? over $1000. how much have I spent upgrading the car? bout $400, and that's cause i "needed" a new clutch anyway.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

That's cheap! &nbsp;I have spent that alone on tires. &nbsp;Here is a typical IT weekend.

Tires: 500
Gas: 30-50 (depends on what kind of fuel you have to run)
Entry: 250 - 300
Lodging - 0 - 200 (tent or hotels)
Food (you and crew), tow expenses etc


Pre-race/school expenses:
Helmet: 200-300
Suit: 250-500
Gloves: 35-100

Now some of this stuff can be done cheaper by buying used equipment/tires etc. &nbsp;But you get the idea.

I hope this helps you get out on track, just don’t rush into it. &nbsp;

As for Laguna, &nbsp;look up your local BMWCCA and find out when they are having a school at Laguna. &nbsp;You don’t need a BMW and it is relatively inexpensive because they are a club and are not looking to make a profit on the event.

Feel free to PM if I can help you out at all.

[HippoSleek]

As expected, Mr. "IT" really laid it out <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

A few additional observations...

2. &nbsp;I've actually heard that a certain group of full time instructors at a certain local track always go down to the comp. schools w/ a case of beer to watch guys who don't have any track experience ball up their cars. &nbsp;Learning to drive should be the first step in learning to race! &nbsp;Taking it slow and methodically helps.

3. &nbsp;Pre-built cars &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'> &nbsp; I keep trying to rationalize building one (it's ONLY a spec car and the series is NEW! &nbsp;)

I've heard some ugly stories about first timers who went to a big name school, then went right to racing. &nbsp;Also, as for buying a ride - I heard this story on another board about a local guy that I remember from when I used to autox:
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">A guy i met running a Friday at the track a few weeks back drove one of the DuPont BMW's in the DC Speedvision race. His "deal" was $8,000 to drive. He had to buy his own tires (!<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'>, pay his entry fee, and pay for any damages that incurred to the car during the race. Taz Harvey left him a nice tire donut on his door, and his bumper was mangled and the tail lights busted out from getting nailed by other drivers.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'> &nbsp;Not the deal you want to make at the SVWC-T race/demolition derby that was the National Grand Prix!

[bbp]

I crewed back in the IMSA Firehawk days. &nbsp;These were endurance races usually 3-4 hours long. &nbsp;Most of the drivers were rent-a-racers, except for guys like Randy Pobst and some other notables. &nbsp;After a few hours going door to door, these cars were beat. &nbsp;Many cars had little circles punched into the front bumpers from bumping the guy in front of them. &nbsp;Their tailpipes would punch a perfect hole in the bumper cover.

I second Hippo's advice, take your time. &nbsp;I campaigned a CRX in 93-94. &nbsp;I got thru all the safety stuff in the car, did two schools and got hit in my first regional. &nbsp;Fortunately my car was not heavily damaged (the other guy was totaled), but enough damage that ended that season very quickly. &nbsp;Shit I could barely afford to eat lunch, let alone go racing. &nbsp;So I hung it up for a few more years, worked at the Drivers school and drove TC's cars and got paid for it (does that make me a pro now?)

Mr"IT" &nbsp;- smartass &nbsp; <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':D'>

[HippoSleek]

Did you run the Kline cars in a series or school? &nbsp;In either case, nice gig. &nbsp;And yes - if you get paid to do things the rest of us want to do really bad (baseball, sing, porn, race) you are a professional. &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/satisfied.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':satisfied:'>

Mr. Professional-Pain-in-the-Ass

[bbp]

they were the rentals.

We had Consuliers,civics, preludes, 318ti, z3's, integra gsr, &nbsp;e30 m3. &nbsp;

It was a great job, never really thought about it. &nbsp;Although, I can remember sitting on the pit wall at [insert track here] on a hot summer afternoon. &nbsp;Track is active. &nbsp;The sound of the cars roaring by. &nbsp;The smell of the place was fantastic. &nbsp;Unburnt fuel, hot tires wafted through the fresh air. &nbsp;I am surrounded by beautiful cars, I get to ride in these cars, &nbsp;I get to drive these cars. &nbsp;I am at work.


The love of a good woman can make you give all that up. &nbsp;(Well that... and it never really paid that great)

-Mr. PPITA

[sil80]

bbp you were making so much sense tell "The love of a good woman can make you give all that up." &nbsp;J/K ... atleast I &nbsp;think..
I have yet to find a woman rally driver to snag and make babies with &nbsp;<img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> &nbsp; <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> &nbsp; <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=';)'> &nbsp;I mean aaaa to share a common intrest with.