Legal Racing

[Matt D.]

Want to know how to get into professional racing? I'll tell you what you need.

Money.

Racing schools, cars, equipment, travel... They all need money. You aren't going to get financial support unless you've proven yourself, and you can't prove yourself without a racecar, and you can't get a racecar without money.

[dylan]

"I don't want to be a race car driver. I want to be a race car passenger. The guy who bugs the driver. "Why are we going around in circles? Can I turn up the radio? You should slow down. Man, you really like Tide.""

[Onefast99gsx]

Matt says it best 'MONEY'. I don't have a clue who you could talk to. Probably start with someone with alot of money. Some of these things, you almost have to be born into it. For example: Father: Kenny Bernstein/son Brandon; John Force/ daughter Ashley; Warren Johnson/ son Kurt; Dale Earnhart/ son Jr. These racers all made it big because their fathers are big and so on. As for Road racing, you might as well consider moving out of the area because there are no tracks near your area. I believe there is one down in Elkhart Lake, WI but as for it having a driving school, i doubt it. I know California has several.

Goto some races and talk to the pros in the pits and see if they need a 'roadie'. Perhaps you can tag along. Still, you're gonna need some sort of credentials other than a valid drivers license. You need to have a reason for them to even want to talk to you. Face it, if it were easy.. we'd all become professional racers. To get big you need money, to go fast, you need money.

Just go talk to the pros themselves. Nobody gets in the seat of a professionally sponsored car without having prior small circuit experience.

[JET]

Yeah, you are probably pretty screwed. Most of the circuit racers start when they can barely walk in go-karts. Then they work up to shifter carts and are ready to go circle track racing when they turn 16. Probably 25% of all guys have the passion to become a professional race car driver. The thing is, do you have the skill? Even with a lot of experience most guys just end up doing it for a hobby.

I wish you luck, but it will be a tough road, especially being behind the curve already. One of the quicker ways to get into serious racing is to road race motorcycles. I started racing with a chick about 6 years ago. She is now a factory racer for Kawasaki in the AMA. She raced Buell's 2 years ago in the AMA pro-thunder series. Bikes don't cost nearly as much as cars either. You have to be in the top .5% to go pro though.

[Onefast99gsx]

There is a track for Road racing motorcycles up at Brainerd. I couldn't say whether it will be open this year at all. It's not even that great of a track as far as surface goes unless it has been redone.

[Matt D.]

If you want to road race you should look into SCCA. Granted you are going to have to travel to get to regional and national races, but it's probably the cheapest form of amateur auto racing on a national level.

[Speedfreak]

Matt D said it best above... MONEY. Believe me, a lot of us have had that dream... And it always comes back to $. You either have to get in really early in life and prove yourself($). Or at an older age(now), you need to build yourself a car that will be legal in one of the sanctioned road race series(a lot of $). And then be able to campaign it long enough to get noticed... Win a lot... takes a lot of time and a shiteload of $. The other way to get noticed is to go to one of the few big driver training/racing schools. Enroll in the highest level school they offer($) and get better lap times than everyone else that has come through their school... One in a million chance. As far as F1... absolutely not possible. Its the highest level of racing on earth. To get into that you have to be the Wayne Gretzky or the Micheal Jordans of the sport. And you have to be them(always win...) since you were a child... I have always had the same dream... Not early enough, and not enough $. So now my only chance is to make a lot of $, build my own car and hope to get some sponsors to subsidize my hobby... will probably never get the chance to be a proffesional driver at this point... Sorry to burst your bubble but this is reality.

[MATCHBX]

Like was said before, if you want to make a lot of money in racing, start out with alot more.

If you want to get into road racing, I suggest getting out to as many autocrosses that you can this summer. You don't need a rollcage and you will learn more than you could imagine about car control. Take some driving courses. I don't remember if they are still doing it at the Highway Safety Center up in St. Cloud but they usually have driver's courses up there for bettering your racing ability. This has nothing to mean that you are a bad driver. Even the best drivers continue to hone their skills everyday.

SCCA is a good organization to get into if you are looking for road racing. There are many racers around the twin cities area and just outside the metro area. Go out and volunteer to work some of the bigger events that you aren't able to drive in to get familiar with the structure of the events and get to know some of the people involved. You will go much further in this type of racing if you start out working the races. You'll get to know the organizational side of things while you are still able to do some amatuer racing. If you need anymore info on SCCA, let me know. Or if you are going to the auto show, they will have a booth up there so you can talk to more of our (SCCA) members and racers.

There are other organizations around here that are just as good. I don't remember all of there names though. I know of AARRF but I don't remember some of the others. The advantage to SCCA is that they are a national organization. But sometimes that can be detrimental too. If you wanted to go into national racing though, they would be the ones to go with.

[john]

I would start at a raceway park level. Junk cars, shitty drivers. If you cannot get good against them, you are screwed. You could also do the rally races that awd1dr and matchbx do. If you are unsuccessful in them, you are out of luck. A raceway park bomber would only set you back a few humdred or a g at most.

[Matt D.]

You could also do the rally races that awd1dr and matchbx do.
awd1dr = matchbx ;)