Legal Racing

DeAdGnRaTiOn · 03-03-2005

A lot of you might make fun of me for posting this but this has been on my mind for awhile, now that I have been learning more about cars and finally upgrading my car.

Does anyone know anyone that could help me get started in this? I used to have a connection. My mom worked with a girl and her husband races for Acura for a living. I met him when I was 14 and he told me that once I get my license and a car, he would help me get started. Unfortunatly, she lost touch with that girl. I could not imagine a better job. My grandpa was a stock car racer in the 60's but had to quite for the kids (grandma made him)

Is there any information someone could give me or does anyone know some people? I would much appriciate the help!

My cell phone is 763 232 6674. You can either post or give me a call!

Onefast99gsx · 03-03-2005

If you're wondering how or where to get started in racing the legal way, goto Rock Falls Raceway in Eau Claire. Check out their website www.rockfallsraceway.com for a schedule. I believe racing starts there in April already. It's a great place to learn and watch from other. Most people are more than willing to talk about their cars where you can get first hand advise from them. They have numerous import days throughout their schedule.

Stay away from street racing. If you wanna race, race at the track.

Maybe see you at the track this summer as i should be there quite a bit.

john · 03-03-2005

I think he is looking for information on how to get into the racing industry as a career. All I can think is going to one of the Hot Rod schools. I believe UTI has one but other than that, I have no idea.

DeAdGnRaTiOn · 03-03-2005

Hey thank you for all the information and yes carlos, I am looking into it as a career.

**JET** · 03-03-2005

What part of the industry do you want to get into? Race driver, mechanic, etc? If you want to be a driver, you are already way behind the curve.

DeAdGnRaTiOn · 03-03-2005

Yes, driving. Why would you say that? It is not that I haven't had any experiance racing...just not the safest way and not the most professional way. And not with a DSM *grin*

I am not expecting that I will be able to just jump into it and everything is gonna rock and it will be easy...I am just looking for a doorway...making the first step.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onefast99gsx

Are you referring to road racing or drag racing? Regardless, more than likely you're gonna have to start small and work your way up. No sponsor will give a full ride to a newbie without any 'barnyard' type victories as a starter. Good Luck!

Exactly GSX...that is what I am looking for...where do I start?

I want to get into road racing.

sleepydsm · 03-03-2005

Well from what I know, most people who do end up as professional drivers usually start young. They start racing on smaller scales, such as go-karts, circle track stuff, junior dragsters, etc. Apparently professional teams use scouts (just like in "regular" sports) to find good potential rookie drivers. You need to get some exposure, and be good at it, for people to take notice. Some kid in my highschool carpool raced go karts. He is very successful, and he knows all these professional drivers that come to his house and help him set his car up. He drives a little 50-ish hp kart that can go 120mph, has brembos, and all these other cool things. It's worth about $8k. For a go-kart. And he has more than one.

Onefast99gsx · 03-03-2005

Are you referring to road racing or drag racing? Regardless, more than likely you're gonna have to start small and work your way up. No sponsor will give a full ride to a newbie without any 'barnyard' type victories as a starter. Good Luck!

**Shane@DBPerformance** · 03-03-2005

What kind of racing do you want to do? Drag, road race, circle track, rally? Your best bet to be a pro dragracer or stock car/circle track type of driver is to be born into a family like the Forces or Pettys. If that isn't possible, and you want to drag race, then build some crazy car and start going faster than the sponsored Pros and you might get picked up to be a sponsored pro yourself. If you want to do F1 or NASCAR, you probably should have started racing karts competatively a long time ago. You could try working your way up through the local dirt tracks or whatever and get up into some higher level of stock car racing. If you want to do rally professionally, then get reincarnated as some Finnish or Norwegian families baby.

Most of the guys out there racing in the lower and middle levels of motorsport everywhere from rally to drag to circle track usually have full time jobs doing something else and just do this on the side for fun.

DeAdGnRaTiOn · 03-03-2005

I appriciate all of the opinions and help guys. I know it is going to be tuff but Its been a dream of mine for awhile. I was never fortunate enough to have a dad who was a motor head (well, when I was at an age to realize it) or a mother with an uncle who races. Sucks you have to start so young aswell. If anyone knows someone they can talk to, maybe ask advice or something in that nature, that would be awesome. I am sure I am not the only one on the website who has had the same thoughts.

I want to either get into F1 or road track. Gran Tourismo type shiat.

Matt D. · 03-03-2005

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 · 03-03-2005

"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 · 03-03-2005

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** · 03-03-2005

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 · 03-03-2005

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. · 03-03-2005

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 · 03-03-2005

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 · 03-03-2005

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 · 03-04-2005

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. · 03-04-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlos

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

awd1dr = matchbx