I will have to strongly disagree aboutt he indoor Karts. Indoor Karting has vastly improved my driving over the past year. They are underpowered, and in order to turn a fast laptime, especially if you are a big driver (I'm 197), you have to be smooth, consistent, and use your vision to look through the apex to the exit and to the next turn. you learn more about momentum,a nd your brain will transfer this skill to a car. you also train yourself kinetically regarding car control. Outdoor is better yes, but indoor can be very very valuable as well as a training and learning tool.

 

Everyone has a different story and to tell you the truth, Id have gone Karts years ago if I knew then what I know now, but here is my story of how I got into racing. Keep in mind everyone learns at a different pace.

I also thought I was a pretty good "street driver" mostly because growing up I did a lot of crazy things in a car and was fortunate enough not to wreck. When I finally went to my first HPDE, I was amazed as to how little I actually knew about driving. Im a pretty good natural driver so I figured I knew what I was doing. But in reality that probably slowed my progress over the years because I didnt study the art/dynamics of driving, I just drove and reacted to what the car was doing. I started out by drag racing and doing a few rally cross's where I did very well. And was doing an HPDE about once a year. After a few years of this CJ talked me into going to Skippy school with him where I got really good training and for the first time I was able to drive a car at its limit (by the time I graduated anyways).

Then I felt like I had the skills to go along with my natural driving ability. I went out and purchased a former Pro Rally car because thats where I had the most fun, sliding around in the dirt. I didnt consider roadracing because I thought it was a little boring to tell you the truth. The missing element turned out to be competition, talented drivers for me to compete against as opposed to other students. Then ol CJ started roadracing, called me after his first race and told me that it's anything but boring and that it was crazy out there racing with those guys. Well, thats all I needed to hear and got on Ebay and found a fully prepped former Pro race car for 6500.00 and sold the rally car. Went out purchased the car, ran 3 races my rookie season 2005 ( car was way too slow for ITE class, but I could beat anything in my hp range), and after watching the SCCA Runoffs on Speed channel, decided that if I really wanted to see if Im any good that I need to compete against those guys, the Rob Hine's, Bill Zieglers and Chuck Hemmingsons of the world. It's very easy to sit on your couch and say how good of a driver you are, but only a few will put their ego to the test and actually race against the best out there and see how good you really are. For the record, its a lot cheaper sitting on your couch .

So I went out and purchased an Evo IX, did one last Regional event in the spring on 2006 in order to qualify for my National license and got the Evo prepped for the opening National race of the season at Summit Point. I ended up finishing 4th in the NE region in points, had 4 podium finishes to include one first place finish and a track record at VIR and ran at the the runoffs where I earned the Hard Charger award and finished 13th after starting 22nd. The best part is that I know I am competitive at this level and hope to do better this coming season. There are several Pro drivers that race T2 class and they are my target. Dont get a big head WTZ, but the 3 biggest highlights to my season were finally beating Bill Z and Rob Hines and finishing just behind Chuck at Pocono, it was very cool to look at the car in front of you and realize it is the reigning National Champion you were just watching on TV a few months earlier and whos picture is plastered all over your calendar at work. He is also a former SWC Pro and current GAC Pro driver.

My road anyways, maybe not the classic route, but it's mine
Marty

 

Hey, Marty, where's the part about Warrtalon going to Summit Point for an HPDE and coming back raving about how badass GG Evos are on the track!! That was right before you and CJ got your GG IXs and started tearing it up.

 

Oh yea I did forget that part, thats a bit later but in the same chapter where I talked Clayton into buying his MR and told him that HPDEs are more fun than autocrossin a parking lot Its actually weird how it all turned out actually, I introduced CJ to drag and rally and he introduced me to HPDEs, then we kinda pushed each other to step up the ante as we went. Now he will be racing Nationals this season as well.
Marty

 

But that was after we parted out the orginal "WARR Talon" to use in our GVR4s and carted the bare chasiss on to your trailer for the slow ride to the boneyard

Sorry to bring up the sad days Clayton, but it ultimately did lead to the purchase of your MR

 

Heck yeah, it was that fateful conversation outside MArty's house while planning the old Talon's demise that got me into the Evo world. Marty told me to check out this new "MR" version of the Evo, and the rest was history...

 

First nice job everyone, it's amazing what productive experience and sage advice is available on EVOm from every level. I agree with all the realistic "doom and gloom" about chances of making it in motorsports. You would have to be extremely talented (one in a million who actually try to make it) and get lucky breaks or more realistically just loaded(!). Also I have seen many frustrated mechanics who want to be drivers, it it tough to get a break within a team that drivers seat is very tricky to get into! It is the creapest way into pro motorsports.

Out of the Mechanics Schools I wholeheartedly recommend the Russell Mechanics program, everyone of their graduates get placed in professional motorsports and it's a real accredited school (in California) and you get to drive and race.

check this link: http://www.jimrussellusa.com/mechani.../mechanics.php

Good luck and most of all realize only the best and brightest will have a shot and then only those with more dedication than the other best and brightest will eventually succeed. You have to want it more than anything else, that means no GF, no EVO etc.etc.

 

Money definitely helps, money and resonable goals.

 

1) Seat time.
2) Seat time.
3) Make enough money to put yourself out there and get more of #1 and #2.
4) Stay humble. Of all the folks I've ever known who went to a track day thinking they knew something, all of them went away knowing that they knew less than they thought they did.
5) Seat time.

 

#4 hits me all the time, but I think that's better than leaving the track thinking you still know it all unless you really are a pro.

 

Even the pros have humility. The good ones always try to get better. They make mistakes like we all do, but much less frequent and less glaring.

 

Lots of good advice here. Consider autocrossing as your first test. Go find a local scca chapter, go to the event, pay like 25-40 bucks and see how your skills stack up to a bunch of scruffy looking old men. Any car will do.

Think of it as a dyno session of the driver.