my dream is probably the same as thousands of others but,

I want to race cars. Track racing. i love driving, i have no idea why but i do. I dont have the money to start on my own. Im about to go to UTI(universal technical institute) and eventually ill end with a BMW cert./ASE. I figured become a BMW tech might help me get into the racing game. But what else should i do, how do i get invovled with it? Im from connecticut but im moving to Arizona? Anyone familar with the phenoix/mesa area?Thanks, All info is very much appriciated.

 

Easiest way would be to find a small privateer team running SCCA or NASA events and ask to help out. You'll learn the system and meet all kinds of people. From there you can move your way to one of the paid support teams. Making money will be key as it is expensive to race. If you can enjoy racing by setting up someone elses car etc. you can potentilly get paid to do something you enjoy. If you are flexible etc. you might checkout Skip Barbers website as they are always looking for entry level race techs. You won't get paid much, but you;ll get to travel the country and keep a small fleet of race cars running while meeting all kinds of current and future race teams. Good Luck!

 

All the the things VR4orceCJ said, also plan to work very hard, sleep very little, ask lots of good questions, and DON'T MAKE MISTAKES. It can be a dangerous sport/hobby and people often remember the accidents more than the wins. Make lots of friends. Make as few enemies as possible, it's a VERY, VERY small world.

Flexiability is good, but keep your eyes open for speciality niches that you might be gifted in. In motorsports, it seem the engineers get the lion's share of pay.

JW

 

1. How old are you?
2. Are you good? If you say yes please qualify your statement. If you have a cart track near you start wearing out tires on the cars there.
3. Can you talk to people and not sound like a dumbass? (Are you articulate?)

Just some things for you to consider. The other thing would be to find someone like Gary Sheehan over on the nasioc.com boards and ask his advice. You gotta ask someone who is racing AND is fast.

Dave Mac

 

lol, what jwest said. It is a remarkably small world. Jump in and whenever you get $300 or so check out the NASA website and hit up an HPDE, work your way up and get a comp liscence or TT liscence while you are working on your career. This way you will also get tons of seat time and track experience while building a career skill-set.

 

I am 19 years old. Am i good at what, Driving or Mechanics? I i personally think im an amazing driver. Never had track time but ive been in cars with people who think they can drive, i know i have good potentional. Like a gocart track? We have an amazing indoor track, slick track etc etc. I go there once in a while, i actually thought about joining that just get into "car" racing. Mechanical skills i am fairly decent, thats why im going to UTI to really learn a car in side and out. I my knownlage comes from taking things apart and putting them back togeather. No formal teaching.Yes i can talk to people, I'm very smart and i am a very good listern.

 

Thanks alot of your input has been helpful. The skip barber school is pretty cool. I like that, A little expensive, but 5 grand now is nothing compared to a life of loving what i do. Thanks. Keep it comming if you guys could.Does anyone have connections in Arizona?

 

evo-slo-

Sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders and you are young enough to have time to learn and be marketable to a motorsports team. Do the Barber School thing and beat everyone. You've got to get around the people you want to race with/for. Network you butt off and talk to as many people as you can. Go to you local cart track and again, beat everyone like you future depends on it. Oh, and be very gracious when you win. See, the problem here is getting recognized by somebody who wants to spend money on developing a young driver. YOU need to be where they are, YOIU need to impress them.

Mull this over. I'm certainly no expert but my 36 years on this earth have taught me a few things. If you aren't near and don't know the people you need to know they can't help you. Google ANY motorsports team you are interested in out in AZ. Find them and get to know them.

Dave Mac

 

Hit me up when you get down here, i have some friends that go to uti in to the racing scene and also know just about every one with an evo down here. names mike

480 228 0216

 

not to be negative, but without any track time i don't think you should consider yourself an "amazing driver." The more people you know the better, and the more seat time you have the better.

 

Thank you once again. Mike, ill keep in contact with you, sent a PM. Is180sx. I consider myself a pretty danm good street driver. i know how to drive a car and i understand the "math" portion of driving pretty well. I dont have a track time due to lack of possible track time in my area and lack of funds.

 

get ready to start making some $$$ if you wanna get into this...

get seat time....

 

Don't forget about karting as a lower cost alternative to getting into motorsports.

 

Talk to Scorke. He has a spec Miata and might be able to help you out..

 

Ok, you've said this twice now. I hope there will not be a 3rd. If you have only ever driven on the street, then you haven't the slightest clue about driving...I mean not the SLIGHTEST clue. I don't know what you've done on the street to convince yourself that you're an amazing driver or a "pretty damn good street driver" (what does that mean?). Also, to understand the math, you have to actually have done it before. You haven't yet, and that's ok, because we all have to get started at some point in life.

2 years ago, I had never done anything besides drag racing, and I was really good at it, so I considered myself a good driver. However, once I did my first autocross (not even road racing yet), I realized how much I had NO CLUE about driving, especially when it came to the Evo. After doing some more autocrosses and getting good at it, I went to an HPDE with NASA. Once again, I was reminded (even more emphatically) how little of a clue I had about REAL driving. Once you've done your first 20-min session on a road course, you'll look in your rearview mirror and laugh at yourself for being a douchebag (generally speaking, not calling you a douchebag), because you'll suddenly realize how nothing you've EVER DONE on the street could ever in ANY WAY compare to what you've just experienced. Just trust me on this. You may end up being a world class driver, but do not go around saying you think you're an amazing driver when you haven't stepped foot on a track before. The most dangerous thing behind the steering wheel is someone who thinks they're awesome despite having _0_ experience.

All that being said, if you don't (and won't) have the funds to hit the track for some seat time, then get involved with a crew, or even volunteer at a local NASA or SCCA event as a corner worker. Do something just to get in the thick of things so that you can meet people and learn. Until you can get on the track yourself, though, it's going to be tough.