Trying to get into racing
09-06-2008, 12:30 PM
#46
Instructor
1. spend a couple of years honing your skills as a driver.
2. figure out where and what you want to race
3. create a budget, then double/tripple it!
4. spend some time as a volunteer with the club you want to race with in as many positions as possible but most importantly timing/scoring and on a corner.
5. find a mentor, someone that is currently racing and spend a few weekends helping them to what they are going through.
with most clubs you need a "license" to be a corner worker, but you should be able to go out as a volunteer and help. Very few people actually go through this process but it will pay off in a huge way. As a racer eventually you will have a problem in one of these two areas, by knowing how to aviod or fix one of these problems or even just by the fact that you were a volunteer before you were a racer in the eyes of the workers will help you, as when you are on course they will be looking for you.
2. figure out where and what you want to race
3. create a budget, then double/tripple it!
4. spend some time as a volunteer with the club you want to race with in as many positions as possible but most importantly timing/scoring and on a corner.
5. find a mentor, someone that is currently racing and spend a few weekends helping them to what they are going through.
with most clubs you need a "license" to be a corner worker, but you should be able to go out as a volunteer and help. Very few people actually go through this process but it will pay off in a huge way. As a racer eventually you will have a problem in one of these two areas, by knowing how to aviod or fix one of these problems or even just by the fact that you were a volunteer before you were a racer in the eyes of the workers will help you, as when you are on course they will be looking for you.
09-06-2008, 02:25 PM
#47
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Location: Alabama
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Hi there! I have no designs to be a racer, but I have always wanted to learn how to REALLY drive. My dad and his Alfa Romeo inspired me as well:
So a little over a month ago, I got myself one of these:
Before buying my car, I started looking into High Performance Driver Education. Mind you, I am starting from ZERO here. The NASA (National Augo Sport Association) program caught my eye because you can get free driving time by working shifts at their events (2 weekends working = 1 weekend driving). So I joined up in May, and found some events near me to work in June. I asked for pit & grid because I wanted to be around the cars, drivers, and all the vroom-vroom. Now I want to do some flagging
It has been a great choice - I've worked 2 events so far. Met so many people. Got rides around the tracks. Had so much fun! Met some 911 drivers and talked to them about their cars, which helped me shop for the one I eventually got.
I highly recommend getting in this way. Whether NASA, SCCA, PCA, just do it. Join up, show up, work a few events and soak it all in. All the drivers & officials & crews are more than happy to talk about their cars. Once you meet some people, find some with the kind of car you want to race, get to know them, volunteer to crew for them for a bit.
The jump into driving - most clubs have a system you can work yourself through, HPDE, Time Trials (TT) then club racing. Others who've done it have already outlined it here very well. As already noted, autocross is said to be the best way to sharpen car control skills. I hope to find this out myself.
If that 86 924 can pass a tech inspection (forms on all the club websites), sign up for some HPDE, get yourself a helmet (Snell or SA2005 rating ought to cover you in all the clubs but check their rules) and jump in!
I'm scheduled for my first HPDE on 10/25 at Talladega Grand Prix Raceway. Can't wait!
So a little over a month ago, I got myself one of these:
Before buying my car, I started looking into High Performance Driver Education. Mind you, I am starting from ZERO here. The NASA (National Augo Sport Association) program caught my eye because you can get free driving time by working shifts at their events (2 weekends working = 1 weekend driving). So I joined up in May, and found some events near me to work in June. I asked for pit & grid because I wanted to be around the cars, drivers, and all the vroom-vroom. Now I want to do some flagging
It has been a great choice - I've worked 2 events so far. Met so many people. Got rides around the tracks. Had so much fun! Met some 911 drivers and talked to them about their cars, which helped me shop for the one I eventually got.
I highly recommend getting in this way. Whether NASA, SCCA, PCA, just do it. Join up, show up, work a few events and soak it all in. All the drivers & officials & crews are more than happy to talk about their cars. Once you meet some people, find some with the kind of car you want to race, get to know them, volunteer to crew for them for a bit.
The jump into driving - most clubs have a system you can work yourself through, HPDE, Time Trials (TT) then club racing. Others who've done it have already outlined it here very well. As already noted, autocross is said to be the best way to sharpen car control skills. I hope to find this out myself.
If that 86 924 can pass a tech inspection (forms on all the club websites), sign up for some HPDE, get yourself a helmet (Snell or SA2005 rating ought to cover you in all the clubs but check their rules) and jump in!
I'm scheduled for my first HPDE on 10/25 at Talladega Grand Prix Raceway. Can't wait!
09-06-2008, 08:58 PM
#48
Instructor
vroomgrl
since you live in Alabama you have got to make it over to Barber in Birmingham. Schedule enough time to walk through the museum as well. It is truly a fantastic track. good luck 10/25
since you live in Alabama you have got to make it over to Barber in Birmingham. Schedule enough time to walk through the museum as well. It is truly a fantastic track. good luck 10/25
09-06-2008, 10:09 PM
#49
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I know this is an old post but I just went through this very thing last weekend. It was EASY.....
Went online at SCCA.com-hit the "find your region" tab-clicked on my region (California Sports Car Club)-went to the regional website-filled out their questionaire and got a response from the ***'t Regional Exec in about ten minutes (he happened to be online). He said "Hey we have a double regional meet at Buttonwillow Raceway Park this coming weekend. Stop by and I'll give you a brief tour." Got there Sat and Bruce spent the next FOUR hours introducing me to people, showing me the club operations, and the pits. I met Andy Porterfield (Porterfield Racing Brakepads) who is 73 (been in the SCCA for 50 yrs!!!!) and the fastest guy out on the track!! A real inspiration. I met the customer service rep for Spec Racer Ford (SRF) Mike Ballangee (MBI) and we talked for a bit. I'm looking at that as my first car. So at the end of the day Bruce says what think? I said I would love to flag and watch he spec racers tomorrow and he says come back tomorrow and we'll set you up. I did and he did.
I'm hooked!! I joined SCCA and when I've volunteered enough I'll take the leap into Spec racing. By then I will have a good jump on what going on. A simple email on a whim is all it takes.......
Went online at SCCA.com-hit the "find your region" tab-clicked on my region (California Sports Car Club)-went to the regional website-filled out their questionaire and got a response from the ***'t Regional Exec in about ten minutes (he happened to be online). He said "Hey we have a double regional meet at Buttonwillow Raceway Park this coming weekend. Stop by and I'll give you a brief tour." Got there Sat and Bruce spent the next FOUR hours introducing me to people, showing me the club operations, and the pits. I met Andy Porterfield (Porterfield Racing Brakepads) who is 73 (been in the SCCA for 50 yrs!!!!) and the fastest guy out on the track!! A real inspiration. I met the customer service rep for Spec Racer Ford (SRF) Mike Ballangee (MBI) and we talked for a bit. I'm looking at that as my first car. So at the end of the day Bruce says what think? I said I would love to flag and watch he spec racers tomorrow and he says come back tomorrow and we'll set you up. I did and he did.
I'm hooked!! I joined SCCA and when I've volunteered enough I'll take the leap into Spec racing. By then I will have a good jump on what going on. A simple email on a whim is all it takes.......
09-06-2008, 10:30 PM
#50
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I think these are extremely important points that most new drivers fail to heed...I know that #5 has saved me from #3 a few times, but #3 is pretty inevitable- either you have too much fun and want to do it all the time, or you go with private coaching, or you go crazy modding your car...