How can I become a motorsports driver?

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Gerarghini

Gerarghini

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Gerarghini
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Gerarghini
Don't know if this is the right thread but here goes.

As a 16-year old currently living in Southern California, what steps do I have to take in order to compete in professional racing. Currently, my aim is on oval racing ala NASCAR.

Unfortunately, I think I'm a little too late in asking this. I've have karted maybe 3 or 4 times in my life and my family isn't quite keen on my aim since it is quite expensive (not that they won't support me, they just wish it wasn't so expensive).

I've looked at joining SCCA, taking a day at Skip Barber, or maybe just buying a sprint car for my local track. Now I know I'll be competing at a local go-kart's summer season and CalSpeed Karting's Super Series next year. Additionally, I'll be going to college next year thanks to a High School program so is there any particular classes I should take (I know of auto tech and I'll be joining that)?

Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks.
 
You'd be surprised how many are in the same situation as you. It's pretty much every young car enthusiasts' dream to be a racing driver.

In short, you need a shed load of money. Karting can be deceivingly expensive compared to some car classes, so always look at your average season costs. In the UK, some karting can cost around £20k a year, but 750 Formula (which i'm looking to get into) can be run with a £5k budget. For you, i'm not sure about the number of grassroots series in America, but making sure you have some mechanical experience/a decent start budget will allow you to have some options open.

If you have some talent, and it's visible after a short while racing, you can start to fish a round for local sponsors. This will relieve your financial strains a little, and may open you up to moving up the racing ladder a little.

Even if you don't have tons of money, please don't be put off. It looked like I was never going to even get near motorsport just a few years ago, but now i'm looking at everything, just getting one small local sponsor and gathering a small clump of funds together could get me on the grid somewhere. So many of the most renowned drivers in the world didn't come from particularly privileged backgrounds - they worked hard, did things the hard way by picking up free rides etc - so never, ever give up. If you work hard enough at it, you're bound to get at least somewhere.
 
Consider doing engineering/mechanical engineering courses as those can help out, since you're already considering automotive tech.
 
I don't think you can do college and racing. Take all that college money and put it toward racing, or just go to college. I was in the same boat as you when I was a kid. And what kid didn't want to be a racing driver, or an astronaut, or a fighter pilot. Anyway, at your age I did some karting, and I proved to be pretty damn quick. At the time, my parents were open to letting me invest in racing over the summers where I volunteered at SCCA events as a grid and pit lane marshal. I got to meet some really cool people who certainly could have helped me out if I had decided to go take the next step and buy a racing car or kart of my own. However, I chose college because my second passion, designing, was something I knew I could do for the rest of my life and is something I now enjoy waking up in the morning to do. I still have many connections to the racing world, and I still kart every now and then. Do I look back and think what would have happened if I had gone racing? Not really. As fun as it may be, it's a life I just couldn't live.

As Samus stated, you need money and skill. I'm gonna add to that and say you also need dedication, attention to detail, and the will to win like your life depends on it. If you really (And I mean REALLY) think you've got what it takes, then go ahead and prove yourself. If you get the feeling it won't work out, then head to college with no regrets.
 
dhandeh
A Camry 2.2 is a good starting point.
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Sorry but can I ask what is that?

Also @Sam48, this college program is integrated into my high school since I still haven't graduated and it doesn't cost me a thing. Good advice nonetheless.
 
GTPorsche
Consider doing engineering/mechanical engineering courses as those can help out, since you're already considering automotive tech.
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I'm studying Mechatronics Engineering and have been wondering every day why I do it :lol:
 
Gerarghini
Don't know if this is the right thread but here goes.

As a 16-year old currently living in Southern California, what steps do I have to take in order to compete in professional racing. Currently, my aim is on oval racing ala NASCAR.

Unfortunately, I think I'm a little too late in asking this. I've have karted maybe 3 or 4 times in my life and my family isn't quite keen on my aim since it is quite expensive (not that they won't support me, they just wish it wasn't so expensive).

I've looked at joining SCCA, taking a day at Skip Barber, or maybe just buying a sprint car for my local track. Now I know I'll be competing at a local go-kart's summer season and CalSpeed Karting's Super Series next year. Additionally, I'll be going to college next year thanks to a High School program so is there any particular classes I should take (I know of auto tech and I'll be joining that)?

Any and all advice is appreciated. Thanks.
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Make a wish upon a shooting star!

sems4arsenal
I'm studying Mechatronics Engineering and have been wondering every day why I do it :lol:
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Cause you're not rich or skilled in B-ball? Also how far along are you?
 
@hsv How did you get a 5k budget for 750 formula? The parts for the car alone cost at least 8k :p

To OP, I think if you're serious about getting somewhere you should start doing some karting, that will cost you £5-10k a year, I wouldn't bother entering any national level series, just a waste of money. After doing that for a couple of years you should go into cars. You need £40k a year to spend (ideally £100k), at least in this country, if you want a chance at getting some sponsorship. I know in America there's quite a few series that offer prize money to help you work your way up, but don't know how much you need to enter those series. I would say, if you're going into a series, try and get in the best team possible, will cost you more, but going in lower teams can quite often be a waste of money.
 
Spurgy 777
@hsv How did you get a 5k budget for 750 formula? The parts for the car alone cost at least 8k :p
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Because second hand car for around £3-4k + basic budget = £5-6k.

You can buy brand new parts to build a car from scratch for £5,389. £8k on a 750F is a bit steep, not many would be willing to pay that.
 
hsv
Because second hand car for around £3-4k + basic budget = £5-6k.

You can buy brand new parts to build a car from scratch for £5,389. £8k on a 750F is a bit steep, not many would be willing to pay that.
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I was going by this;

http://www.racekits.co.uk/Parts & Prices.htm
http://www.racekits.co.uk/Other Bits.htm

And then there's entry fees, accommodation, tyres, fuel, replacement parts, suit, helmet, transportation, tools and other equipment, etc. Best to overestimate the budget you will need in case hidden costs crop up. And if you want to be competitive you'll most likely want to hire a mechanic/team who knows what they're doing with car setup, and that will really bump up the price.
 
Spurgy 777
I was going by this;

http://www.racekits.co.uk/Parts & Prices.htm
http://www.racekits.co.uk/Other Bits.htm
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I'm too cheap for that :lol:
Secondhand to start off with for me.

Spurgy 777
And then there's entry fees, accommodation, tyres, fuel, replacement parts, suit, helmet, transportation, tools and other equipment, etc.
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Tyres last 2 seasons, wets are free handouts provided at all meetings. Having a small spare backup *should* get us through, i've got suit/helmet/other bits already. And I know where to pick up small race trailers secondhand for about £500.

Spurgy 777
And if you want to be competitive you'll most likely want to hire a mechanic/team who knows what they're doing with car setup, and that will really bump up the price.
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Nope :lol:. Just about getting experience. My cousin does drag racing, he has a good garage space, and can help me out with most mechanical stuff.

Overall, i'm really not bothered about doing a full season/being fast. I just want to get a bit of experience.
 
A big pocket. Seriously there's two ways into racing. Either your a child prodigy and are scouted out at a young age like Lewis Hamilton for example (or you come from a background of racing i.e. your dad was a professional racer). Or you somehow put together like 200k just to get started in race cars, 300k to be competitive. There are of course less expensive series of racing, but you say your aim is oval and NASCAR racing. Without the backing of money, serious skill, the right contacts and a lot of luck the chances are slim not to burst your bubble. If I was you I'd get a part time job and put all the money I could towards karting, and getting a competitive kart and try and win as many tournaments as you can. 16 is quite old to start thinking about serious racing believe it or not, not that it's impossible, it's just easier the younger you are.
 
Chris123
Or you somehow put together like 200k just to get started in race cars, 300k to be competitive.
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What kind of starter series costs £300k? That's absurd. It'd last you about 15 years of VW Cup.
 
hsv
What kind of starter series costs £300k? That's absurd. It'd last you about 15 years of VW Cup.
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Well it depends on where you want to go. Starting in the lower series is still going to take a big chunk out of your pocket. You have to buy the car, have a licence to race it, fuel and upkeep, getting it there and back etc. There's also no guarantee that it pay's off in the long run, though I guess if you just want to go racing seriously then it's a personal choice. The OP says he want's oval racing, so I'm guessing he'd need some serious sponsorship and talent. Your either paid a lot of money to race in the big leagues, or have to pay a lot of money to race in the lower divisions from what I know.
 
Chris123
Well it depends on where you want to go. Starting in the lower series is still going to take a big chunk out of your pocket. You have to buy the car, have a licence to race it, fuel and upkeep, getting it there and back etc. There's also no guarantee that it pay's off in the long run, though I guess if you just want to go racing seriously then it's a personal choice. The OP says he want's oval racing, so I'm guessing he'd need some serious sponsorship and talent. Your either paid a lot of money to race in the big leagues, or have to pay a lot of money to race in the lower divisions from what I know.
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Well a lower series will never cost anything like that. Most basic club series will cost £30-40k max, including car, license, trailer, spares, consumables etc. A full season of GT3 in British GT costs about £500k including the car, so that kind of region is nothing like a "starter" series.
 
To the OP, the main thing you need as a budding driver is a lot of practice (seat time), which tends to be expensive in racing as you've discovered. There's expensive and there's EXPENSIVE, just depends on where you want to spend your time. Karting is always a relatively good way to get a lot of practice, but then how much you get out of it depends on how educated you become about racing technique... which usually takes money (e.g. racing schools like Skip Barber, academic courses such as engineering or calculus or physics).

This reminds me a bit of when I was dreaming of being in a professional band - lots of guys would try to get better mostly by being in a local band right away. Other guys spent as much time practicing their own instrument at home (augmented by private lessons if they could afford it) so their live band time wasn't wasted with musicians that aren't that good (and also that way they didn't need more expensive equipment like bigger amplifiers)... then joined a band later when they were truly ready. So if you have more time than money, I'd suggest the latter approach.

Simulators (racing games) are a great way to get a lot of practice at least for getting past the basics... some pro drivers don't find them useful since at that level they're not realistic enough, but I have to say my few years of Gran Turismo really helped me adapt to racing school quickly as a beginner. That and I already knew how to drive a manual transmission.

The reason education is important is it cuts down the trial and error as a racing driver when trying to understand the dynamics of your car and the racing line in general. When you comprehend the physics and math (geometry, calculus) and engineering to some degree, you know why certain changes to your line are faster and why certain adjustments to the car make it work better for your driving style. Or how to drive around problems with said car...
 
Go to college, become independently wealthy, kick around for a season or two in FV/FA or DSR/CSR in the SCCA, pay your way into Cup Porsches or CTPL, and go have more fun than an oval in Endurance racing as an "Am".

More track time too...

There's no shame in Autocrossing until you get to University, where you then drive the FSAE car, whilst getting an engineering degree.
 
It's difficult for most people at our age group to become professionals especially if we come from average-income families, however, competing in amateur motorsports becomes a possible goal. It would require savings, connections, etc. My plan is to go to college, save up money, and join the scca in my 20's. If I'm any good I can make it to semi-pro racing by my 30's.
 

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