Your motorsport career: Tin tops or Open Wheel?

  • Thread starter Thread starter TheElbows
  • 16 comments
  • 1,805 views

Future career in motorsport...

  • Open wheel, for real.

    Votes: 3 10.0%

  • Tin tops, can't stops.

    Votes: 27 90.0%
  • Total voters
    30
TheElbows

TheElbows

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I was talking to my father the other day about this. If you were a young driver (or indeed the parent of a young driver helping him/her with their career progression) where would you aim? Pretend you have the funding/connections to possibly get anywhere.

While understanding that a great driver is a great driver...what appeals to you - and what do you think is a smarter career choice?

If you go open wheel in the US you may be aiming for Indy Car. That means a small chance of driving in a fun championship, but not one with much prestige nowdays (particularly outside of the US). Money isn't phenomenal, sponsorship is spotty and manufacturers are extremely limited. Possibility to win the acclaimed Indy 500.

F1? Incredibly hard to get there. But you get to possibly earn tens of millions for driving, and may become the "World Champion". Even a season or two at the back of the field will set you up for a career for the rest of your life, whatever you end up driving. Cutting edge tech, etc. You could race at Monaco, one of the crown jewels.

Tin-tops you've got far more opportunities, possibly up to prototypes and LeMans. Lots of feeder series, and numerous chances to race professional GT series around the world. A better chance to become a manufacturer sponsored driver, opening up more opportunities to race. Possibility of taking your car around the world to various special events (Bathurst 12, LeMans 24, Sebring, Daytona, etc.). Go NASCAR and you could win whatever famous races they have (Brickyard, Daytona, etc.).

What do you think? Where would you go? What would your aim be?
 
Literally anything. The initial aim would probably be F1 but i'd hope to have proven myself to get into other series if i'm good enough. Probably a driver like Mitch Evans who doesn't have a huge backing so would try to go through Indy Lights and IndyCar if i'm good enough hopefully earning a WEC or IMSA drive on the side.

Failing that, i'll go into Touring Car series. Because of said lack of backing, i'll stay away of the expensive WTCC (Note i'm only 19 so pre-2014 WTCC is pointless for me and hone a career through a national TCR series like Germany or else, go onto the International stage and get drives alongside that. Most likely 24h Series drives in the TCR class because i'm proven or Nurburgring 24h drives and get a lower tier GT drive.
 
I'd go tintop, not just because of my age(46 in a couple weeks). I love seeing street cars on track. Lower the suspension, keep all lights and factory aero.

If I had the money, GT4 and MARC V8s would be my series of choice. Though I'd probably spend most times in a Production Car category.
 
I would go with tintops, would love to drive endurance races or something like Improved Production (which has some amazing racing.)
 
Neither. If money wasn't an issue for me, and I could race anything, I think I would race motorcycles. That would be the most thrilling and exciting to me.

As much as I like Le Mans and other historic races, they have nothing on the Isle of Man TT in my opinion.
 
I want Sabine Schmitz's job of driving people around the Nordschleife and the occasional VLN race. GT cars for me.
 
Ideally you would start open Wheel until you can't go any further then move to tin tops.

Which then has mutliple paths such as Endurance, Touring, prototype etc.
 
mustafur
Ideally you would start open Wheel until you can't go any further then move to tin tops.

Which then has mutliple paths such as Endurance, Touring, prototype etc.
Click to expand...

So basically you want to be Bernd Schneider? :p
 
GT3 for me. I personally think it's the most fun to watch (if the BoP is done properly) and to drive in racing games.
 
While my preference is for open-wheel stuff, there really just aren't enough seats to go around. I'd be more likely to find drives (and hopefully success) in tin-tops, so I'd probably go that route.
 
I'd choose to go tin-tops, particularly towards the British Touring Car Championship. I personally reckon it's the more accessible route going through series like Ginettas and the Clio Cup. Plus the no-quarter-given racing is some of the most exciting out there right now.
 
i am dun now, too old. i would say a tin top. reason being i know myself and being in a race situation, IF you touch wheels in an open car..... you are in for a big wreck. closed wheel car is much safer. if your any good you are eventually going to get in a wreck. wear your belts, neck stuff, etc. my 2c
 
If going by heart, it would be open wheel. In sims I find that open wheelers can be quite tricky to get the full potential out of, but when you eventually do, it's just so gratifying.
I like the rubbing, shunting and punting of tin top racing, but there is also just something about the pin point precision required to thread the car through a field in open wheel racing that speaks to me.
 
tunnel cars are fun, but tricky. i love it all, but now im down to just autocross. oh and video games :)
 

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