how to get started in racing

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

ok im 16 i dont have a whole lotta money and i wanna race proffesionally, dont laugh at me cuz u think its a stupid dream cuz its just the same as someone wanting to become a doctor or something.

as far as i can figure out so far there are 2 ways to get started

go carts or get a racing license and race in the small areas for a while until ur good enuff for the big stuff

needless to say this is gonna cost a shit load of money (i heard racing licnse after tires and equipment and stuff will cost about 10 grand)

i aint expecting to become michael shumacher overnight so i'd apprciate any advice you guys can give

oh btw im writing this at 1 in the morning and im kinda sleepy so ignore any spelling mistakes please

[GTR Dreamer]

what kind of racing?
good luck

[F1_Master]

There is nothing wrong with that. In 2001, a boy at the age of 19 drove the Panoz LMP Roadster. The boy's father owned the team. What a lucky kid.

"Forget College, I'm driving a Panoz" (Not a real quote)

Anyways, I haven't heard anything about him since 2002.
He may have actually quit, or just become a crew member.

[r1ckst4]

umm... i'm not so sure about the racing stages but in New Zealand... i think it goes like this:
Gokart>Formula Ford>Champion cars (or something)>Formula 3>Formula 1
or.... >Indy Racing> Formula 1

thats the stage i think do correct me if i'm wrong...

I think you should start pretty young to start a racing career... 16 is i think just a bit too old to start now sorry... but i think if u try realy hard u can make it.

Scott Dixon (New Zealand driver) who is now racing in the IRL started pretty young... he got his first racing license when he was 13! thats a bit funny because in new zealand you hav to be 15 years old to have a driving license... he was a little chubby boy back then i saw the replay of the interview last year on TV. he said "I want to be a Formula 1 driver". Damn you Williams... u shattered the little boy's dream!

[taz_rocks_miami]

There's another way to get into racing. Look at the racing schools that are closest to you, some of them have a "mechanics training program", and by getting into this program, you learn to build race cars from the ground up, you get to take the driving courses the rest of us have to pay for for free, and they usually also have a private champoinship you can race in and get wheel time in. And if you win the champoinship, you get a sponcered pro ride. Look into it, Skip Barber has this kind of program. Good luck, hope you make it!

Taz.

[DasModell]

what kind of racing ?? single seaters ?? rallying ?? Touring cars ?? GT's ?? sportscars ??

gokarts is always a good ideea ..

[F1_Master]

BTW, the boy I was talking about raced in ALMS.

[DasModell]

if i remember corectly . a boy under 18 i think . did the Bathurst 24h race last year ..

[drakkie]

i know a boy that has won the european championship for gokarts for under ? two years ago.unfortunately he had to stop racing but he waas pretty good and has been throughout europe racing his gokart at a very high level!good luck with your racing career!

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

hmm i really just got into cars and stuff after i got my learners license which was ... feburary

i don't even know how you can get a racing license at my age i think you must be 18 and as ive said b4 i dont have enuff money

anyone know how much it takes to go cart? not recreationally obviously

[Matra et Alpine]

i don't even know how you can get a racing license at my age i think you must be 18 and as ive said b4 i dont have enuff money

Shame about the money coz you can get a race license from the age of 8 for karts
Need to be 15 for the ultra fast, competitive 'rotax' kart series.

car autotests are 14,
rallycross, hillclimb and circuit racing is 16.
Road rallies are 17 ( but you can navigate from 12 )

A good site ( well for us anyway ) on getting started is at the Motor Sports Association web site for the UK at www.msauk.org, click on "Go Motorsport" and "getting started"

anyone know how much it takes to go cart? not recreationally obviously

Depends where you are.
In the UK, you can share a kart and do it really cheaply and it depends on the formula. The higher formulas are more competitive and ONLY the best and latest equipment wins races, so it gets expensieve to keep upgrading and replacing engnes especially.
But you could get a used mid-pack runner for about $3000 and entry fees are about $250. Running costs are typically a couple of sets of tyres per event at $300 and an engine rebuild every 2-3 events at about $300. Course you can do it cheaper by not stressing things so much and tyres could last 5 events, engine rebuild only every 6-8 for example.
If just for fun, there are the lower formulas and fun-formulas and endurance kart which is great fun. Karts for these can be had for about $1500 and running costs are real low

[taz_rocks_miami]

One thing you have to remember about racing: "How fast do you wanna go? How much do you wanna spend?"

Taz.

[KnifeEdge_2K1]

i dont wanna spend i wanna earn lol

[Mustang]

i dont wanna spend i wanna earn lol

you have to spend.

where are you from and what sort of racing do you want to get into??

i am currently 16 and with the help from Matra i am going to be starting my rallying next year. its gonna cost me about £2000 (maybee a bit more) for my first car and the entery fees for each rally are rangine from £120 to £200

the good thing about the formula that i am going in is that because it is a beginner championship you have controled tyres and are allowed no engine mods or to use higher octane fuel than everyone else.

ontop of that i will have the costs of the helmet, race suit, boots gloves etc which will probably come to about £700

good luck man Peter / matra will probably be your best guy to talk about this sort of thing

[taz_rocks_miami]

i dont wanna spend i wanna earn lol

If that's true, then look into a mechanics racing program like I said before, you learn the business (a big money business) from the inside and since your building and maintaining the cars, they let you race for FREE!!! And if your good enough, you get to go pro.

Taz.