Tweet
How can you become like a car racer. Like do they have front wheel drive races in america/canada? What car should be your first car...??? And for example you know how in japan they have all those cups like integra cup and etc. do they have somthing similar here? I don't think that drifting is so fun anymore.... Its basicly braking your car.... I know this is www.drifting.com but what do u think is better being a D1 driver or a racer?
-
-
One Word:
Money.
The days of grassroots guys making it big is over. You can't be Tom Cruise and just jump in a car.
You can race SCCA here. They have ITA classes for FWD Cars. The most popular class right now is Spec Miata. You can buy turn-key specs for 8K with spares. All you need is to get licensed, get a truck, a trailer, and lots of tires and you're good to go -
-
I would kill to be a D1 driver. but racing is cool to I guess but I still rather drift. O and were braking are cars for a good cause. and I really don't think were braking are cars I just think were wearing them down.Comment
-
Get ready to shell out some big dollars to be competitive. You can get that spec Miata for around 8. Then you need to take, I think it is, 2 schools at round 300 bucks apiece, last time I checked. Then gas, tires, need a trailer to haul it, tow vehicle, extra money in case you break something and god knows what else. Need to find some friends to pit for you, so you need to foot their bills too, food, hotel if you go far away for a school. After schools, you need entry fee's, tow and trailer again if you didn't buy one, tires again seeing as how one set may last a race and still be competitive if it's not too long, fuel, food, hotel and whatnot.
Racing ain't cheap man, if it was, everyone would do it. It can be done. You can start in Spec Miata and move up. You can hit ITB with FWD and then ITA and so on and so forth. But figure that every time you move up, you are basically going to have to redo your car or replace it. You will be constantly breaking something, re-doing the body cause you can't run no beat up clunker like you Drift with. You have to watch out for everyone around you cause you will get nailed.
Case in point. My 81 Honda Accord hatch. Built by Fifth Gear in Fla. Used to be there ITB car before they bought the Hacker brothers VW's (Which they totaled after selling me the Honda). This was 10 years ago and now the Honda cannot run in ITB anymore but thats a different story. Anyway, I ran the car on the street for a long time and a guy came up to me wanting to buy it to race. He traded me a Toyota Van for it. He then had to go and add mucho roll cage add ons since the car hadn't run in 2 years. He also spent alot freshening the motor and what-not. Then took it to his schools, first school he blew an engine, replaced it and the second race blew a trans, replaced it at the track too. Got his license and first turn in the first race he ran in, someone T-boned him and totalled the car. Fast as that. He spent over 10k in getting the car ready and then first race, poof, car is gone. So if you want to race, be prepared for alot of time in, around and under the car and for money to come flying out of your pocket faster than legalized prostitution.
You can also take the schools with no car. They may have rental cars there which is more moolah or you can find someone with a car and rent it. Mucho Dinero there my friend. So either way, you gots to spend the dollars to hollar.
But good luck to you.Last edited by Ghost of Duluth; 06-28-2004, 06:32 PM.Comment
-
Yep my Skip Barber schooling was $$$$$$$$$ back in '97 for three days. That's it.Comment
-
Birthday March 22, 1990
youre 14? race go karts. seriously.Comment
-
Oh yea, you'll learn alot there, lots of great racers came from go-karts. Heck, some other the european drivers still race them in the off seasonOriginally posted by marshun
Birthday March 22, 1990
youre 14? race go karts. seriously.Comment
-
go karts are just as expencive, just they fit in a smaller space.
The cheepest and easiest way to get some experience and fun is to drive the school groups in Nasa. You can use any street car with just a helmit. Move up slow and ask as many questions from the experienced guys.Comment
-
For like 4 grand you can race in a decent league with karts.A lot of pro drivers started there..Comment
-
the days of going pro from grass-roots aren't over... work your *Censored**Censored**Censored* off, and if you have the talent and the drive, you can do it. Talk to people about sponsorship. Every little bit counts. Product sponsorships can go a long way. now remember, when you are lucky enough to get a sponsor, make it worth their while. Invite them to events. Take them for rides in your car if you can. Alex's idea about NASA is great, and you can do the same with Solo/autocross, etc. Work your way up....
My father and I have just been running sports cars on the cheap for the last few years, and I am starting to get noticed. We've also got some sponsors, and have developed good relationships with them. We're talking to a few teams right now... nothing huge (although one may have potential), but a good step up. There's nothing stopping you from doing the same.
As for first car... I started karting when I was 10, and did that until I turned 16, when I started racing a little Toyota MR2 (AW11) in regional racing. Ghost is correct when he says it's not cheap, and I was lucky to have supportive parents. Karting would be a good first step for you, and then think about solo or nasa (don't really know much about nasa, you'll have to do your own research about that) with a street car.
Also, go to a book store. Any idiot can put stuff online with the "best way to be a race car driver", but if it's in print, there's a better chance it's a reliable source, and has at least some good info. For $30 or so, you can get a good book on how to get started, and it will likely show you more than you'll ever hear on forums.Comment
-
Cool Malcolm, what are you driving now?Comment
-
right now I am driving a 2000 Corvette C5... We're sponsored by Konica-Minolta, we run on used ALMS series tires (haven't bought a dry tire for the car after two years!), engine built at cost by Agostino Racing engines as a sponsorship, free oil from Mobil 1, lucky deal on brake pads from a team that no longer uses stock 'vette brakes, etc, etc. We do as much as we can on a tiny budget.
This past weekend, I drove a someone else's 1979 Trans-Am Corvette in a vintage event (the same car I drove to third in the American GT Challenge event at Mosport in Canada). The owner was impressed with previous races that I've been in, so he invited me to run his car. A team with a few vintage Porsches saw me, were impressed, and they are keen to have me test and develop their newest project (centre seat 911-based racecar). A team was close to having me sign a contract to race a Radical SR3 Supersport (google it), but the car had an engine failure, and I only got to test it a few times before then (they don't seem to be doing much right now, and I think they are low on funds).
The reason why I am going into detail about this is because all this good stuff is happening now, and back in 2001, my father and I were seemingly over-extended with the costs of running a GT2 Mazda RX7 (turbo fc3s... LOVED that car). We picked up the Corvette from someone who got it as a wreck, and rebuilt it... we got it cheap. We started grassroots, and I think (and hope!!) that I might be close to be going pro in a year or two...
my site has a bunch of photos of the cars and karts I've raced if you're interested. http://www.malcolmstrachan.com
Comment
-
You're my new hero I sooo wish I stuck with racing
Comment
-
I wouldnt mind racing and being a D1 driver. Probably will never happen but it'd be cool.Comment
Comment