Getting Started in Motorsport
It seems like no matter where I go, the one question that I am almost always asked is:
"How do I get started in racing?"
And my first response is almost always the same:
"Well, what do you want to do?"
That usually results in a kind of deer-in-the-headlights look and a "What do you mean? I just want to race" or "I just want to get my kid into racing" kind of response. But the fact of the matter is that there are so many different types of racing in US that you really need to have a good idea about what you want to do before you ever get to the point where you are anywhere near a racecar. ​
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What do you want to do in motorsport? Drive? Crew? Work as an official?
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What kind of vehicle do you want to race or be involved with? Late models? Sports cars? Formula cars? Sprints? Karts?
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What format? Drags? Circle track? Road racing? Rally?
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What do you want to race on? Dirt? Pavement? Both?
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How much time are you willing to dedicate to it?
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Are you OK with dealing with a lot of strict rules? Or do you want things more open and flexible?
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How much do you want to travel? How far do you want to travel?
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What is your desired end goal? To do this as a hobby? Or a pro?
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What is your timeline? Do you want something immediate? Or can you ease your way in?
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And finally, what is your budget? This includes if someone is sponsoring you
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First Steps
So what do you need to do first? You have a couple of options:
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Option 1: Contact me and I'll use my contacts and experience to help fast track you into the sport.
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Option 2: Do the following
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Sit down and figure out the answers to the questions listed above.
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Go to events for the kind of racing you want to do. One of the best moves you can do is to go events and see what is happening. Go early and stay the whole day to see what all of the activities are.
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Talk to people. While you are there, if the paddock is open to you, politely ask the drivers and crew about how they got started, what it's like, or anything else on your mind. Most folks at the lower echelons of racing are more than happy to tell you all about it.
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Get involved. Most event organizers need help from everything from flagging to gridding the cars. Some of the positions require a bit of training so reach out to them well before the event you plan to go to.
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Start learning. Find yourself a good instructor and listen to them! Contact me via the form below and I'll work with you to get you an instructor or coach that you need.