Aahj

I making a big step in my life. I am going to persue my dream of road racing.

I have no decided that I will not be attending college anymore. I am working full time as a mechanic and will be attending a Skip Barber racing school sometime within the next 6 months.

I know this is radical but it's something I want and need to do. I need to know whether or not I'm good enough. If not, and I bust, so what...if I want I can always go back to school. But right now, I enjoy being a mechanic and I need to persue my passion.

I'm in the position that most people would kill to be back in, so I don't want to ruin the opportunity now by playing it "safe" and staying in school. I don't want to be one of those people 40 years from now saying the "what if's" and the "but's". Now's the time.

Wish me luck,

AJ Nealey

krshultz

Congrats on making a very ballsy move. Best of luck (and don't hit any more flower boxes)...

Aahj

LOL...I think those flower boxes will turn into tire walls very shortly.

.RJ

AJ - where will you be working?

I'm looking for full time employment right now, utilizing what i've done in school and all that chit. What it is is just something to tide me over and provide some income so i can play with cars and gain experience so i can open a shop with some friends later.

There was talk with some guys who work at a import shop the other nite about me possibly working for them as a tech. Its a tough call to make - i'm sure the pay wouldnt be great but the experience would be invaluable.

Regardless, best of luck in your endeavor(s). I'm sure you will do well.

RJ - who's a big ***** about making big decisions

Evan55

good luck AJ!

life is too short to not-do what makes us happy.

743power

All I have to say is good luck, and don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

I wish I could be doing what your deciding to do, but I'm stuck in school working towards a degree I don't plan on using, but I have no other option right now.

maxQ

Awesome, A.J.

I've enjoyed watching you this season and I wish you the best of luck. Just remember that you won't get anywhere in this sport if you don't ditch the baseball cap for a crooked "speed orange" visor.

Andy

Lt. Dan

Kick ***, ROCK ON AJ!!!!!

Dan

buji

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by elgorey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">life is too short to not-do what makes us happy.</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is so true and so hard to live by.

--buji

RR98ITR

You may be making a HUGE mistake...and I said MAY.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Aahj &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">... I am going to persue my dream of road racing......I need to know whether or not I'm good enough.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What does this mean? There are possibly just TWO outcomes. 1- you drive well enough, or 2) you suck and are uneducable. Assuming the best, no matter how well you drive you are the only one who is going to be interested enough to finance your "career".

If you already have access to several million dollars then please accept my apologies and best wishes. Before Montoya's CART ride, he'd payed for every ride and his father spent almost 1M up to that point.

Thing is - racing is about money. Sure it's about motivation and desire, but without money you don't get to play race car driver.

You've framed your choice as being between a safe course (school now) and something like reaching for the brass ring. There is no brass ring. Your phone isn't going to ring. You might instead wind up looking back and thinking how naive and unrealistic you were.

And so if it doesn't "work out", then what? You decide you didn't make it? And you go back to school with your tail between your legs?

You could go to school and apply yourself seriously to a sensible major. You could keep your hand in with autocross, HPDE, and karts. Then when you're economically viable you can become a club racer, and then if your income and talent/development allow you can run Pro races. Then if you're really good maybe...MAYBE somebody will ask for your services - and I sure wouldn't hold my breath, do you know how long Pierre has been hoping for the offer to step up?

You may not like what I'm saying, but it's very much the same as what you'll find in Carroll Smith's "Drive to Win". You would do well to read that book - he tells the truth.

Scott, who doesn't mean to be an *******...and who understands racing and passion and insanity...I've been where you are now....you must consider the possibility that following your passion now will hobble your future....

smokin rubber

Pretty much what I decided a couple months ago. I want to race now. Even if its only a couple races this year, thats still better than none.

ps, good luck

johng

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RR98ITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You may be making a HUGE mistake...and I said MAY.

What does this mean? There are possibly just TWO outcomes. 1- you drive well enough, or 2) you suck and are uneducable. Assuming the best, no matter how well you drive you are the only one who is going to be interested enough to finance your "career".

If you already have access to several million dollars then please accept my apologies and best wishes. Before Montoya's CART ride, he'd payed for every ride and his father spent almost 1M up to that point.

Thing is - racing is about money. Sure it's about motivation and desire, but without money you don't get to play race car driver.

You've framed your choice as being between a safe course (school now) and something like reaching for the brass ring. There is no brass ring. Your phone isn't going to ring. You might instead wind up looking back and thinking how naive and unrealistic you were.

And so if it doesn't "work out", then what? You decide you didn't make it? And you go back to school with your tail between your legs?

You could go to school and apply yourself seriously to a sensible major. You could keep your hand in with autocross, HPDE, and karts. Then when you're economically viable you can become a club racer, and then if your income and talent/development allow you can run Pro races. Then if you're really good maybe...MAYBE somebody will ask for your services - and I sure wouldn't hold my breath, do you know how long Pierre has been hoping for the offer to step up?

You may not like what I'm saying, but it's very much the same as what you'll find in Carroll Smith's "Drive to Win". You would do well to read that book - he tells the truth.

Scott, who doesn't mean to be an *******...and who understands racing and passion and insanity...I've been where you are now....you must consider the possibility that following your passion now will hobble your future....</TD></TR></TABLE>


What he said.
Do what you must my friend, but then what?

John -- who'd personally find out weather or not I'm "good enough" before I left school.

Hracer

Well I didn't want to be first to say it, but now that it's been said so well, I'll have to cast in my vote for the last two posts.

Of course it's all up to you (assuming you still have the choice on the table), but consider everything before you make such a serious decision. Dropping out of school, you basically give a *lot* of control of your own life away.

Good luck either way you choose.

EF8VTEC

Good luck with everything i hope everything turns out the way u want it, Be safe in the process!

Angry Joe

AJ,

I'm a little biased, but I would not underestimate the experience Formula SAE will give you even if you never engineer a part in your life. The first step towards any automotive career (even if it has nothing to do with engineering) is to educate yourself in as many ways possible, and this is one of the best. Regardless of your decision, good luck with your future plans. Your future does not look to be a boring one

GSRMatt

How are you going to afford racing on a mechanic's salary? I'm a mechanical engineer and I can't afford it and still have a balanced life outside of racing. To have pro aspirations, you need to race a *lot*, and somewhere you can get exposure. That costs lots of money.

Maybe you've done this already, but write up a 3 year plan with a budget, and figure out how you'll make ends meet before making a move.

That said, with the cost of in-state tuition these days college is not very expensive, and you can always go back. But it is very difficult to give up a paycheck once you start earning one, and even harder to get back into an academic mindset once you've left.

XR4racer

Don't be a dumbass... the only position you have that most people would kill for, is a chance to go to college. Worried about the "What ifs" ...you'll be saying what if I went to college, and got a degree, and a decent paying job. Road-Racing IS a poor man's sport, because it makes poor men of us all. Road-Racing will always be there to participate in, IF you have the money.
IF you're looking for a free ride, I say Good Luck, and I sincerely mean that, but you'll need every bit of Luck in the world... and half the talent.
Seriously, not trying to be a dick.

phat-S

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by XR4racer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Don't be a dumbass... the only position you have that most people would kill for, is a chance to go to college. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Excellent point and I agree that it is the most enviable position to be in.

Best of luck.

GSRMatt

Just one more thing to add. Anyone have an idea of how many American drivers make a living off of racing alone? And of the ones that do, how many of those didn't have a rich daddy or family ties to the racing world?

RacerBowie

Beware man, be very much afraid of this decision you are trying to make.

It is not a safe or realistic goal, in my opinion. If you had several years of racing experience, a couple of Runoffs wins, and a bit of exposure in Speed WC, it would still be a risky move.

As it is, the best you can realistically hope for is to be the mechanic for a team, make not good money, work looooonnnng hours, and get burned out on the racing industry.

There are a few rides out there, and hundreds of would-be racers with deep pockets lined up to get them....some of those guys have talent, too.

.RJ

Where's Kirk... he did this, got burnt out, and went back to school

You can race as a mechanic at a 1mp0rt t00n3r shop i think. Why? Everything's cheap (shop/wholesale discounts, old customer parts, etc) and the labor is free.

RJ

Evan55

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GSRMatt &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just one more thing to add. Anyone have an idea of how many American drivers make a living off of racing alone? And of the ones that do, how many of those didn't have a rich daddy or family ties to the racing world?</TD></TR></TABLE>
The sad fact is, I think that list would be very short. (Boris Said perhaps? I heard he nickel and dimed his way into rides)
Just like any sport, to go pro you have to start young. To start young you need daddy with big $$. In motorsports, I think there is a some leeyway there. There are a few pro-drivers who didnt get started until early 20s, so the hope is there. But you still need a whole lotta $$

phat-S

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by elgorey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There are a few pro-drivers who didnt get started until early 20s, so the hope is there. But you still need a whole lotta $$</TD></TR></TABLE>

Please name them, their paid driving career longevity and please indicate when they went from paying drivers to paid drivers. I don't mean to sound like a dick but I think this board is notorious for suggesting that a paid driving career or some full car sponsorship a la Winston Cup cars is just out there for the taking.

GSRMatt

I was thinking of possibly Randy Pobst, but I don't know what he does during the week, or what his source of funding was when he was autocrossing/club racing.

There may be a few more in circle-track racing, but that costs money too, and there is that much more competition.

Montoya's dad literally "bet the farm" that JP would succeed.

Evan55

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phat-S &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Please name them, their paid driving career longevity and please indicate when they went from paying drivers to paid drivers. I don't mean to sound like a dick but I think this board is notorious for suggesting that a paid driving career or some full car sponsorship a la Winston Cup cars is just out there for the taking.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Really? I get quite the opposite feeling from people here. (=realistic) that going pro is a infentissimly small possibility, that this is club racing and we do it for fun......... I never really took the impression from anyone that "we can all go pro"

There was a CART (or was it IRL) driver mentioned in another thread recently that got started when he was 25, and there are a few others but Im not going to look them up. I have no idea if they had bank and paid for rides for years, I wouldnt doubt it though, especially in the "semi-pro" series like WC. The only driver who I have "heard" started out poor was Boris Said who supposedly slept in his car etc and bugged race teams for rides until he finally got them. This is all rumor, I have no real facts

dont misconstrue my previous post to mean that I think anyone can start racing at 25 and be a pro.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The sad fact is, I think that list would be very short. (Boris Said perhaps? I heard he nickel and dimed his way into rides)
Just like any sport, to go pro you have to start young. To start young you need daddy with big $$. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Im not sure how you interpreted that as "suggesting that a paid driving career or some full car sponsorship a la Winston Cup cars is just out there for the taking"