Sorry if this seems like a stupid question, but I wanted to know how people usually start with road racing. I know that you have to have some sort of racing license, maybe from a racing school like Skip Barber. This is, however, a very expensive way to get it.

If you are currently a road racer, some help would be wonderful...thanks!

 

And the ONLY way to do it.

read alot. go to Autocross, and lapping events.... Practice, practice, practice.
http://www.scca.org

 

Make sure you have plenty of disposable income. Or credit cards.

 

HPDE is a great way to start as well.
http://www.trackschedule.com/

 

This is what most people do (or something similar):
1. start autocrossing regularly. teaches car control. make friends in the scene. teach car maintenance and prep.

2. start doing lapping days. non-timed, high speed, educational events held at most tracks. sanctioned by many clubs (NASA, BMWCCA, PCA, etc).

Do 1 & 2 for at least a year. While doing them, research what type of wheel to wheel you wish to do. Improved Touring, Showroom Stock, Formula cars, etc. Attend local club races (SCCA, NASA, EMRA, PCA, BMWCCA, etc). Ask around, we usually don't bite. Crew for a local team - they will be glad to let you help, will probably give you beer, and maybe you can get in on a good car purchase.

Buy a car. Prep or Re-prep it. Buy all the rulebooks. Fix the poo poo you did wrong. Re-read the rulebook. Fix the rest of the poo poo you missed.

Start planning your competition schools. There are several options that all have their merits.

1. SCCA regional license. Is accepted by most other USA sanctions. Two ways to get it: a. attend and pass 2 SCCA run schools and then complete two regional races without incident. b. attend a certified private school like Skip Barber, Bondurant, Bertil Roos, etc.

2. NASA license. Currently not accepted by SCCA. Basically, complete enough HPDE events to get to advanced level. Then request to be observed at a NASA event. They will watch you drive, make you run some race-simulation drills (side by side, passing in corners, half track, etc). If you look good, you get a provisional license.

Budget roughly $10,000 to get started. That is using a $5k IT car. The other $5k is entries, travel, etc. Probably another $5-$10k/year to run the car.

 

Run away. Very fast.

 

Contact me at grumpy@poracing.com and I'll give you the basics.

Grumpy

 

LOL, best advice yet

 

Q: How do you make a small fortune in racing?
A: Start with a big one.

 

You want to start wheel to wheel racing but don't want to spend 15k per year to do it.

Shifter Karts are your answer! Honestly more fun than a big car, less expensive to maintain, less expensive events, and faster to boot.

 

I agree. Many sports car tracks run kart races a least once or twice a year. Some like Summit Point or New Hampshire, run 4 or more races a year. Most road racing clubs require at least a couple years of clutch(single speed) karts before getting into a shifter. There are kart racing schools that can quicken this process. I'm sure they are a lot cheaper than Skip Barber.

Here are some typical lap times (top speed MPH) at Summit Point and how they compare to cars. Note that karts corner much better than cars. Karts are the laydown variety. They also race situps, they are a little slower.

Entry level clutch 2-cycle kart 1:30's (90-100+) = Showroom stock, IT
Mid level clutch 2-cycle high 1:20s (105-115+) = fast IT, production
Top level clutch open 2-cycle 1:20s (120+) = fast production, slower GT, FF, FC (etc.)
125 shifter low 1:20s (125+) = F2000, GT2, GT3, AP, BP
250 shifter, dual engine clutch 1:10s (up to 150 MPH) = getting close to fastest cars at Summit (GT, Formula Atlantic, fastest A and B production, F5000, etc.)

Some tracks may be letting in karts with GP 250 (90+ HP) motorcycle engines soon. These should lap as fast as CART, or even Formula 1.

All this laying down on your back looking over your toes 2 inches off the ground. Doesn't get any more thrilling than this. Most people stay with karts. The ones that do move into cars typically race open wheels like Formula Ford or Formula 2000.

Cost 3000 dollars gets a good used 2-cycle clutch kart. 4000+ for shifters. Race costs per weekend 300 (entry level) to 1000 dollars for entry fees, tires, engine rebuilds, etc. No school required to race entry level classes. Like all forms of motor racing, more money often means better finish positions

Forgot, you also get 45 minute to one hour races, typically 2 to 4 per weekend.

125+ MPH road racing (laydown) shifter karts
2001 black ITR


[Modified by slowhand_john, 6:09 PM 2/11/2002]

 

I'm dot trying to be a dick about it but from my experience from working at a SCCA booth at the San Jose car show it seemed that if you had to ask about how to become a Road Racer then it probably isn't right for you.

I told many people to check out a autocross event and if you need more speed and wheel to wheel driving AND you have a ton of $$$ to burn then you might be able to become a Road Racer.

A lot of people I talked to just wanted to drive their car on a real race track and the HPDS are good for that.

 

It is really hard to consider an autocross a reall racing event. (I am sure that I a going to get beat up on for that comment). Yes you are racing against other cars via a clock, but it seems like a dance with your car more than a race?? Yes there is alot of car control, but there is nothing else? Every fundamental of driving is disregarded in an autocross. I am not saying there there isn't alot of skill that is involved, but it sure does lack the risk, endurance, or need for large ball's that road racing takes. Also, don't forget trafic. Trafic is by far the most compelling part of road racing.

I have autocrossed, done a ton of hpde's and I competitively race shifters, so I am not speaking out of lack of knowledge. I just don't understand when people ask about road racing and others suggest autocross? There is very little the same about the two. Besides there isn't alot that is fun about spending a day in a parking lot to drive for 10 minutes. Unless hanging around in a parking lot all day is your thing.

Sorry for offending all of there autocrossers here.

 

Autocrossing is rarely considered racing. No sanctioning body calls it racing. The reason that autocross is first suggested is to teach the newbie basic car control in a safer environment than the race track. I'd rather experience a spin at 45 mph than at 110 mph.

It's very easy to apply autocross skills to the track. Certainly a track doesn't have fast transitions like a slalom, but again, basic car control is useful.

You are right, though, autocross doesn't teach you how to drive in traffic and last for 25 minutes.

 

It's not that I'm calling autocross a real race or a substitute for Road Racing, it's that most people who have approached me asking bout Road Racing have actually turned out to want to autocross instead and that anyone genuinely interested in Road Racing already knows the steps to take to get there.

This is not always the case but from my experience this is the way things turn out.

ExAcc may be genuinely interested in Road Racing but I would hate to see him dump a lot of money into it and discover it's not right for him. My advice for anyone is:

$20-25 for an autocross event
$200 HPDS
$+ Actualy road racing

"You can make a small fortune Road Racing... from a bigger one"


[Modified by Geratol, 1:03 PM 2/11/2002]

 

I would agree, start with autocrossing. You really pick up great track skills.

As for cost, last year I spent...ahhh...ahhh...GOOD G@D, don't tell my wife...

To put it into perspective (12 events): you're looking at about $250 (average) weekend entry fee. Add $100 (2 hotel nights), $100 (food, fuel-tow vehicle and race car), $50 for crap you didn't think about (beer, T-shirts, drinks at the event, oh yeah-beer ). So on average about $500 (some events are cheaper, some are more expensive). Now, add in the tires. Pending on the tire (Hoosier = $175/each), you could probably squeeze two sets in in a year (if you are nice to them)...so, add in another $1400. Add in brake fluid $150 (flush for every event), brake pads $375 (3 sets) , brake rotors $300 (3 sets), oil changes $240 (after every event). So, thinking nothing else pops up...that's about $8,465 (but it will be more for some people if you go to more events). I believe I hit 15 to 20 events last year (races and HPDE). And if any one tells my wife....I'll open up one giant Sam's size can of whoop-***.

Note: "Sam's size can of whoop-***" comment, I can't take the credit. Scott (RoadRacer) said it down at CMP this past August and it stuck with me.