Advice from anyone who has gotten into open wheel?

[vivaElBirch]

Hey everyone, I'm Dave, new member here.

Hopefully you don't get these threads too often, I did read through the ones that were in the first ten pages. So here's my situation. I've always loved cars, and racing cars. Since I was five I've been driving everything I can get my hands on. However, I grew up in Boston, MA, which is not a very good place to start a motorsports career.

However, I recently found a karting school that will do a two hour introductory session for not a bad price.

I'm currently 19. I've been playing racing sims since I was 5 (I know they don't do much), I've done one defensive driving course that I did really well on in terms of car control, and I can drive a stick shift/ work a clutch well in terms of driving on public roads.

Would you guys suggest I do the course, and try and get into karting? Or are there other American series that are competitive and easy to get into? I was looking at SCCA and Autocross, but I'm not sure either one of those would lead to open wheel racing down the line.

Basically, I want to find out if I have talent, and if I do then try and get into a competitive league with sponsors. The problem is location, and I don't want to wait til after college to move somewhere that has racetracks, because by then I will be a lot older.

Thanks for any help!

[lovef1]

hello there dave,

I am relatively new as well. Currently I race karts in Malaysia. I would recommend karting to you, as I think they are the cheapest form of motorsports and most of all it prepares you for the bigger stuff. Karting makes you fitter (those things generate some real g's, at times you have to hold your breath through the corners) and the thing I find most attractive is it develops your SA (situational awareness). Also I think it's important to highlight something, hard work is the ONLY determining factor of how good you are, and money. Talent will only go so far. Initially before I started racing I though I was a driving legend. So don't feel frustrated if you are off the pace during the races, be aware that the people around you are more experienced. Other than that enjoy...

[mountainstar]

There are few real sponsors in American open wheel racing and what doesn't help is that "indycar" is nearly dead in interest and that doesn't do much for the junior formula series.

Most people are self funded by wealthy parents or associates of their parents. A lot of people also put themselves into big debt too, which I would not recommend.

To run a full year in an open wheel formula series at the bargain basement level where you stand a chance of getting noticed, you are looking at $30-$50K to run in Skip Barber or $55k to $70K in the cheaper FF2000 series. That doesn't include things like travel costs, entry fees, insurance, race gear, licences, etc. In my opinion to go to a proper racing school, get further coaching and testing and then buy one season of racing, you need $100,000. Do you have access to $100,000? Most 19 year olds can barely afford pizza and to put gas in their car, much less write 5 and 6 figure checks.

Some people say go it alone and run your own car. Probably the best car to buy is a FF2000. By the time you buy a car, get a tow vehicle, get spares, get a place to store and repair a car, probably hire specialist help to set up the car, etc. your capital outlay will soar past $50,000 and beyond. And that doesn't even include running costs and travel costs.

Let's say that you are a star in FF2000 and do well. It costs $350K to do Star Mazda. Do you have $350,000? There are almost no commercial sponsors in Star Mazda.

I was in your exact same shoes back in the 1990's. I have been through it all and more. Here is what I would recommend to you:

1. Karting at it's lowest levels is cheap and a good way to get experience. However there are people in this country that have spend $500K in a year to run in karts at the national level. To make a long story short, I think karting has it's place and if you can afford it and enjoy it, do it, but to me it doesn't necessarily make you a racing driver.

2. The next step is to go to a proper 3 day racing school. Skip is probably the most common of all of the schools. You are looking at $4k for a school. Skip has gone through a lot of changes in the past 4 years, it's not what it was, but it still has a lot of experienced instructors and the curriculum, if not perfect, is solid. The great thing about a school like this is you will learn how to properly drive a formula car. You will also see if the reality is different from the fantasy of open wheel racing. A lot of people come to these schools having Playstationed their brains out and think it's going to be something that it isn't. When they see the reality of their butt a few inches off the road and all the noise, vibration and stress on the body, they freak out. And lastly the instructors will be honest with where you are at talent wise. I think you will know as well if it is for you.

3. You mentioned college. Get your education. Money is the fuel of motorsports. Almost all motorsports are self funded. The people that have the most fun in motorsports are those people that can write big checks thanks to their successful businesses or careers. They can get the best cars and find the best people to run them and they can race and have a great time with no worries.

4. Go Nascar. If I could do it all over again, I would not faff about with open wheel formula racing. There is no future in it and it costs several million to get to "indycar" and then once you are there you need to find a few million a year to get a seat. Nascar is the only pro motorsports ladder in the USA. All the way down to the local levels there are opportunities for local sponsors and prize money to at least off set some costs. That simply does not exist in open wheel formula racing.

If you have any further questions, post them. I'll be glad to give you my opinion, as others might as well.

[Oldtom]

Originally Posted by vivaElBirch

Hey everyone, I'm Dave, new member here.

Hopefully you don't get these threads too often, I did read through the ones that were in the first ten pages. So here's my situation. I've always loved cars, and racing cars. Since I was five I've been driving everything I can get my hands on. However, I grew up in Boston, MA, which is not a very good place to start a motorsports career.

However, I recently found a karting school that will do a two hour introductory session for not a bad price.

I'm currently 19. I've been playing racing sims since I was 5 (I know they don't do much), I've done one defensive driving course that I did really well on in terms of car control, and I can drive a stick shift/ work a clutch well in terms of driving on public roads.

Would you guys suggest I do the course, and try and get into karting? Or are there other American series that are competitive and easy to get into? I was looking at SCCA and Autocross, but I'm not sure either one of those would lead to open wheel racing down the line.

Basically, I want to find out if I have talent, and if I do then try and get into a competitive league with sponsors. The problem is location, and I don't want to wait til after college to move somewhere that has racetracks, because by then I will be a lot older.

Thanks for any help!

You need to find a suitable one soon

[vivaElBirch]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

There are few real sponsors in American open wheel racing and what doesn't help is that "indycar" is nearly dead in interest and that doesn't do much for the junior formula series.

Most people are self funded by wealthy parents or associates of their parents. A lot of people also put themselves into big debt too, which I would not recommend.

To run a full year in an open wheel formula series at the bargain basement level where you stand a chance of getting noticed, you are looking at $30-$50K to run in Skip Barber or $55k to $70K in the cheaper FF2000 series. That doesn't include things like travel costs, entry fees, insurance, race gear, licences, etc. In my opinion to go to a proper racing school, get further coaching and testing and then buy one season of racing, you need $100,000. Do you have access to $100,000? Most 19 year olds can barely afford pizza and to put gas in their car, much less write 5 and 6 figure checks.

Some people say go it alone and run your own car. Probably the best car to buy is a FF2000. By the time you buy a car, get a tow vehicle, get spares, get a place to store and repair a car, probably hire specialist help to set up the car, etc. your capital outlay will soar past $50,000 and beyond. And that doesn't even include running costs and travel costs.

Let's say that you are a star in FF2000 and do well. It costs $350K to do Star Mazda. Do you have $350,000? There are almost no commercial sponsors in Star Mazda.

I was in your exact same shoes back in the 1990's. I have been through it all and more. Here is what I would recommend to you:

1. Karting at it's lowest levels is cheap and a good way to get experience. However there are people in this country that have spend $500K in a year to run in karts at the national level. To make a long story short, I think karting has it's place and if you can afford it and enjoy it, do it, but to me it doesn't necessarily make you a racing driver.

2. The next step is to go to a proper 3 day racing school. Skip is probably the most common of all of the schools. You are looking at $4k for a school. Skip has gone through a lot of changes in the past 4 years, it's not what it was, but it still has a lot of experienced instructors and the curriculum, if not perfect, is solid. The great thing about a school like this is you will learn how to properly drive a formula car. You will also see if the reality is different from the fantasy of open wheel racing. A lot of people come to these schools having Playstationed their brains out and think it's going to be something that it isn't. When they see the reality of their butt a few inches off the road and all the noise, vibration and stress on the body, they freak out. And lastly the instructors will be honest with where you are at talent wise. I think you will know as well if it is for you.

3. You mentioned college. Get your education. Money is the fuel of motorsports. Almost all motorsports are self funded. The people that have the most fun in motorsports are those people that can write big checks thanks to their successful businesses or careers. They can get the best cars and find the best people to run them and they can race and have a great time with no worries.

4. Go Nascar. If I could do it all over again, I would not faff about with open wheel formula racing. There is no future in it and it costs several million to get to "indycar" and then once you are there you need to find a few million a year to get a seat. Nascar is the only pro motorsports ladder in the USA. All the way down to the local levels there are opportunities for local sponsors and prize money to at least off set some costs. That simply does not exist in open wheel formula racing.

If you have any further questions, post them. I'll be glad to give you my opinion, as others might as well.

thanks for the excellent advice. I've been on the site, just haven't logged in in forever