SkyHog
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2005
- Messages
- 18,431
- Location
- Castle Rock, CO
- Display Name
Display name:
Everything Offends Me
I figure we have people from every profession known to man in here - do we have any professional racers?
Not professional, but raced street stock on clay back in the late 60's early 70's and then Legends Cars back in the mid 90's.
What are you looking for Nick?
Well, its something I've always been interested in...just wondering how one gets started doing it (even if its just for fun), and if the 30s are too old to go through that. Oh, and if being fat is an issue for doing it.
We have a lot of local race tracks, and I plan on going to the infield someday and talking to some of the guys, but obviously, I have a pretty good rapport with most people here, so I'd like to just hear more about it.
If you want to learn to drive really well and turn both ways, I highly recommend SCCA autocross. You "run what ya brung", no special safety equipment needed other than a helmet (Snell rated, not just DOT). It's a great way to dip your toes in, learn a lot and have a lot of fun. And you can drive your race car to work. I ran a number of daily drivers and junkers... '85 Grand Am, '63 Corvair, '98 Mustang, '82 Skyhawk (the Buick flavor, not the other one). VERY low chance of collision damage of any sort, near zero chance of collision with another car since it's a timed run with (usually) only one car on the course at a time. You can move on to Club and other flavors of racing if you really get into it.Well, its something I've always been interested in...just wondering how one gets started doing it (even if its just for fun), and if the 30s are too old to go through that. Oh, and if being fat is an issue for doing it.
Miatas also have an active low cost class & club and are fun.If you want to learn to drive really well and turn both ways, I highly recommend SCCA autocross. You "run what ya brung", no special safety equipment needed other than a helmet (Snell rated, not just DOT). It's a great way to dip your toes in, learn a lot and have a lot of fun. And you can drive your race car to work. I ran a number of daily drivers and junkers... '85 Grand Am, '63 Corvair, '98 Mustang, '82 Skyhawk (the Buick flavor, not the other one). VERY low chance of collision damage of any sort, near zero chance of collision with another car since it's a timed run with (usually) only one car on the course at a time. You can move on to Club and other flavors of racing if you really get into it.
If you want wheel-to-wheel oval track... I dunno. There seem to be all kinds of classes of that, including high school kids flogging the tired shells of old 4-bangers around a dirt track.
I entertained the idea of racing my sport bike when I bought it. But the cost was just too prohibitive.
Karts are a relatively inexpensive (i.e. only requires all your money) and safe way to get into racing but probably not practical for the "wide body" types. Another option is to join the SCCA and participate in their "parking lot autocross" events. Typically the only expenses beyond the mandatory helmet and extinguisher are the tires and brakes you trash and you can learn a lot about performance driving that way. One step up from that are the weekend track events held by various type clubs and other "sports car" groups.For amateur racing, any age, any weight. For pro racing, I already told you how it starts, pewees in carts.
Well, its something I've always been interested in...just wondering how one gets started doing it (even if its just for fun), and if the 30s are too old to go through that. Oh, and if being fat is an issue for doing it.
We have a lot of local race tracks, and I plan on going to the infield someday and talking to some of the guys, but obviously, I have a pretty good rapport with most people here, so I'd like to just hear more about it.
I've watched too many friends go broke racing dragsters and another go halfway broke in SCCA. I'm sometimes a slow learner but no matter how fun it looks, I don't want to be as broke as they are. Airplanes are bad enough in this regard, and you gotta have priorities.
And replacement engines, tires, etc.Yep, drag racing gets really expensive when a 1/4 mile takes $100 in fuel.
Being in your 30's will not work against you for local Saturday night racing. Most of those tracks will have 2, 3 or more classes. Racing is not cheap, a bit like aviation on steroids. Even a low budget stock type class is going to cost some money.
Not only are you going to need a car but you'll also need a good set of tools, trailer to haul the car, truck to pull the trailer and car, generator (for electricity at the track), small compressor or a portable air tank, etc., etc.
The only part size plays is that it will play into the total weight giving a little less flexibility in moving weight around on the car. If you want to be competitive you'll need to spend a lot of time working on the car and understanding chassis setup, weight distribution and adjusting, shocks, springs, engines, carburetors, etc.
Going to a track and buying a pit pass will get you some info to get started. Don't expect anyone to give you their secrets. If you want to learn and watch for a bit find a car in the class you want to target that appears to be on a low budget and offer to help him out in the pits and you'll get an opportunity to learn a bit about what a race night is all about.
The more competitive you are and want to be, the more money you'll pour into. It can turn into a disease where instead of buying diapers you'll buy something for the race car. Be careful.
And replacement engines, tires, etc.
Wait - can adults race Karts?
Wait - can adults race Karts?
Working on NASA licensing now, whatchawannaknow?!
I pretty much just want to know how a full grown adult can get started - my thought is that it might be something fun to get my son to do as he gets older, and I'd like to have some experience to help guide him when the time comes, not to mention it being a bunch of fun to do myself in the meantime.
I race Hare Scrambles and Enduros on the ol' KTM 200 if that counts.
Racing for real is expensive, it requires sponsorship.
Another Henning fail. Lots of guys race bikes and cars on their own dime. It is very expensive, especially if you are at all serious about it. Costs about what it does to own an aircraft.