Q&a

[simdel1]

Originally Posted by TuRbO_$kY|iN£

do u have any advice for starting karting in the UK? an also if im 15 nearly 16 am i too old to start? thanx 4 help

it all depends on what you are actually looking for. If you are ONLY going into karting because you want to get into 'higher' motorsport then it might be a little difficult...but certainly not impossible if you have the tallent. If you just want to have fun, then 16 is certainly not too old. I started when i was 16...im only 19 now but despite my complete lack of experience (i just aint been racing as much as i need and testing just aint happened) im doing alright in the races.

[P10DET]

Originally Posted by JWatson

George,
With all due respect, you still have a lot to learn about SCCA Club Racing.

The long list of past National Champions reads like a "who's who" of motor racing. Bobby Rahal, Jimmy Vassar, Scott Sharp, Elliott Forbes Robinson, Skip Barber, Paul Newman, and Dave Weitzenhof are just a few of the familiar names. For many of these drivers, a National Championship was just a stepping stone on their way to making a name for themselves in auto racing.

From the SCCA website.

Jeff Watson

Sorry Jeff, but you're the one with a lot to learn. We're talking about making a living racing cars, not being semi-pro. There is a very big difference.

Let's see. Where to start?

Paul Newman has his own money. It's an expensive hobby, even his pro racing. Besides, he's only a pro in that he races in pro races, not that he makes a living at it. Any moron with the money can race in pro races.

Skip Barber? Give me a bloody break. Let's talk about the relatively modern era.

Rahal raced SCCA club racing because his father owned a Formula Atlantic and he raced in college and as a hobby. He didn't use SCCA club racing as a stepping stone other than the fact he finally decided to get serious about it. Then he left club racing as any serious racer with professional ambitions should.

I don't remember much of Vassar's early career other than the fact he became friends with George Lucas (yes, that George Lucas) who sponsored him into the Canadian F2000 professional series. He didn't make it into pro racing because a pro team recruited him from SCCA club racing.

Dave Weitzenhof? He never put food on the table through racing.

I don't know enough about EFR's early career to comment.

And Scott Sharp? Come on, he started racing for his father for crying out loud. He turned pro because his father made it happen.

Club racing is a waste of time for anyone with professional ambitions. Pro teams don't give a rat about your amateur racing. The only real benefit of club racing for the budding professional is the seat time is cheaper than pro racing and any seat time is good. But, those with professional ambitions would be better off spending that money on professional racing. Hell, racing karts at the top level is more likely to gain you notice with professional racing teams than club racing will, again with the exception of Formula Ford.

Years ago I looked seriously into making an attempt at becoming a professional racer. In the end, I was too old at 29. But before coming to that conclusion I looked pretty seriously at how you go about making a living at racing. The aspiring pro should spend as little time in club racing as possible.

Semi-pro is a whole other ballgame. All that takes is money.

BTW, I hold a SCCA regional license and know about SCCA racing. I'm not some kid with stars in his eyes.

[P10DET]

Originally Posted by vectorclub

If you have some extra cash, you could start with Skip Barber racing school. They have their Skip Barber racing series which drivers can lease race car to compete. It could be the fastest way to reach CART Champ Car racing level. It will set you back many thousands of dollars. Start with the school and then take on the Skip Barber series.

SCCA is a good way to go and Kart racing, but Skip Barber maybe the fastest way.

I haven't priced this stuff in some time, but....

I think the Barber Dodge school series will run somewhere between $15k and $20k. It's cheaper than buying, campaigning, and maintaining your own Formula Ford, but it won't get you any recognition. If you place very high in the school series you can win free races at the next level - the Barber Dodge pro series. That would be a lot more expensive, but I don't think it's six figures yet.

If you do really well in the Barber Dodge pro series, you might get noticed by a Toyota Atlantic team. They might let you race for them if you bring a quarter million dollars or more. After Atlantics is Champ Cars.

The US has no real stepping stone of developmental series like Europe. Below Atlantics there are all sorts of ways to get some recognition. Again, doing well at the top level in karts (especially competing in Europe) may get you just as much recognition. AJ Almendinger (sp?) made his name in karts.

[TuRbO_$kY|iN£]

Originally Posted by simdel1

it all depends on what you are actually looking for. If you are ONLY going into karting because you want to get into 'higher' motorsport then it might be a little difficult...but certainly not impossible if you have the tallent. If you just want to have fun, then 16 is certainly not too old. I started when i was 16...im only 19 now but despite my complete lack of experience (i just aint been racing as much as i need and testing just aint happened) im doing alright in the races.

havnt been in this thread for a while but wanted to say thanx for makin me get off my lazy ass and start karting. ive seen a six speed 250cc kart in the ads section of the paper so i should be able to get on the track soon and with practice (maybe) i might get into some proper races. by the way how much is it for decent protective clothes etc?

[simdel1]

Originally Posted by TuRbO_$kY|iN£

havnt been in this thread for a while but wanted to say thanx for makin me get off my lazy ass and start karting. ive seen a six speed 250cc kart in the ads section of the paper so i should be able to get on the track soon and with practice (maybe) i might get into some proper races. by the way how much is it for decent protective clothes etc?

glad to hear it :-) . sorry i havent checked in here for ages either, lol. right, so safety equipment. i would strongly suggest that you get a new helmet as a second hand one could have had a knock and might be compromised. as for the race suit, i would suggest that as its a 250cc you would need bike leathers. a car race suit would just tear if you got thrown out, and a 'cordura' suit worn by most 100cc karters might not be up the job. you will need boots and gloves too. ideally the boots should have ankle protection and very thin soles and maybe motorcycle gloves. prices for these things, hmm, i would always say that you buy the best you can afford. a new helmet with decent specs could be had for as little as £150. i spent near £300(or was it £400, i cant remember) for a snell2000 approved one as i wanted the best i could. i have no idea for thew bike leathers..i think second hand would be good for them. the race boots will be reasonably priced as they dont need to be fire proof.

hope i helped. if you go to www.karting.co.uk and ask any questions you like on the notice board, they will be more than happy to help aswell. Theres people far more experienced than me there :-). and as i always say, go to your local track and talk to the competitors there, they will almost certainly help you.