Getting into Formula

Now I'm not gonna brag, I'm just a sim racer but I'm on a damn learning streak, in every direction. I've been learning to hotlap NGT cars in GTR2 for 2 months and recently I've tried some other formats, like GPL (67 Grand Prix) and rFactor F1, which I intend to buy soon and get all the mods for that, but I want to start with the Toyota Atlantic 2005 Mod, because that will teach me both Champ Car and Formula 1. I cannot pilot an F1 yet. Haven't tried an F3 yet but I figure it'll go about the same, go slow through a corner and STILL spin out.

Even though these are just games, they've peaked my interest above what GT cars do to me. Because of this I plan to get into skip barber after karting, when I have some money that is...It's 4,000 dollars a weekend??? and then try to get into the new Mazda Atlantic, with 2.3 liter Mazda engines, formally and still virtually toyota engines. I'm psyched because I finally have a goal that I want to set in motion. If you have any tips about Formula Racing, feed them to me and this thread. I myself have only ever watched 1 F1 race all the way through and that was the USGP on speedondemand.com so I've got a TON to learn, starting NOW!!!!!!

step one:
contact your local racing school/association and get all you need to know about taking your (equivilant) National B license and get that under your belt.
Normally, that involves becoming a member of that club where you can, once you have your licence, take part in a lot of the race events.

$4000 a weekend?
sounds a bit steep but for the basic racing licence, i don't think you'd need more than a single weekend to go through the basic of track rules/behaviour.
In the UK, the National B equates to a few lessons and then a half hour test that hardly anyone fails.
Don't think it cost $4000/£2500 though.

And I'll say it again, forget everything you "learn" in racing games.
The only thing that matters on a real racing track is how many REAL track hours you have done.

I have a feeling it's tougher here then in England. which I'm assuming you're from. Am I right? The Skip Barber schools are scattered around the US, the one I want to attend is at Limerock Park. The first thing I want to do 'readily' is take a full day course training in a Miata, Mazda3, and an RX-8 (with instructors teaching better driving skills) then at the end of the day, the Skip Barber formula car, and that's the shit at my level. This is the formula series that people spend that money on to ride around the track in.

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-NlRzKnTRY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECeD1yUIOSs

I think this is at Watkins Glen too, that would be cool. It's weird how the states work, that I'm in NY but closer to CT then Watkins Glen NY. It's just weird.

I'll take your word for it because I know you're trying to help, that online racing isn't going to give me the experience I really need and want. Without it though, I wouldn't know half as much knowledge about real racing, so sims are my stepping stone, can we agree on that?

Here's a video of the online race league I'm getting into:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvWW75zgMMs

it's not harder or easier; it's just different and even then, I'm not sure it is all that different at all.
as it is, they are trying to promote amatuer racing here so the entry method is better organised. Most of the racing clubs are based on a track and even the closest one to me is about an hour away from me. Training weekends and race on the day events cost about £2000-£2500 so it's about the same as it is for you.
As I might've said before somewhere, the only difference is that there seem to be more amateur level racing events here even some pro/semi-pro events that you can buy-in with a relatively low budget where you can race against some names.

and no, I can't agree on pc games being anything like a stepping stone.
a few questions for you.

have you taken any advance driving lessons?
have you had any skid-pan lessons?
have you asked about getting a race licence?
have you been on any track days?
have you done any organised racing?

No but I'll get them done when I can. That's the best answer I can give you.

Now that I know the race format I want to get into, I can choose a type of track to start learning and practicing on, but at this point I'm not ready to make the jump to a formula car, that's why I'm going to race as much as I can first in a beginner single seater, a go kart. In the other thread, I was told that you learn 5 times as fast how to race in karting then in the SCCA road racing. Even better then that, I'll be getting used to the single seater for formula.

As for learning advanced driving, I can't yet afford a skip barber lesson now (it's complicated) but when I can afford it, I'm going to take it, while in karting. If I do this after knowing how to drive the karts, I should have a better understanding and could more easily excel in my Skip school...and I'm currently researching what I need for my B license or equiv. but I'm sure that I'm not ready for it yet. Of course, I gotta study in college and possibly get a PT job, but nothing will deter me, I just have to use time management.

The cheepest Formula racing you'll find would be F500 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F500)... probably followed by Forumula Ford (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_Ford), maybe Formula Vee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_Vee). All of these are entry level (amature) given that you want to go Pro One day, Formula Ford (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_Ford) would probably be your best choice, given that there are Formula Ford championships all around the world.

The cheepest Formula racing you'll find would be F500 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F500)... probably followed by Forumula Ford (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_Ford), maybe Formula Vee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_Vee). All of these are entry level (amature) given that you want to go Pro One day, Formula Ford (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_Ford) would probably be your best choice, given that there are Formula Ford championships all around the world.

What about F2000 that I watched at the 2006 New England GP? Is that professional? Really expensive to run?

I'm more interested in Vee than Ford. What costs more to get into/race/lessons - Vee or Skip Barber? Could I jump from kart racing into one of these or am I suggested to do F500 first...those are small...like karts.

...and I'm currently researching what I need for my B license or equiv.
what's there to research?

join the scca, fill in a couple of forms, get a medical, pay your fee and tadaa!
there's your US novice racing licence.
then you take part in as many race events as you can afford (you'll need to buy your own driving gear), fill in your log book, progress when you've reached certain targets.

what's there to research?

join the scca, fill in a couple of forms, get a medical, pay your fee and tadaa!
there's your US novice racing licence.
then you take part in as many race events as you can afford (you'll need to buy your own driving gear), fill in your log book, progress when you've reached certain targets.
actually its a bit more complex then that as you'll have to attend TWO, thats right TWO, of their approved Driver Schools (Or one Accredited Pro Raceing school of which Skip Barber is) in order to actually get your novice Licence. and once you have it you have to attend Two Regional Races in order for you to get your Regional Compitition License. Luckly once you've got your Novice licence you have two years to complete the requirements to get your regional bevore the novice licence expires.
http://www.scca.com/Club/Index.asp?IdS=04BD1F-FC42000&x=030|055&~= (http://www.scca.com/Club/Index.asp?IdS=04BD1F-FC42000&x=030%7C055&%7E=)

sorry.

allow me to correct myself:

join the scca, fill in a couple of forms, get a medical, take two approved Driver Schools pay your fee and tadaa!
there's your US novice racing licence.

These two driver's schools you're talking about. How are they different from skip lessons and what's the difference in terms of price?

Is NASA one of them?

Well they are cheeper.... But you have to provide your own car that can pass Tech... meaning you allready have to own the race car.

wow I just said something without even looking at what LV said. Sorry about that, a lot of stress. Where was I...so NASA is cheaper to ENTER but I have to buy a race car? what kind of race car?

An update, I learned that before I can race at this go kart track in upstate NY, I have to have previous racing experience (stands there looking stupid) or have gone to driving school, so I think I'm going to the Skip Barber One Day Combo first, (and really soon hopefully) that's the one with the miata, mazda3 and rx-8 and the Skip Formula car at Limerock, which I exclusively get to drive on the race track with, then I can rent a kart. AFAIK, the skip driving school exempts me from liabilities, until you get into the High Perf, and racing programs. That's 1600, for the day, no liability...maybe the formula..and then I can start lessons at OVRP, 300 a day, renting, it's 395...with 500 liability. It's not like I'm gonna destroy the thing on my first time out...is it?

should have gotten back to this earlier....

again, not sure how it is in the US but in the UK, a lot of the more serious karting also falls under control of the MSA as well so yes, you pretty much have to go through a similar process before you can get a proper karting license as well.

and another thing in case you haven't come across it yet.
when you go for your "lessons", you're probably going to have to at least get your own pair of racing boots, gloves and helmet and even your own racing suit. You can of course, rent these but sooner or later you're going to have to get your own.

this will cost around £1000+ before you've even sat down in a car.

I don't think a helmet shoes and gloves will come to over 1000 USD, but seriously, I was looking up helmet prices. Is there no cheaper karting helmet then 300 dollars? Some 400. Man oh man I am getting psyched.

shoes cost around £100
gloves cost about £100
helmet cost £400+
suit costs £400+

unless of course, you don't mind wearing someone else's sweaty seconds.

Try http://www.racerwholesale.com/

they tend to be reasonably priced.

It could just be me looking at expensive brands....

So I was talking to some people about karting, and while the majority say I should just go to some parking lot and race already, there are some choices I can make. I said I wanted to go into Rotax, but to learn my friends said it was better to start in 4 stroke, possibly two stroke. We're still talking karts here...barely. What do you think? Because the karting forum is a ghost town.

don't you have any recreational turn up and pay karting places near you?
just jump in whatever they use and have fun.

These are the places in NY:
http://www.tsracing.com/NewKarter/StateTracks/NewYork.htm

there's only two there that are close to me. The Riverhead Raceway, which is an Oval, and the Uniondale Sprint Track, but I don't even know if it still exists, Nassau Coliseum exists but that has nothing to do with Karting, it's a huge event place. I could call them up tomorrow. Anywhere closer (not listed) is amusement park karting...but I'd even settle for that at this point.

UPDATE- I actually got some useful reading material, Speed Secrets 1 by Ross Bentley.

so you don't have any places where you turn up with a bunch of mates, pay for a session and get to run around a track for a couple of hours?
cos we got a few around my parts and my closest is maybe a 20 minute drive from home.
my local (http://www.revolutionkarting.com/)

Good news, I have enough to afford a Skip Barber course...now the ultimate question...is it a ripoff in terms of working towards getting a racing license and the training or is it good value?

don't you think that it's a bit of a stupid question considering that going to a recognised school, which this is, is a requirement for your license?
And considering that you've never been on a track, any experience is going to be worth it just because it gets you away from your pc games.

thing is, i don't think you should be doing this until you have at least $10,000 floating around. That way, you can comfortably get your license, have money in the bank to enter a couple of small events. Of course, I don't know your family background or your personal financial status but I don't plan to go for my proper competition licence until I have about £10K spare in the bank (once I'm a qualified architect to boot that is). I'll be lucky if i can get that done before i'm 35, especially seeing that I've also got to get £100K together to build a house for myself...

in case you've missed it, racing isn't cheap and it isn't something you can do on a "save up until i can afford to race the next time" thing.

Here's what I decided to do. I might go to the FULL 3-day racing school, but I'm not going to do it yet. I have 4,000 but that would be a shabby way to spend it IF I was going to buy my own go kart and gear instead, meaning I could race whenever I want. I do think Skip Barber is worth it though, but like you said, it's better to have more money in the bank.

When I don't have to worry about college this summer, I'm going to look into buying a brand new kart...probably a 2 stroke because I like how they sound, I haven't decided. Then I'll use SOME form of transportation to trailer it around, that's definitely not decided, so does that sound good? I could go to any track i want and practice, eventually join karting events. My main focus is getting into autocross with my go kart, because those events are a lot easier to find. You don't know how badly I want to race right now, anyway to do it, I'll do it.

if you're over 15 years of age you're already too old.

You're only likely to get into F1 or something if you have been doing gokart racing since the age of 5. which requires obsessive parents which means you better get some kids and make them do it instead. Who said brainwashing wasn't useful.

if you're over 15 years of age you're already too old.

You're only likely to get into F1 or something if you have been doing gokart racing since the age of 5. which requires obsessive parents which means you better get some kids and make them do it instead. Who said brainwashing wasn't useful.

You know, you're partially wrong. As long as I get out there and do my best in whatever series I join, it's never too late. Yes yes yes I know I'll never be in Formula 1, the higest tier out of like 15 tiers in motosports, which if given the chance I would glady race in any of them.