1. The first thing you need to do is get educated about racing. Read, read, read. Read everything you possibly can about racecar driving. If you haven't read very much in this regard, start with Carroll Smith's books. He has a number of books that are all very helpful. This will lead you to many other books. If you need any other suggestions on reading material, just ask me, and I'll forward you more suggestions. Here are a few good books to read:
- DRIVE TO WIN By Carroll Smith
- GOING FASTER
- WINNING By Anderson
- Think to Win By Alexander
2. Go to racetracks.(checkout our racetrack links) Talk to drivers. Talk to teams. Talk to crewmembers. Talk to anybody that you can about racing. You will learn a lot, and you will also find that racing people loved to be asked questions and love to tell you everything that they know on the subject. You will find that you will make many new friends, and this will aid in your evolution to becoming a driver.
3. Volunteer to work in any aspect of racing that you can. Even if you have to, sell tickets at the racetrack or be an usher. After that, try to get onto a race team. Volunteer to wash engine parts or polish the racecar and run errands. Do whatever you can. The more you hang around racing, the more you will know, and the more opportunity you will have to get your lucky break at driving.
4. Now that you are reading and getting smarter, talking to racing people, and understanding what the race game is all about, you should be saving your money and trying to get into some kind of race school. There are a number of great U.S. based racing schools. You can find most of them on www.racingschools.com. Some of the more well known schools are not always the best. Look into the Bertil Roos Racing School (Formula cars), The Derek Daly Academy (Formula cars), Competiton 101 (stockcars), Porsche Driving Experience (Sportscars) or the Panoz Racing School (Sportscars) to name a few. In Canada, check out Autosport Basi (Formula cars). The best course that you could take with any of these schools is a three-day (or longer) training course. This will give you the basics in racing and car control. It will also lead you to talk to other racers and to coaches and instructors that may be able to help you get into a racecar. Most people have to learn and work their way up through the ranks and, you can do that, if you have the dedication, staying power, financial means and if it's what you really want to do in life.5. You could start attending driving days available through car clubs. Check your local area. If it is in the U.S., Sports Car Club of America has a national office in Colorado and regional offices in most states as well as a web site. They offer programs for a few hundred dollars if you bring your own car. Oftentimes, you can bring a streetcar and get some sort of training as well. This can be very cost effective and also get your feet wet with regard to getting started in the race game.
6. If you are ready to go racing and have a small budget or a limited sponsor, you may be able to start racing some of the school race series. Schools like Bertil Roos and Rotary Rocketsl have their own series, and it's fairly economical relative to expensive pro racing. It is generally very competitive at the front of the pack, and you will learn a lot.
7. Seat Time - Once you are ready to go racing, remember that seat time is everything. Get in a racecar every chance you get. Whether it's a go-kart, a streetcar on the race track, or a made-for-racing racecar, do everything you can to get as much seat time as possible. That's all there is to it. Unless you happen to have a rich uncle or a very big pile of money, this is generally how most folks go about becoming a driver. I hope this proves to be helpful to you. You are also more than welcome to send back specific questions if you would like, and the experienced representatives there will answer them promptly.
Good Luck!!!