QuestionQUESTION: Mr. Liddy, I am 15 years old and live in the Bay Area in Northern California. I am very interested in auto career and know of some areas in which I may race Karts competitively each Sunday. I aspire to start an auto racing career in NASCAR or similar. Do you have any suggestions on what I should do? Thank you for your time.
ANSWER: Hello !
Racing Karts is certainly a good place to start. I believe if you look around you'll find that many many pros started their careers in Karts of Quarter Midgets. Jeff Gordon started in those ranks and look where he is now.
There are many other things that make up todays pro racer though. All of them have formal educations, that's college degrees, many are graduate engineers. Another very important part is developing exceptional people skills, public relations, human relations , and how to act in front of a camera. Learn to walk up to strangers and introduce yourself without shyness, and to speak with them as an adult.
Plan on attending one of two pro level racing schools sometime in the next couple of years. Bob Bondurant has a very good operation in Phoenix AZ. and you should be able to fine many more in the California area. Also , Bondurant has a book out on competition driving, ask for it at any bookstore, they can order it if it's not in stock. it's about $15.00
Finally, seek out and join your local region of Sprots Car Club of America, SCCA. Go to www.scca.org and look for the region in your area, and then your local district. Go to meetings , meet people, and volunteer to help out at their races. Amazing what you will leearn.
Good luck !! Write back if you need to.
Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you for that. Also, what is a good way to get discovered? Do I just make sure to attend many events and race well in them?
AnswerOK For NASCAR it's the Charlotte NC area, For Indy Car, it would be the Indianapolis area.
Most racers gravitate to those areas, try to do some local racing and BEG for jobs in the various racing shops, sweeping floors, hauling trash out, many work for free for a time. In the meantime working on furthering their educations, and honing their abilities on the track.
Understand that there are hundreds , probably thousands of people each year that end up disapointed. It's NOT an easy job to get, and it's not an easy job to keep. The young driver must have supreme talent, and be personable also. It's not for sissys believe me.
You're in California, I'm in Florida- - -its MIDNight here, I'm going to bed ! Further questions will be welcome and considered in the AM
Dan Liddy
