Auto Racing: How to start a racing career?, rally car racing, graduate mechanical engineers

Question
QUESTION: I'm 19 and currently live in vegas but soon will be moving to minnesota. I like cars and learning all I can about them.  I'm not going to say I have any skills as a racer or mechanic. But I'm very eager to learn everything I can. even tho I don't have a good source of resources at the moment. I would just like to know how to start and the best way to start. I've been interested in professional rally car racing and mechanics(dirt or pavement). I would like to know all aspects of the sport so I would be fine in starting in any position. And if there was any jobs I could start in that gave me the experience and income while furthering my career?
Thanks, Cale

ANSWER: Hi Cale:

First you should plan on staying in school for as long as you can.  Many successful race drivers and many more crewmen are graduate mechanical engineers.  That  means lots of mathematics and lots of homework. But if you end up with a real job in racing , it also means a thrilling satisfying life with a very good income.

The next thing you should plan on is getting involved in racing somehow.  Most people start by volunteering to help at various racing shops and tracks.  Find your local race track, buy a pit pass and have a look around. You'll find that racing is not all glory by the way, there's a LOT of hard dirty work involved for everybody concerned.

Finally , for driving experience, there's nothing better or lower in cost than Go Karts.  You'll also have to search that out in your new neighborhood. but it will be worth it.  In Minnesota there are probably a few indoor tracks where you can race year around.

One other thing. Get a copy of Bob Bondurant's book on High Perforomance Driving - -  it should be at your local library, or better, any bookstore can order it for you , or look at Amazon.dom to order online, It's a great book about racing techniques, with a little of Bob's personal history.  

Good luck Cale - - - racing has given me more satisfaction than any other part of my life, and I couldn't do it if I hadn't stayed in school !!  

Best wishes

Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much. I was also wondering how would one go about getting sponsored? Do you have to be good or well known  or is it more like a contract?

ANSWER: Sponsorship is usually obtained at the start , pretty much by going door to door to likely businesses .  At the race track you'll see some examples . Perhaps a towing company, car repair, or parts store.  Of course they already have a sponsorship program in force. What you must do is go to the towing company or parts house that isn't yet sponsoring a car. Be brave- - - if you're racing a Chevy - -go to the local dealer, ask for help- - -but be sure and talk to the BOSS- - -At this point you are about to learn a lesson that many people never get- - - you must be your own best salesman- - - that's right. At the library get a book on salesmanship and read it. Practice what it says too. It's all important.  

Later on in your career, once you have started to get in to the pro levels, you will find an agent to represent you to potential partners and sponsors.   The big names have agfor sponsorship, agents for representing them to race teams- -  it goes on and on.

Good luck with it cale, you're starting kinda late - - -but it's still possible if you have some talent and a LOT of ambition

Dan

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm starting late... that sucks. :/ Well I don't know how much talent I have but I'm very ambitious. Would you recommend me get more experience before I try to get sponsored so I have something to offer?
Thanks again,
Cale

Answer
Yes, go to the local go kart track and rent a few rides. Race with the other kids some and see how you stack up- - -BUT  do it AFTER you've read the Bondurant book I suggested at first. From that you can probably graduate to a stock mini somewhere close by, but be prepared, that transition takes money- - - money requires work.  Good jobs require education - - -remember what I said at first ?  If you've left school go back, if you're still in school , stay. If you can't afford school, join the Air Force or the Navy, they'll educate you and train you for high paying work. Yeah, it'll cost you 3 years or so, but you'll also have a better idea of where you're headed.

Racing takes money- - -LOTS of money- - - Education and work are the only realistic ways to get there.

Best wishes

Dan