How much do you need to drive to become a pro ? | FerrariChat

How much do you need to drive to become a pro ?

Discussion in 'Other Racing' started by CRG125, Jul 13, 2006.

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  1. CRG125

    CRG125 F1 Rookie

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    So how much do think you need to race or drive to become a pro driver in the Grand am series or American Lemans? Once a week, twice a week or more.
     
    CRG125, Jul 13, 2006
    #1
  2. don_xvi

    don_xvi F1 Rookie

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    It's not seat time, it's money.
    Or do you want to be PAID rather than PAYING to be a "pro" race car driver?
    Then it's a matter of skill. If you have to drive 4x a week "practicing" for long then you don't have "it" and you'll never be a PAID pro.
     
    don_xvi, Jul 13, 2006
    #2
  3. b-mak

    b-mak F1 Veteran

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    Don't you know any racers?

    Are you asking about just competing in such series or are you asking about how to become a Ron Fellows or a Bill Auberlen?
     
    b-mak, Jul 13, 2006
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  4. Darkhorse575

    Darkhorse575 Formula Junior

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    There was a great article in RACER magazine a few years back "So You Want to Be A Racecar Driver?". The general estimation says that you'd be lucky to break even as you would need to invest a few million before you are good enough to be paid a few million.
     
    Darkhorse575, Jul 13, 2006
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  5. speedy_sam

    speedy_sam F1 Veteran

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    I dont know if you know Maranelloman who used to be on Fchat. He raced with the Grand Am cup in a BMW for a couple races. I am sure he would know the answer to your question. I have dont have his email addy but Im sure someone on the board has it.
     
    speedy_sam, Jul 13, 2006
    #5
  6. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner Social Subscribed

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    Don is right, it is about money and hardly anything else. The hardly is you need a pro racing license. You can obtain with something like Skip Barber/Panoz school plus enough amateur races (usually only 4). You can get the amateur races in with SCCA, NASA, PCA, or the similar. There are many pros on the "pro" circuit, but most are just money bags.
     
    rob lay, Jul 13, 2006
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  7. The K Reloaded

    The K Reloaded Formula Junior BANNED

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    Being a professional athlete is about talent and practice to hone the skills necessary. With motorsports that means a great deal of money. It will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars if not millions.

    If you're in your late 20's with an eye towards competing in Grand Am or American Le Mans without killing yourself and others, I would endeavor to be in a race car at a minimum twice a week for 6 hours or more. Start in shifter karts and work your way up over the course of 4-5 years.
     
    The K Reloaded, Jul 13, 2006
    #7
  8. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran Owner

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    Hah! Grand Am will issue licenses for GAC for those fresh from a Skippy school. To get a license for DP/GT, you'll need at least an SCCA National, an SCCA National/Pro Dual or some sort of FIA license, Grade B or better. For World Challenge, Pro Formula Mazda, Pro FF2000, an SCCA Pro License is required, generally. For ALMS, an IMSA license is required, generally available if you've fulfilled the requirements for an SCCA Pro License or FIA ticket.

    That's what I would recommend. Fulfill the requirements of an SCCA National license and you might be safe and out there, but to be up front, it will take a lot of seat time and a large budget. I can count less than four-dozen guys who make their primary living through driving other people's cars. There are hundreds of drivers driving off their family/company/friends money, which they transfer to the team with whom they've contracted for the drive...

    I mentor several talented, young up-and-coming drivers who aspire to pro status (i.e. get asked to drive and either not pay, or get paid expenses and a small stipend). They start in karts or SCCA Club Racing, proceed to the base-level pro series such as the Pro Miata series or Pro Formula Mazda, then hope to move up from there. They are running Grand Am Cup and GT, as well as Formula BMW. These guys are incredibly talented, very good shoes, have decent web sites, work many, many part-time jobs at the BMW Performance Center, Skippy and Panoz and have parents that are mortgaging a lot to buy them rides to show their talent. They may or may not make it. Talent has less to do with it than money, unfortunately.Oh, and did I remember to say it's very hard work?

    -Peter (Licensing Chair for North Carolina Region SCCA)
     
    ProCoach, Jul 13, 2006
    #8
  9. WCH

    WCH F1 Veteran Owner Rossa Subscribed

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    "It's not seat time, it's money."


    Many of the young lions I've raced ran out of money before they ran out of talent. I have the opposite problem.

    The word "pro" is used casually in racing. There are those who race in professional series, and then there are those who are professional racers.
     
    WCH, Jul 13, 2006
    #9
  10. PSP

    PSP Formula Junior

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    I helped out on Bill Auberlein's team in IMSA in the early 90s when they were running their own Mazda RX-7 in GTU. He is one helluva driver....
     
    PSP, Jul 13, 2006
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  11. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran Owner

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    ProCoach, Jul 13, 2006
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  12. PSP

    PSP Formula Junior

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    When I knew him, he was working as a Porsche independent mechanic...
     
    PSP, Jul 13, 2006
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  13. FLATOUTRACING

    FLATOUTRACING F1 Rookie

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    There is no clear definition of what a pro driver constitutes, but in general, if you aren't earning a paycheck and half your income from racing, you're not really a professional in the true sense.

    Just my 02 worth.
     
    FLATOUTRACING, Jul 13, 2006
    #13
  14. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner Social Subscribed

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    amen to that. cuts out 80% of the GAC, PSM, and even WC racers.
     
    rob lay, Jul 13, 2006
    #14
  15. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran Owner

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    More like 90%! <grin>
     
    ProCoach, Jul 14, 2006
    #15

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