Racing

Karting!

 

Being old enough is not the issue it is being weathy enough. Free rides do not exist until you are very good and you can't be without practice. You'll need to shell out probably close to $1million before free rides come. A good first step is a racing school. Lasts 3-5 days and will cost a few grand. This will give you a feel for racing to let you know if it is your thing or not. If it turns out to be your thing and you want to be successful at it expect to give up just about everything to go racing. Harsh but true. If the will is there good luck because it can be done; nothing is impossible and I am living proof of that.

 

Have you actually driven a real race kart?

 

I hate to tell you this, but you're too old to start a racing career as a professional. Make it a hobby.

 

You're already too old. By now you should have won a couple of junior karting championships to even have a hope of getting someone else to pay you to race. And then the odds are a million to one.

Best bet: study hard, get a really good job, don't waste money on things like girls and kids, and maybe you will be able to afford to pay for your own racing. Otherwise you are stuffed.

Welcome to reality.

 

Dont tell that to Takuma Sato! j/k

Willy, I think karting is the best possible avenue for you - will be great learning experience and let you judge for yourself if you have what it takes to race.

 

Very true about Sato! It can be done.

You need to get into a Kart and fast. Don't start with the shifters, you'll be in way over your head and in order to be competitive you'd be spending about $20,000 a year. Do you have that much? I thought so. If you think that's expensive you'll be at least tripling that amount for the entry car series one rung up on the "ladder."

A non shifting Kart will be 1) inexpensive 2) teach you about being smooth and proper race line 3) give you good cut and thrust racing experience.

Don't get hung up on what it is. A true racer will get into anything in order to race. If you're more interested in being a race "car" driver I'd say you're probably not cut out for racing. Save your money, buy an expensive sports car and go stand by it on the street corner.

 

Let me ask this question and it is not meant as an insult to NASCAR.

How about if Willy tries to go the NASCAR route at 16? Sounds to me that there still might be a door open.

It seems to me that for NASCAR you need a) less talent than for open wheel road racing and b) age doesn't seem to matter much. Aren't there guys driving around in it in their fourties or more?

 

At 16, he _might_ be able to make a NASCAR run. However, most successful modern drivers started at well under 10 running midgets, karts, legends and other series. NASCAR recently created a minumum age rule (18) for the top series because there were several 15 and 16 year olds who were ready to make the jump. There's still some older drivers in the field, but nowdays 30ish is starting to look OLD in the top teams. Many younger guys (9-14) are already under development contracts.

If he wants to go that route, he needs to get into a car NOW and go run pony stock or bomber or legend or something at the local dirt track to at least get experience. A year or so of that, jump to ARCA, then look at the Craftsman Truck Series.

He better have money. Like everywhere else, the best way in is to either be related to someone (notice all the JRs and IIIs in the fields) or to have a big sponsor in his pocket to convince a team to pick him over the next guy.

 

Thanks Tillman for the to the point answer. My question wasn't meant to fuel the flames and your answer was very informative.

 

I didn't realize you're in the South.

Go find a local dirt track -- there's got to be one near Tampa. See what it's like. Then go get a car. Who knows, maybe you're the next superstar.

Bombers or Pony Stock is cheap racing

 

IMO, and to be brutally honest, it doesn't seem that you have the motivation to be a pro racer.
Compared to most other in the upper echelons of racing, it's too late for you to start and go through the ranks. Karting is the place to start, and many pros use karts to keep their skills sharp. Then would come shifter karts, attending an open wheel driving school, Formula cars, etc..
For starters, i would suggest finding a local track that rents competition karts, and see how you do against others. Go from there.