Yes.Originally Posted by BURKY
Yes.
You might be right, I've noticed these cars are hard to find.
The money thing... I think I've been misunderstood a little about that, and perhaps I should not have thrown a number out there. I will find the best thing I can afford. About sponsorship and big bucks, I understand reality, and being cynical, there's always that chance. Saying that someone could not do something would be going against reality. I could have sponsors behind me if I build my name. Thanks guys I don't need anymore advice now.
OK..........now that all us collective geniuses have handed out all this great advice ..........go ahead and go do your thing and then make another entry here in 8 months..........and then again in another 8 months.
Signing off.
Oh,Youth.
Full of promise and enthusiasm.
Ignorant to reality..........
Maris Kazia ,CEO
EuroKraft Inc Racing
Circuito do Sol
2014 Radical SR 3 RSX, 2x Tatuus FA 01
BMW HP2 .BMW K1200 R.Porsche 996 Carerra 4s
Bad sign.
I know a good racer that has 50 years of racing and at his age he still takes advise.
And your full and need no more.
Formula Race Promotions is going to be at VIR next weekend with FA, FC and FF cars, not all that far from you.
Here is an open invite to come to our paddock and watch, talk to the drivers and teams, and get a good look at the FF competition in action. Go to www.F1600series.com for the schedule, etc.
----------
In memory of Joe Stimola and Glenn Phillips
Yes thank you for inviting me. I have to work my job though, because I can't ask off since I'm planning to be off to race my kart soon, but I appreciate the invite, this is a series that I was looking at, and I'm sure I'll come by sometime soon.
I don't mean it like that as in I would never hear someone's opinion ever again, or that I wouldn't need to go over my car with someone, or that I don't negotiate or whatever.
Huh? That makes no sense.
I meant more for now on this particular topic. That doesn't mean I will not ask or take advice ever again.
Yes but that type of statement turns people off. How do you know that somebody will not post a comment or a suggestion that might help you. Even after you think you have figured it all out.
A question would you eat dog biscuit as a regular routine so you could save money to go racing?
You know you should give someone the benefit of the doubt on what they say. I'm not here to argue with anyone. It just seemed that I had gotten the same general perspectives that I was going to get. The joke that you asked makes no sense.
If someone else thinks they have constructive advice then perhaps I misunderstood some of the other people to be giving me just a beat up session, but being reactive is a trait racing drivers have. I'm sorry if I took anything anyone said personally or the wrong way..
Last edited by f1racingchampsd11; 09.26.16 at 4:24 PM.
Yelling normally does not help.
It was not a joke question, it was a question to test your level of commitment.
One last post. And to put this back on a positive note.
You might take a look at FV. The skill set you build racing a FV is excellent and in some respects is superior to almost any other class of race cars. There are many drivers who have a high degree of mastery with FVs to teach you well if you can get on pace with them
The kid who finished second in the SCCA run offs this year, is the son of a man who won the FV national championship and the Indy 500. His grand father raced FV to keep sharp while he raced F5000, FA and TransAm. And his uncle competed in the Indy 500. The entire family started in FV and the last time I talked with Grandpa, none of his kids had beaten him in a FV at that time.
From my experience as a race engineer with over a decade in Indy Lights, I can tell you that if you are good in FV, you will likely be good at anything you race.
And the reason is...
Energy management. FV cars have phenomenal grip for their tires and suspension with limited HP. The combination ensures the driver who is smooth and can preserve momentum(energy management) will prevail. FV is also an excellent training ground for learning racecraft. All of the FV drivers I know in SF Region are very good drivers, great close racing. Brian McCarthy, you are missed already. Godspeed.
Regards,
Dan Wise
“Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty.” -Peter Egan
+ 1 on Brian.
I'll reserve any comment on the subject because my parents taught me long ago that if I can't say something nice about a particular subject, then don't.
OK, now for what I really think: "this cannot possibly be a serious question from anybody ever involved in Motorsports at any level"! It's more like being on a hidden camera TV show or an episode of "PUNK'D"...... Where's Ashton?????
Well, I have a bit of seat time in Karts - 11 years. I also (with 10 other guys) built the sprint track in Reno.
Yea, I won some races in an older chassis early.
Then I moved into the faster class, I had $10,000 in the kart - it wasn't enough to run with the top 2 guys AND that was just at the local club level.
We held the Grand National Championships at our track, the guys who came in for the race blew away the locals easily.
I then moved into road racing karts, another $9k kart and 4 times the money per race. I won 5 regional championships in 10 years, no one who I talked to about sponsorship cared about those at all.
Then I bought a Club Formula Ford, ran in the San Francisco Region of SCCA. The Ford was a track record holder, not a $6,000 one.
THAT'S when I learned what "fast" really was,
I thought I was fast and would run at the front right away - yea, right.
Time out.
What I've seen here is the usual good advice on how to get started in racing, MAYBE even make a career of it, from folks who've actually done it. Plus some comments about brutal reality.
What got lost were some early observations about ambitions to enter F1, especially the observation that nobody gets there based on U.S. racing experience (ok, if your name is Andretti or Unser they might give you a shot but look how that turned out).
If you want to be taken seriously, go to Europe or drop the F1 fantasy. Sponsors love enthusiasm, but they also need to see someone with a grip on what is actually possible.
Caldwell D9B - Sold
Crossle' 30/32/45 Mongrel - Sold
RF94 Monoshock - here goes nothin'
Quote:
Originally Posted by HayesCages View Post
You've raced 2 times, or raced your current kart 2 times?
"Both. Actually practiced once, and then raced once."
Scott Woodruff
83 RT5 Ralt/Scooteria Suzuki Formula S
(former) F440/F5/FF/FC/FA
65 FFR Cobra Roadster 4.6 DOHC
Would that be the Lazier family?? Great talented bunch of racers.
Yes
To the OP -
I'll be racing my shifter kart at AMP in Dawsonville GA on 15th October. You're more than welcome to come down and chat. I've raced in the UK and here in open wheel cars so am happy to chat about my experiences. I even made it to F1!*
*not quite in the capacity I imagined!
Last edited by SEComposites; 09.25.16 at 8:16 PM. Reason: Wrong date! 15th Oct not March as originally posted!
¢ vs $ or no sense vs the reality of racing.
To the OP, read this and realize that this is the reality of your aspiration. Time to find that rich uncle that you never knew...............
http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75364
I wasn't yelling. I will do anything ethical. I'm not a dishonest person. You know its everyone's right to go about something the way they would like too. I've considered options such as racing karts. Scott Speed was not related to the Andrettis or Unsers, and I get that its a remote chance a very remote chance.
Okay and I appreciate everyone's glimpse of reality, although I do realize this, but you know, if someone told James Hunt or whomever after they went to driver's school for the first time and did not distinguish themselves that they would never make it, and that person gave up on that persons advice, then they would have never become World Champion.
Who are you Michael Waltrip? You know I don't care about what you think. That is so ridiculous to compare me to some idiot on a reality television show. You don't know me. Don't make personal negative comments, because I haven't ridiculed anyone on here, and as far as I'm concerned unless someone has something constructive to say, then someone that's just going to say I'm a punk and can't make it, should not be listened to, because they don't even know me. I realize that there is a 1 and million shot maybe, but its my right to try and take that risk if I so choose, because I live in America right? Argument over. I will not respond to anymore putdowns or negative comments.
lol... and here we reach they stage of the thread where someone who knows nothing insults some rather big names & National champs & people who technically might be able to help them in their racing career.
~Matt Clark| RTJ-02 FV #92 | My YouTube Onboard Videos (helmet cam)
Umm....There are many ways to come at something like this...
I think you need to understand the staggering amount of experience and skill sets represented on this website; and the willingness by those people to share stories and offer advice to a question posed.
BTW, I was you when I was your age. It didn't take very long for me to realize I was far better off making as much money as I could so I could afford to race. It has been my single greatest motivator in my day job. And even with that, I struggled for years to afford the sport (yes, I was willing to eat dog biscuits and sometimes came close to actually doing it).
Go to a driver's school (Skippy or Bertil Roos are the best bet); it will be the best investment in yourself you can imagine. Invest the time to learn what this game is all about by going to a race weekend and getting involved (if you're really serious, you'll take a day off and drive up to VIR this Friday and watch some of the best young talent in the country drive FF's including the just crowned runoffs champion).
----------
In memory of Joe Stimola and Glenn Phillips
Okay I am sorry if I misinterpreted anyone to being saying anything personally negative against me. I'm not out to insult anyone, but I felt I was being insulted. We had a pretty good feedback thing going at first, and then I think I misunderstood things that people were saying, as to be a beat up session against me, but I realize that we're not supposed to take things personally. I'm sorry if I did. I have been polite and thanked people for their input. I don't mean to insult anyone. This conversation has just gotten on a negative note, and I wish that it had not. To the person that wrote about thinking they were fast and won a lot of races, I was not trying to insult you, I was just saying and have acknowledged several times, that I know that the odds are very slim, but that there is a remote chance in hell. I don't have anything personal against you, so I just believe this thread is getting a bit too heated, and I don't mean anything personal against anyone, and that's all I have to say.
I'm not insulting James I'm a huge fan. He's my racing hero.
So one race, ever? How far off the track lap record are you at this point in your career?
Lawrence Hayes
Hayes Cages, LLC
Sagle, ID.
James Hunt was a generation and a half ago. times have changed. It was not nearly as costly to race in his time by a factor of several thousand.
That is why he was able to get noticed for his talent and get rides that he did not have to buy and besides he was immensely talented.
The reason why you're reading so many negative-sounding things is because we do want you to become a racer. You've only done one race ever in a go kart and already think you're going to make it to F1. We don't want you to get frustrated or bored when reality hits and quit when you find out you aren't actually the next James Hunt. There are over 7 billion people on this planet and only 22 of them are F1 drivers. We want you to become addicted to racing so that it will be a part of your life forever no matter how far you make it. Right now it's very much in danger of just being a passing interest.
Look at what it takes to be Max Verstappen. When he's not driving his Formula 1 car he's driving his go kart. When he's not driving his go kart he's playing goddamn rFactor on his computer. The kid lives and breathes racing and even he probably would not have made it to F1 without the connections and money of his parents. If you want to be like him you should be taking your go kart to the local sprint track every single weekend and planning to make a go at a serious championship in the future. Tinkering in the garage with an old beater club ford project car that you'll get bored of before it's even safe enough to pass tech leads to nowhere. Focus your money and energy on driving as much as possible. Drive, drive, and then drive some more. Take your go kart to every event within towing range that it's legal in. Drive until your arms feel like they're going to fall off and then keep driving.
Call Jon Lewis, he can get you there.
Wow, what a thread.... Let me see if I can add some insight to part of the original thread. I am NOT a championship winner and I have a very limited budget (maybe the lowest of the people I race with) but I have found racing very rewarding and each little advancement thrilling.
You mention the budget "at a time".... How many "times" are you planning on running in a season? Becoming the best out there takes a lot of track time. I know many people here that spend that much or more per race weekend. I race in vintage, which is about as cheap as it comes, and only run at local tracks and spend nearly that much. I also wrench most of my own car and am EXTREMELY fortunate to have become good friends with a local fabrication shop that has years of experience to offer.
Another thing to add is you must look at the cost of all of the gear costs. A roller or tired car at $6k may sound like a great deal and "it sould be easy to complete", but the reality (I can speak from actual experience here) is that completing a car will cost MUCH more than buying a good complete car. I built my own first engine (how tough can that be?) and found I spend nearly as much as a pro build and while very reliable was way down on power compared to the rest of the field. My latest engine rebuild was nearly your $6k budget and that was with a complete engine to start with.
When friends who are not racers find out what my hobby is, the first question is almost always "how much did your car cost?". I always answer, the cost of the car may be the cheapest part of racing. You have a LOT of safety gear that is required, karting stuff doesn't cut in most cases, and then you have maintenance, storage, and a way to get the car to the track (trailer and truck).
I really don't want to ruin your dream, I would love to have that kind of drive. Listen to the others, get a car you can afford to drive often. And make sure that you can walk away from your investment if it is wadded up in a ball. I did that with a Chumpcar we built and was ok with that because I knew racing is full of unknowns. Have fun with your drive and don't give it up just because you don't make it to F1 or even to the top of your local series. And become friends with one of the local drivers to help you out when you have questions, the answers are not always as obvious as one thinks they are.
Good luck with your goal.
-John Allen
Tacoma, WA
'82 Royale RP31M
(‘72 Royale RP16 stolen in 2022)
You're in Greer, SC. Not a long drive down to Savannah. Check this out: http://www.motorsportreg.com/events/...9#.V-poXzu1ClJ
$400 for the day. Take your street car. Donnie Isley and Laura Hayes are both Formula Vee drivers from right around your area. Donnie has 35 years of SCCA open wheeled experience, Laura just had a nice showing at the Runoffs. Both instruct at the BMW Performance Center right in your neighborhood. You could learn a LOT from both of them...and $400 is a steal for what will be several hours of track time.
Tell Donnie that James Brookshire recommended you do his track day. It's just a few weeks out, so see if you can fit it into your schedule. If you sign up, let me know. I'll tell Donnie about your situation and your ambition. He's a good guy.
James
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Last edited by jimmy neutron; 09.05.23 at 11:03 PM.
At ANY level in ANY motorsport discipline.
Very THICK skin is one of major requirements to even survive ,never mind
being at peak of success.
You need to grow bigger cohones and learn to learn even from people that seem to be insulting you.
In any competitive sport your enemy is your most fierce teacher...
P.S.
This is sport that can injure or even possibly kill you .
Read some of fallen friends threads and make notes.
I m only at track day level and started at age of 34 .
Very late.
Have 65 hours of shifter kart testing few seconds of pace and 4 different formula cars
1-2 sec off pace at 70 hours total time.
And may be after 2o more hours of testing in my new car i think I'll be able to comfortably enter my first CLUB race.
Learn to be tough and resilient first .
Racing is as much about mental as it is about physical endurance.
Maris Kazia ,CEO
EuroKraft Inc Racing
Circuito do Sol
2014 Radical SR 3 RSX, 2x Tatuus FA 01
BMW HP2 .BMW K1200 R.Porsche 996 Carerra 4s
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