[D_o_S]

Hiya,

I'd like to get into racing, but I don't know where to start. I'm in my early 20s, and I'm considering several options.

1) Getting into Go karts. The thing is, it may be a little late for this, in order to become competitive. I probably won't have many friends to start off with, since I'll be the only one of my age who is "starting". People at my age are likely to have like 10 years of experience already.

A thing that slightly scares me is the safety of these carts, especially the shifters? I mean it doesn't seem safe flying down the track at 60+ mph, with nothing really separating you from your surroundings.

On the other hand, it may be possible to learn many valuable skills karting, like how to left foot brake, etc.

2) Racing with my own car. I can attend track days. I'm quite in the age group to start racing, I'll prolly be among the younger guys. I'm worried about wrecking my car, so I'll have to purchase insurance, not sure how much that's going to be.

Should something happen, it's probably safer in a car (it's all relative though). Also, stuff I learn while racing my own car means directly becoming a better driver, vs. having to translate the experience from karts to car.

3) Other options, such as racing hill climbs, etc., but that's not my cup of tea atm.

Soooo, what should I do? What will be most beneficial in the long term? What won't get me killed?

Thanks.

[herrherrlich]

Personally, I got a very late start into auto racing myself but there's a ton of great options out there if you want to get onto a track. More so in the South or CA than for us locked up here in the NE.

Go-Karting - Tremendous fun and pretty safe actually. While they do get up to some good speeds out there they also stop VERY quickly and are difficult to flip. Mostly likely you'll just spin out. Coming from a motorcycle background it's sooo strange being that low to the ground and the physics involved are wayy different.

Track days - Tons of fun but can be very expensive, especially if you're using your DD. You're first time off course will scare the crap out of your wallet. Unless you have a dedicated machine for this, you might spend too much time thinking about consequences rather than apexes and won't have as much fun as you should. If you're using your own car, maybe do a few autocrosses first so there's virtually zero risk of damaging anything and you do gain some benefits of driving your own car at the limit (even though it's a muuch slower limit, lol)

Drag Strip - Good for maybe once a year, more if you reaally dig going straight. Kinda lame in my book unless you have access to something other than a street BMW. But at least it's safe and you get to flog your own car with little to zero risk.

Autocross - Kinda Sorta like a track day with some training wheels. It's definitely a fun/cheap/safe way to get started. You learn a ton about lines, keeping momentum, etc. The instructors are all first class and always willing to help and provide direction (in return for beating on your car for you).

24 Hours of Lemons - This is what my friends and I have discovered the last few years and I have to say I've had more fun behind the wheel in this series than ANYWHERE else. It's just about the cheapest possible way out there to get on a track for authentic wheel to wheel racing. Their safety guidelines are second to none (stricter than SCAA) and holy hell is it fun. Did I mention it's CHEAP?!?! $500 is how much you're *allowed* to spend on the car, and since it's a dedicated piece of track trash you don't have the same fear of wrecking while you're out there rubbin and racing. You really learn so much about driving physics, racing lines and making repairs that the return on investment is worth it alone.

Whatever route you go, be safe out there & always wear proper gear.

-Rob

[mike-y]

There are many types of racing and many classes and series you can get into. All costs various amounts of money and time, but regardless of what you choose, don't worry about being competitive any time soon, because like you said, there are people who have been doing this since they were like 10 years old, lol. Honestly, I wouldn't plan on actual "racing" until you've had plenty of track time to familiarize yourself with the sport.

Anyway, racing karts is not a bad place to start if you really want to "race", and there are different classes of kart racing, and like anything, it can be very pricey to campaign a cart. Some series actually rent karts, so you just need to buy your own gear, then show up and drive (and you'd be liable for any damages if you crash). Karts are much more hardcore though, and more physically and mentally challenging that driving a production car, so keep that in mind.


Attending a few track days in your own car is probably a better place to start and get familiar with proper driving techniques, track etiquette, etc. Remember, you won't be "racing" at a track day, you'll be learning how to drive your car fast. BMWCCA is a good place to start, as they have a very rigid structure and mandatory instruction by experienced drivers. There are a lot of outfits that hold "Driving Events" that you can get into at various race track. You will want to always sign up with an instructor for each event you choose.

you have to walk before you run, and the best thing to learn is get a lot of seat time. Don't worry about modding your car so much beyond the basics (brake fluid, brake pads). One thing I learned is that this sport is very expensive, and if you start off with an expensive car, it compounds the running costs by a huge amount if you really want to be competitive. In a year or so down the road, you may want to look at a cheaper car you can dedicate for track driving that will be cheaper to run than an E9x.

Or you may decide that track days are enough, and you don't want sink tens of thousands of dollars into "racing", and you just want to have a bit of fun without spending all of your retirement money.

So my advice would be to do a few track days and see if you like it. Don't spend a bunch of money on your car for a while. Lots of mods people have are primarily designed for street driving, and may not work really great on the track. And getting a lot of mods early will just mask over mistakes in your driving.


That said, I've done track days and time trials for years (and have a second car for that), and like herrherrlich, recently got into the 24 hours of lemons with some friends. We race a beat up, old 1987 bmw 325 with like 125hp. And it's by far been the most fun I've had driving on the track. we split all the costs for tires, wheels, brakes, repairs, maintenance, etc, so it's manageable. While it's not free, it's still a lot cheaper than anything else. A friend of mine races in NASA Honda Challenge, and it costs him many thousands a season to run his car once you add up all the expenses, travel, fuel, repairs, etc.

[GaryS]

Originally Posted by D_o_S

2) Racing with my own car. I can attend track days. I'm quite in the age group to start racing, I'll prolly be among the younger guys. I'm worried about wrecking my car, so I'll have to purchase insurance, not sure how much that's going to be.

HPDE insurance cost me $225-275 for weekend events at Summit Point depending on what value I estimated my car at. I don't know why, but the insurance costs the same for 1 day, 2 day and 3 day events. The rates are lower for some other tracks that typically have fewer incidents than Summit Point.

FWIW I stopped buying the track insurance after a while because having insurance wasn't making me any less scared of crashing, so I was driving super cautiously anyway, and $250 per event will add up to a decent repair fund pretty fast.

Anyway, as herrherrlich and mike-y said, most people eventually stop tracking their DD and buy or build a race car. Then you can have a rollbar and harness and all that stuff and not worry too much about a little rolling.

[vasillalov]

I was in the same boat as you last April, except that I am 30. I realized that karts would be cheaper, even if I buy my own kart and pay for storage at the circuit. Cheaper, compared to modding my 335i to be track ready and paying for insurance and any damages the car will inevitably incur.

However, I also realized that I will most probably be completely and utterly humiliated by a 10 year old kid if I was to get into karting. Also, using your DD allows you to do several things: you can go to AutoX, you can go to track days and you can go to the drag strip. This is something you can't do with a kart. ...not easily at least. Karts have to be transported from track to track, so you'll need to figure out those expenses as well...

Having contemplated over all of this, I decided to use my 335i, modify it to my liking and have fun with it. The car has been paid off for the past 2 years now, so I don't have the strain of payments on it. Makes it a lot easier to make a decision about using it on the track.

So, I've started going to AutoX events. Being a complete novice, I am still at the very early stage of things and the learning curve is steep. However, it is a lot of fun!

I plan on attending almost 30 AutoX events next season and a few open track days just to start getting familiar with the track days as well.

My final words of advise: If money is not too much of a concern: trust your heart, not your brain! If you do it with your heart you are guaranteed to have fun!

[dbjb]

I track my 335. I enjoy it very much. That said, there are plenty better and cheaper ways to get into racing. I've thought often of getting into spec miata. However, after reading this, I think 24 hours sounds like a great idea. Anyone in Norcal want to get something together?!

[BMW&me]

If you're serious about racing vs. HPDE, then I'd look into some of the professional driving schools and start off with a proper education and reality check to see if this is what you really want to do. It's the best money you'll ever spend IMO.

[meepster]

Originally Posted by dsbj

I track my 335. I enjoy it very much. That said, there are plenty better and cheaper ways to get into racing. I've thought often of getting into spec miata. However, after reading this, I think 24 hours sounds like a great idea. Anyone in Norcal want to get something together?!

I might be down...

[kenneth]

How much does the lemons race end up costing, besides the $500 vehicle and $100 fee for each driver?

Let's see: roll cage, fire extinguisher, spare parts etc.

[Syndicategt]

Originally Posted by dsbj

I track my 335. I enjoy it very much. That said, there are plenty better and cheaper ways to get into racing. I've thought often of getting into spec miata. However, after reading this, I think 24 hours sounds like a great idea. Anyone in Norcal want to get something together?!

They just had one at Infineon in October. My HPDE instructor was telling me all about it. Roseville Raceway does modified car races....I have done this several times with my buddies at work. It's $200 for a full day, including the car insurance. Basically beginner NASCAR racing on a 1/8 mile circle track.

OP - look into BMW/Audi/AMG/Porsche driving events. Yes they are expensive, my AMG event was $1200, but atleast you get to drive some fun cars that are not yours . Pick up a Grassroots magazine, they often have sponsors and dedicated track events on there (SCCA, NASA, NCRC, Hooked On Driving, etc.). Last issue had a $2000 e30 build of, they made some sick track machines for basically pennies. My best advice is, use your 335 on a couple of events. If the bug bits you, consider a reliable/affordable dedicated track car (Miata, E30, E36) as your 335 is probably not the best didicated track machine.

[ngng]

Originally Posted by D_o_S

Hiya,

I'd like to get into racing, but I don't know where to start. I'm in my early 20s, and I'm considering several options.

1) Getting into Go karts. The thing is, it may be a little late for this, in order to become competitive. I probably won't have many friends to start off with, since I'll be the only one of my age who is "starting". People at my age are likely to have like 10 years of experience already.

A thing that slightly scares me is the safety of these carts, especially the shifters? I mean it doesn't seem safe flying down the track at 60+ mph, with nothing really separating you from your surroundings.

On the other hand, it may be possible to learn many valuable skills karting, like how to left foot brake, etc.

2) Racing with my own car. I can attend track days. I'm quite in the age group to start racing, I'll prolly be among the younger guys. I'm worried about wrecking my car, so I'll have to purchase insurance, not sure how much that's going to be.

Should something happen, it's probably safer in a car (it's all relative though). Also, stuff I learn while racing my own car means directly becoming a better driver, vs. having to translate the experience from karts to car.

3) Other options, such as racing hill climbs, etc., but that's not my cup of tea atm.

Soooo, what should I do? What will be most beneficial in the long term? What won't get me killed?

Thanks.

If you want to race, get a Spec Miata and hone your driver skill. You'll learn a ton with a RWD momentum car with zero electronic nannies. They're reliable, and a ton of fun.

Spec Cayman, E30, E36 are all great classes...but they are more expensive.

[Fatal Flash]

e30 is predominantly in the same class as Spec Miata, however, your competitive grid will be 100x greater with Miata.

I deviated from the spec Miata route (let's be serious, you need to have a $100,000 annual bankroll plus to really "race" in ALMS, IMSA, etc.) which is usually funded by parents (all the young kids you see in those leagues, Grand-Am, yada yada, and I went with the more fun, passionate alternative, and purchased a heavily modified track e36 m3 for a little more. I simply couldn't deal with having 150hp after 4 years of crawling on the track. It taught me the most incredible theory and lessons though. It is THE best place to start. Haven't had a chance to run it seriously yet...only once at a friend's private racetrack where we had a blast. If you're content that you won't make it into F1, and don't currently have the funding to compete in an annual 120k league in IMSA, then get a track car you're passionate about. Buy something already built as it's significantly cheaper than to start from the ground up, and mod it to your liking. Get it as competitive as possible, and try to win a few titles...

I think I was 18-19 when this was filmed. Good time

[dbjb]

Forgot to subscribe and I missed some posts. Great stuff here.

Meepsters, let's see how this year goes. Perhaps we really should start a little track investment and retire our e92's.

[Longboarder]

This is a great thread for us who are new to track events! Probably should be a sticky.

I got a chance to ride in mike-y's lemon referred to above (1987 325i with 125 or so HP) on a fast track (Big Willow) and I was hooked. It is so amazing to me that even on the fastest track in the US, a "beat up" car like that can keep up relatively well with experienced drivers in modified 911's, GTR's, etc.

I am going to take the advice presented here and look into BMWCCA and private track days.

[turb0mik3]

Don't know where you are located but just find local tracks and look at their calendar. Then go to the website of the group throwing the event and sign up. Also make friends with some CEOs of raceteams and they will have an infinite tub of knowledge for you to soak in (Harold from HP and Fred from ER).

Just get your feet wet and you will find ways