what qualifications do you need to become a professional race driver?

Question

any answers will help. i'm 14 years old should i start in the go kart. and what age should i start at. thanks. oyay money is not a problem.

Answer 1

get busy, your way behind!! all you need is experience, talent, and exposure......win, win, win........be seen!! i like what carl edwards did with the calling cards, too, but that would be a few years down the road. just start out locally and if ya have what it takes you will be winning and going further for bigger and better racing opportunities, then maybe when you are near 18 send resumes to all the big guys like roush, penske, hendricks, yates, bill davis, joe gibbs, hmmmmmm....maybe even michael waltrip in his toyotas. good luck!!!

Answer 2

Start with the go karts. You can begin right now if you have the $3000 or so you'll need to get a used kart and all your gear. Karting starts at age 5, at your age you will be in a Junior class which is age 12-15. Here's some good sites to help you get info:

www.gokartracing.com
www.worldkarting.com
www.tsracing.com (lists kart tracks by state)
www.ovka.com (our local club in central Ohio)

Visit your local track and watch them race, and talk to the karters there. They will direct you to the local kart shops where you can get info and a kart. Remember that it's all cheaper during the winter when many karters buy new and there's more used karts on the market. A kart thats a year or two old would be great for starters.

As you gain experience in the karting world, you'll find that there's lots of people at the track who can guide you toward "whats next". Good luck and have fun!!

Answer 3

Start in karts and learn the basics of racing and when you are around 16, head for a driving school such as Skip Barber (if you live in North America).
http://www.megasearch.biz/m/search.aspx?orig=60&mkt=us&type=ads&s2=auto%20racing%20school&s=auto+racing+school
It this stage it should be obvious if you have the talent to become a racing driver. From there you can advance up through the different levels of racing, Formula Ford, Formula 2000, Barber Dodge, Formula Atlantic, etc.
All of this, of course is geared towards becoming an open-wheel driver and money better not be a problem as you may need as much as $100,000 by the time you are raciing in the Formula Atlantic series.

Answer 4

Start in karts, start yesterday. They have a Cadet Kart class and the kids are like 8 or something. 14 is certainly not too early to start in karts.

Answer 5

I think the number one qualification is experience.
Therefore, starting out in kart would be a good idea.

Answer 6

I don't know about F1 but I guess it would be the same. Most start as kids driving 1/4 midgets and moving on up into the Outlaws, Late Models, and on from there. If you were to look up how Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart got to where they are that is what you'd find.

Answer 7

Races under your belt to prove you are worthy of an FIA Super License, which is something that most rookie drivers get after impressing in testing and proving they're ready for the F1 cockpit.

Don't get too cocky though, it may be revoked.

Answer 8

Karting is where most top-level drivers start...Not being american is a huge advantage as well. Good luck!

Answer 9

Start now in the go carts and advance to the bandaleros and work your way up.Find a good mentor and follow their instuctions.Good Luck.

Answer 10

If you now any one that is get them to put you on their pit crew to help out and them you can learn more about it, but also when you have your license they have classes, just look for them at your local track. Or go to their web page and see if you find any info.