Sprint car/midgit car racing?

Question

So I've always wanted to race, but never have. I'm 17 years old, and I live in northern California ( the bay area), and if you know the area, you know there isnt much 'organized' racing going on. So my question is this... Do sprint car or midgit car teams look for drivers, or must you but one? and if i can't get into that, whats a way that I can start racing, any advice that anyone could give me would be extremely helpful and much apreciated, thx.

Answer 1

Stone,

There is plenty or organized racing in you local area. A good instance is Altamont Raceway Park. It is located at I5 and 580. This facility host a huge number of race divisions from all over CA. anywhere from Super Bees to Late models, USAC/CASA sprint cars WSSRL Super Modifieds, figure 8, enduro, and they even hold drifting events. Altamont Raceway has a 1/4 mile oval, 1/2 mile oval, and a figure 8 track. The track can be configured for Super Moto or drifting, this is ans asphalt track, you can learn more about Altamont Raceway Park at http://www.altamontracing.com.
Now if you want to go dirt racing then you should look into Antioch Speedway at Antioch Fair grounds, they race stocks, midgets, sprints, mini sprints and an open Legends class. You can learn more about that track at http://www.antiochspeedway.com.

Not knowing exactly where in the Bay Area you live you can get started in Karting too, there is an indoor Karting arena in Fremont, you can find there info at http://www.lemanskarting.com/index.html

Answer 2

Have you ever raced in any type of car? If not, then you shouldtry the cheapest class in your area. A beginner class so to speak.This is not meant to be an insult, before you try and get a ride worth 6 figures, you need to find out if you can drive a racecar.Videogame racing isn't the same trust me...hitting the walls hurt.

Answer 3

Sport - noun: an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc. So, are you REALLY asking if autoracing is... racing? Or do you somehow think that competing for a win is not of a competitive nature? I think it's fair to say that racing is racing, racing is a sport, therefore... But the reality of this question, which gets asked here over and over and over again, generally by people that have no actual knowledge of motorsports, is about it being an athletic activity or that it requires a skill or physical prowess. So let's head back to the dictionary for a moment for "athletic," and we get "...physical skills or capabilities, as strength, agility, or stamina." While different forms of motorsports will place different emphasis on different abilities, they all require a physical skillset and a large amount of time spent developing those skills (in my experience as a driver and in coaching other drivers, I would say that it most drivers "get it" somewhere around 2000-3000 hours of actual seat time... which translates to many years of actual driving). Additionally, driving a racecar can be extremely physical and most drivers (all at the professional level) carry out training routines similar to what you would find with athletes in other sports... But let's take a brief snapshot... as a pro-driver, leaving aside starting your training around age 6 in order to get an appropriate amount of reps in the sport to actually have a shot at being a pro, you are now going to need all of the skill you've developed over those years to keep the car constantly balanced while navigating the course and other traffic (and protecting your line while attacking others, and not losing pace as a result); you will need to provide over 300 pounds of braking pressure 6-10 times every 90 seconds for over two hours... each time you provide that pressure, you must do so within 1 or 2 pounds of the exact amount, if you are fatigued and apply too much or too little you will lose pace or lose control. You will do this will subjecting your body to 3 or 4Gs of loading, making your head and that very light helmet have close to 150 pounds of force... if your neck muslces fatigue and you can't hold your head up straight (common among novices), you will lose pace or control. You will have to do all of the above in a cockpit where the ambient temperature will be close to 200 degress and you will lose 10 pounds of waterweight during your driving stint (oh, and you will be in that heat while wearing multiple layers of heavy nomex... because if something goes wrong, you'll need those few precious seconds of protection to not die in the fire). So, if you think doing that does not require strength, stamina, agility, or skill, and is somehow not competitive or racing... then it would not be a sport. Otherwise, it is, by definition, a sport.

Answer 4

Go to your local track and ask questions about what division or class we be good and economical to start out in. IE, street stocks or bombers. If you want a sprint car or a midget, if you buy new you'll spend about 80 grand in parts car motor hauler tires and run a full season in usac the cra if you dont tear up anythin or you can buy a ride ask your dad for about 100 grand to foot the bill for aseason