How to Become a Race Car Driver – After Karting

Using Karting Experience to Build a Race Career

Jul 16, 2009

At some point in a young Kart driver's career, he or she must decide which car to get and which class to race in when the move to car racing is imminent.

As mentioned in the previous article (How to Become a Race Car Driver: Karting First), budgetary considerations will play a major part in any drivers career. When the driver is ready to progress to a racecar, the driver (and often their parents) must undertake considerable research.

Research is very Important

The first decision is whether to join a professional team, or to purchase and set up their own team. Again, research is very important. But first, let's look at setting up a team. The following list is typical of the basic equipment needed in a race team.

In addition to the equipment needed, the team will need to employ a mechanic and possibly an engineer (for professional racing). Alternatively, the driver and his friends and family will have to cover all the duties of the mechanic and race engineer.

Professional Preparation Shop

The alternative to setting up a team is to pay a professional preparation shop. There are many race preparation shops and most of them offer arrive and drive deals. The arrive and drive deal generally refers to a driver needing only his safety clothes (helmet, suit, gloves and shoes etc.), the preparation shop supplying everything else. The driver simply arrives and drives.

Some preparation shops will 'run' a customer's car for them. With this deal, a driver will purchase a car and contract the preparation shop to make the car race ready, transport it to races and give track-side support (mechanics, engineers etc.) as required. Again, research is the key. Not all race preparation shops are the same. As in any business, the shop must make a profit to stay in business, but they must also have the experience and capability to win races and championships.

Professional Race Schools

Before buying a car (new or used), it is essential to complete a course at a professional race school such as the Skip Barber Racing School. In most countries (the US in particular), drivers must undertake a set course to qualify for their race license at a sanctioned school.

Race schools operate in most countries and at the bigger tracks. Besides checking out the school, it is worth checking who the driving instructors are too. At most schools the instructors will be current professional race drivers and will have extensive knowledge. A lot of these instructor drivers will have traveled the road to becoming a professional racecar driver, much like the Kart driver is about to do. Their advice can save considerable amounts of money and can point the driver in the right direction for future success and how to avoid the pitfalls they may well have encountered.

Which Class?

One final consideration is the class to race in. Kart drivers who have competed successfully on Superkarts will find most junior forms of racecars relatively slow. The power to weight ratio and cornering ability of Superkarts is exceptional and drivers will need to learn a new driving style to get the most performance out of the slower racecars.

Most Superkart drivers will look toward one of the many single seater classes as their first car racing experience. However, from a career stand point, the driver must consider if previous winners or champions from the class they are considering have gone on to where the Kart driver's career goals lie - no point racing in a series that has few competitors and the drivers have all been in the championship for 20 years! .

The copyright of the article How to Become a Race Car Driver – After Karting in How to Race Cars is owned by John Glimmerveen. Permission to republish How to Become a Race Car Driver – After Karting in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.