Late Model and Racing

[sha_ba_do_bang]

I really want to get into race car driving, i live in NC which is like the capital of nascar so i figured i'm in good copmany. I found this series

http://www.proallstarsseries.com/

The southern series in mostly in NC and looks pretty hardcore, anyone race in a late model class? I know its expensive, how is it finding sponsors and stuff?

Any insight from anyone, suggestions? Also,any good forum's for race building and the late model series,

I've been reading the rule book because i want to build the chassis.
It looks like alot of FUN!!

[norm]

i would suggest you start out in a lower class
at a local short track and work your way up.

or work on someone elses car to get your feet wet first


late models are expensive all the way around

[60 convert]

you have to be a good racer before you get high roller sponsors... Start at a local short track start in the lower divisions and start working your way up. you will find out how much work and dedication it takes. if you wanna race to make money, think of it as the masters that make money doing metal work here there is a lot of people here working metal but how many do it as a hobby and how many do it as a career. now look at the time and effort they have into it. racing is no different its a lot of work and it can be very expensive.

here's a local short track I used to race at. I started doing the bombers and then went to figure 8 and its a lot of work involved to keep your cars just running.
http://goracewaypark.com/ (http://goracewaypark.com/) check out the rules and find a local track something like this.

[Ernie Ferrucci]

Hi Brendan
If you have no prior driving/racing experience, Late Model is not the place to start. It takes a huge amount of money and time just to get the car on the track. Then it is an on going team effort to keep it on the track on a weekly basis. You may gain some insight to what it takes by getting on a crew and helping them with their effort. Many local race teams rely on volunteers who do it because they love the sport and anyone willing to help in the the shop and at the track is appreciated. In exchange you can learn about the cars, the tracks, and what is involved in fielding a race car on a weekly basis.
As for the driving experience there is no substitute for seat time. I have to agree with the others here to start out in a lower, simpler, and cheaper to run class, and take it from there. But educate yourself as to what is going on before you jump in. You are in a great state for oval track racing. Good luck.

[Joefish]

Hi Brendan

Start your driving career off right and drive go karts, then go to shifter karts a 250 lb kart with 42 hp and 6 gears and 4 wheel disk brakes 0 to 100 in 6 sec.

Go karts are th cheapest way to devlope and show your driveing skill.

It still takes a pile of money.

[Steve@Reliance]

I race late models and also manufacture the chassis parts that go along with it. The PASS series is not a place to start. These guys are semi pro and it's not a place to learn. Start off in a street stock, or if you can afford it a pro stock. Surround yourself with knowledgeable people and listen to them. Join a pit crew,most of them would love the help and you can learn. keep your mouth shut and your ears and eyes open. This game costs money, LOTS OF IT! Today even street stocks are getting built out of catalogs. Veterans can get by with less, but if you are learning, get in good equipment. Don't even think of building your first race car. Go to the track, talk to the top 10 guys in the points, and see who is selling their stuff at the end of the year. Evaluate good cars from bad and try to make a deal. If your scared away by the price, your in the wrong division. Don't think you can do it cheaper and run good, you can't. As you spend time in racing, you will develop many skills. After a while, if you think you'd like to build your own stuff, realize it won't save you any money. If you go looking for sponsors, don't act like you are doing them a favor by putting their name on the car, you aren't, it's the other way around. Try to get 50, $100.00 sponsors instead of one $5000.00 sponsor. Or, better yet, get a good job so you can afford to pay the experts for your stuff and concentrate on driving. You will need a lot of help from others, so don't piss people off. Most will help if you don't take them for granted.

[Dick Bear]

Brendan...

Stay in school,
join a team,
listen,
learn,
buy a cart,
race every chance you get,
GRADUATE FROM UNCW,
and see what happens then!

Dick Bear

[Dutch Comstock]

Brendon, All of us that race have started out the same way if we didn```t have a family in racing.We found someone in the area who raced and we did anything they asked us to do to get to go to the races on sat night.We also spent all of our very little spare time learning all we could about how things were built and put together and how to weld paint and do bodywork and do fabrication.
Then when you are ready to start racing you start in one of the cheaper classes at the local track. You also have to go and visit all of the other area tracks so that you know what they are doing racing.With some experience under your belt you can then pick a top class that you can afford to run in and then the learning will only just begin.If you want to race seriously you will work your job and your fulltime job will be working on the race car 4 nights a week to race it one night a week.You have to be very determined if you want to race.You will get there if you can hold up long enough. Dutch

[metalchomper]

Hmmmm...Transfer to NCSU (my alma mater), major in Mechanical Engineering and join one of the school's race teams.:D

[sha_ba_do_bang]

thanks for all the help, as i looked more at late model there were alot of were very pro, i just like cars and building things, i don't want to be a pro just have fun and race.

I'm a jazz performance major and NC State doesn't have a music program,plus i want to make and teach jazz for a living , not work on cars or anything mechanical, my dad does it every day and the last thing he wants to do after work and on weekends is build and race things. So i'll keep it as a hobby.

Thanks for all the help and i'll be looking into kart racing after i finish and sell my dune buggy.

[rsanter]

you can also look into a local chapter of SCCA and get involved in autocross (possably with the car you currently have in E-SP)

bob