A Look Behind The Scenes: Getting Started in Racing

By Michele Ross

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be on a race team? Whether you are a race fan or interested in getting involved in racing, through a series of articles we are going to inform you about the different aspects of a race team. We will be talking with drivers and their teams along with providing you with other additional information about what it is like to be on a race team. In the first article of this series we will be talking about some different steps you can take in getting started in racing. Enjoy the first article below and continue to check back for the other articles of this series throughout the race season.

Getting Started in Racing

Have you always wanted to be a race car driver but didn't know where to begin? Maybe you've always been just a fan or even helped on a race crew and now want to become a driver. One of the first things you must realize is that this is a very long and tedious process and only those who are very dedicated will survive and be able to actually achieve the status of professional race car driver. This doesn't mean you should give up because with perseverance you can make it. The qualities you need most to be a race car driver are: desire, determination, tenacity, and honesty. Just ask Ray Paprota, driver of the #01, although his situation is unique being a race car driver that is handicapped and in a wheelchair his advice to anyone interested in racing is Never Quit and Never let someone tell you that you can't do it. He says that if you really want it than you just have to go for it. Many times in the past he had contemplated tossing in the towel but he was reminded of all the kids that may have never even thought that they themselves could do what he has accomplished. He hopes the kids can see that and that they too can reach a little higher than people tell them they should and because of that it keeps him going.

There are a number of steps drivers go through on their way to becoming a race car driver. Know what your goals are as to how far you would like to go in racing and the kind of cars you want to ultimately drive. Kevin Williams, driver of the #99 started out racing friends on bicycles until his Dad bought him a mini-bike at age 6 and has been racing ever since. He has kept moving up to different levels of racing by setting his goals to challenge himself and to be able to compete with better drivers. Chuck Gafrarar Rookie of the Year for 2002 and driver of the #52, set his goals at an early age when for Christmas at age 9 he received a go-kart. After tearing up his parent’s back yard they took him to a track. Chuck's aspirations of being a race car driver helped him set his goals and even in high school he geared his classes to things that would help him.

One of the best things you can do is get educated about racing. Read everything you possibly can about race car driving. There are numerous books out there you can read along with information on the Internet, tapes and even from retired racers who have a world full of knowledge. The more you know the better off you will be in achieving your goals to be a race car driver. One of the best places to learn is to start on the local level. Go to the racetracks and talk to the drivers and their crew members. Talk to anybody who is involved in racing to learn from him or her as much as you can about racing. If you've never driven a race car before then try to spend at least one season in the pits helping a race team to get yourself knowledgeable on the chassis and suspension setups. Learn the car parts and what they do. This will help you when you are driving so you can tell the crew about any problems that you are experiencing on the tracks. Just ask Johnny Sabospotter & crew member for a couple of different teams and now driver of his own Legends car. He started out as a fan and would show up early for the races and met the hauler drivers and other crew members. He would buy pit passes and talk to drivers and ask around who might need crew help. He assisted teams doing anything he could from pushing the car through tech to even wiping down the race car with fast wax. He kept asking questions and would do anything to get the job done. The team he works for rents race cars out and the drivers who rent them usually don't have spotters. He got teamed up with a new driver and just fell into the job of spotter. He says most of the crew members don't want to spot because it is very hectic and at other times can be boring. He loves being a spotter and says although he still doesn't know a lot of tech stuff he is learning just by the on the job training he is receiving as part of the team he works for. Johnny also had the opportunity to work on a couple of Nascar Craftsman Truck Series pit crews when both series had events together. He has been the catch-can guy and even was the gasman's helper.

For Kelly "Girl" Sutton, driver of the #02, things were different. She is a 3rd generation driver, both her Father and Grandfather raced cars. Ever since she can remember she was out helping her Dad work on race cars. She says she was always a tomboy and knew that she wanted to be just like her Dad. At the age of 12 she raced in a couple of Go-Kart races and when she was 15 she built her first race car but ended up getting sick. At age 16 she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis so she never had a chance to race the car she built. At 19 her Dad asked her if she still wanted to race and since racing is a passion to her she couldn't pass up the chance so they went racing. Kelly "Girl" says that if she didn't have racing in her life she would be pretty miserable person. She enjoys the challenges it brings and the competition. Kelly "Girl" devotes all her time to racing and is at the race shop everyday working with her crew. Her advice to anyone interested in starting in racing is to go to your local track and get involved with a team and learn as much as you possibly can and build on that.

Another step is to decide what kind of racing you want to do whether it is dirt or asphalt, open wheel or stock cars. More then often this is determined by where you live and what kinds of racetracks are available in your area. If you are ready to go racing the best thing to do is race locally at anything you can from go-karts and midgets to stockcars. Chuck Gafrarar's career in racing started in go-karts with the World Karting Association. He says that getting involved in karting was a learning tool for him and he considers it to be the best learning curve around. During the years he raced karts he won over seven National titles along with Grand Nationals and Indoor World Champion titles in the World Karting Association (WKA) and the International Karting Federation (IKF) sanctioned series. Last season he ran in the karting series full-time after not being able to for the past 10 years due to his work and race schedule. Ten years to the day he won his last WKA Grand National he won another one. He finished 2nd in the Points Championships and he received the 2002 George Kugler Sportsmanship Award. This coming season he will be one of 5 Factory Drivers for Margay Kart Mfg, Co. along with still racing in the Goody's Dash Series. He says karting will always have a special part in his heart and highly recommends for anyone interested in starting in racing to get involved in karting. He says it is a great way to get involved and it is a great family oriented sport one where you can bring the whole family.