A professional car racer is a person who likes the feeling of speed and competition. A career as a professional driver implies working in motorsports. You must have sufficient training and give practically all of yourself. If you choose this way, you must understand what this work suggests and how to achieve the goal. In this situation, you will benefit from this article, where we considered in more detail the essential skills and how exactly to become a real specialist in the field of car racing. By the way, you can find some jobs as a race car driver on Jooble.
How to build a career as a professional car racer: the main stages
Together with the experts of the job aggregator Jooble, we have put together for you a complete practical guide describing the main stages of building a career as a car racer.
No. 1: Developing your driving skills
Competing with other car racers would help if you were an excellent driver. Developing valuable skills is best suited to karting. These cars are small and move at high speeds; the track is very similar to the whole racing track. Having mastered karting cars, you can go to the races. It is also possible to be trained in a racing school. In various cities, many schools teach a particular type of racing.
No. 2: Become a member of a racing club
With this step, you can stay up-to-date on current racing events where you can participate. A racing club can give an excellent start to a professional career. The most famous club is the Sports Car Club of America. It specializes in holding a variety of types of races around the country. A professional car racer can apply virtually.
No. 3: Get a car and equipment
Every successful driver should have a reliable race car. If you have enough money, buying a vehicle without tuning is worth it, which you can later improve just for yourself. You can also rent a race car while saving up to buy your car. In addition, valuable recommendations will give you members of the racing club and officials to choose the best race car.
To participate in the races, it is imperative to have the equipment – a helmet, racing suit, and gloves. These accessories must conform to specific standards and requirements. Check all these questions with a representative of the racing club.
No. 4: Obtain a license for admission to the races
Once you get into the club, you become a novice. To participate in racing, you must obtain a racing license. You can get it directly from your club because the official institutions are the sanctioning bodies that issue the official permit. However, a license from your club allows you to participate in racing events held at other clubs. Before licensing, checking with your club for all the criteria is essential. For example, the basic requirement of the Sports Car Club of America is to participate in 3 races within two years.
No. 5: Train Regularly
It takes a lot of practice to become a true professional. If you can, it’s a good idea to practice on the track or a unique simulator five times a week. It is also necessary to regularly take part in the races with other riders. It does not hurt to improve your physical form additionally. Train your body with physical activities, so it is worthy to cope with the stress of racing.
In addition, watch the technique of other professional racers. Study their maneuvers and strategy, and find something useful for yourself that you can put into practice.
No. 6: Find a sponsor or racing team
After an outstanding performance at the track, a particular team or sponsor may be interested in you. You also don’t have to wait for them to see you, and contact them in advance to discuss the terms of a potential partnership. The sponsor or team commits to funding your career. In contrast, the road racer commits to giving a portion of their winnings for winning a race and allowing you to use advertising on their race car. Sponsorship or team sponsorship will allow you to participate in big races.
What skills a professional driver should have
A professional car racer should have some skills and abilities. Among the most important are the following:
Driving skills
It is the essential professional skill of a car racer. True professionals can drive a car at speeds up to 200 miles per hour and even more. At the same time, the professional should specialize in a particular or several types of races and be able to drive on different road surfaces.
Excellent knowledge of auto mechanics
A successful racer must also have excellent knowledge of cars: know the vehicle’s structure and maintenance and tuning. In addition, before and during the races, you need to clearly understand how the car should behave, sound and feel. This knowledge allows the driver and crew to decide what problems the vehicle has when there are significant dangers that put the driver at risk. The skills presented to allow for quality vehicle maintenance and are crucial to the rider’s safety.
Physical fitness and well-developed reflexes
Excellent physical fitness allows the car racer’s body to cope with the stresses placed on the body during high-speed driving. During hard, long races, the rider’s body quickly becomes exhausted. Developed fitness allows you to keep your body toned and minimize the harmful effects of racing on your body. In addition, reflexes are also necessary. Their task is to prevent serious mistakes that can lead to injuries and other problems. Reflexes allow drivers to react with lightning-fast reflexes, avoiding collisions and getting their car to the finish line first.
Self-confidence
Driving around a track and going fast off-road for quite a long time dramatically increases the likelihood of a mistake on the driver’s part. Therefore, professional car racers need complete confidence in their abilities. The driver should have developed skills and be 100% sure they are perfect to finish the race safely and rub the competitors’ noses in it.
Quick Decision-Making Skill
This skill lets you decide what needs to be done on the course to win the race. Every race has many chances to be the first to finish. At the same time, you must make decisions very quickly, so it pays to be prepared for the pressure.
Ability to work as a team
Motorsport is an individual sport, but teamwork is also a big part of the equation. For example, driving a production car implies the participation of several car racers at once – they all compete for the same owner and are part of a single racing team. Individual drivers often work together to significantly increase the likelihood that one with a better chance of winning will come to the finish line. Suppose you want to participate in a rally. In that case, however, the crew consists of 2 people: the racer and the navigator, who interact as one unit.
Racers traditionally work with a large crew of engineers, mechanics, and others. All team members communicate wirelessly during the race, relaying information to improve the driver’s ride quality and safety.
Conclusion
A career as a professional racer, like achieving heights in any other field, requires hard work, professional development, and determination. This article provides a good set of useful information to help start a career as a car racer.
