Training a Driver

[wrench459]

Over the years I've learned to ask dumb questions..ie the only dumb question's are the ones left unasked.
My daughter wants to drive and she seems very interested. This is very low level racing my pocketbook won't let me get any deeper.
She's a little older than most entry level drivers like 26 with four kids in tow.
Might be a good time having the G/K's in the stands watching there mother do the 1/8 mile in a Opel.
Where should I start?

[petrieopel]

You're never to old to start racing. I was 36 when I first started racin in Formula Fords. I was racing against one person who was in his 80's.

[P.J. Romano]

Originally Posted by petrieopel I was racing against one person who was in his 80's.

Did you win?

[Paul]

The primary skill for a driver to learn is car control. There are several schools across the country that one can attend, but they are VERY expensive. However, you should have a local chapter of SCCA close to you where she can learn many driving skills from national caliber drivers and have fun Autocrossing at the same time....

[markandson]

If she has never raced before GoKarts are a great place to start, very competitive, very fast, yet very safe, and also relatively cheap. Find a local track that runs Rotax Karts or if you want a real thrill at 120 MPH get into a shifter kart.

[SpringGT]

For a young mother with four kids, I'd encourage her to learn to fly instead of competitive auto racing. It is cheaper than racing and safer as well, not to mention the mental challenge and the rush that it gives you. IMHO

[wrench459]

So simple I've got a Trick rolling chassis sitting under the deck.
I'm sure the nephew wont mind. Setup up for dirt, lets forget about the Rotax for now.

[mod mini gt 75]

It mite be better to run a mini stock for a year before you bring out the trick $$$$$$$ race cars.And to see if she likes it or can handle it. plus some track time.......CROOKRACING..........!

[Mini Stock Manta]

We involved my son in mini stock racing to keep him from dragging the rear bumper off his 500 hp 68 Camaro. It worked very well and the only expense was building a motor that would run with the Blue Oval Boys. The 2.2 build we have eats up all of the Esslinger motors but one. It is the Nissans that are crazy here.
I would put her right into a mini stock. She'll be hooked from the start and the kids will make a wonderful pit crew.
I would be happy to share what has worked well for us and some basic set ups to start with.

[Tru-Craft]

I agree with Jeff, Go-Karts!
Cheapest way to race.
A good used race ready Kart for under $2k.
The 2 stroke 100cc Yamaha spec motor is the best.
Head to your local track and look around.
Also look up WKA.
Fun and competitive for all ages.
I still play with them.
Lyle

[wrench459]

Originally Posted by Tru-Craft I agree with Jeff, Go-Karts! Cheapest way to race. A good used race ready Kart for under $2k. The 2 stroke 100cc Yamaha spec motor is the best. Head to your local track and look around. Also look up WKA. Fun and competitive for all ages. I still play with them. Lyle

Ya'll got me.
My daughter and myself don't see eye to eye and this is the closes we ever come. She really want's to race..errr the Opel.
So I'm thinking to put her and her seven year son( our G/K) old in a dirt go-kart. Let's see how they do. Now I'm still planning on running the GT next year. My thoughts if they can drive and do good in the briggs class....

[cherokee]

Originally Posted by SpringGT For a young mother with four kids, I'd encourage her to learn to fly instead of competitive auto racing. It is cheaper than racing and safer as well, not to mention the mental challenge and the rush that it gives you. IMHO

I don't know if it is cheaper, about 6-8 years ago I owned my own plane. Back then the hanger was $400 per month, add to that insurance and AD's I sold my plane to finance my racing. If you are just going to rent a wet plane here is now $75 per hour and $65 for the instructor. Then there is ground school and all the books for that. If she can hit her checkride in less then a couple hundred hours of instruction she is doing pretty well. Then there is the question on where do ya go, for me the $100 hamburger got pretty old pretty quick. I do agree with you on one thing, the only thing that has been a equal to the mental challenge and the rush that leaving the ground for that first solo is taking the green flag at a race. However that rush of flying got old for me as well, but going down the straight waiting for that green flag never gets old.

For me drag racing gets over too quick and autocross is just driving in a parking lot. Real racing is wheel to wheel racing, do some looking there some choices out there that can be done depending on your budget....but racing an Opel is going to be expensive no matter what you do.

[wlkelley3]

I agree with Paul. Autocross is the cheap way to start racing. A local SCCA chapter or local racing club will hold an average of one event a month except during winter. Many local clubs or chapter hold a driving school open to the public to help drum up potential members. The local club to me holds the school and teaches car handling on Saturday and an autocross on Sunday to use your new found knowledge. Usually brings in a few members every year and many repeat students who brings friends. Both of my daughters and I have been repeat students and I was an instructor at the last school. My youngest daughter (age 21) and I autocross, the school helped my oldest daughters (25) driving habits. Before the school she averaged 2 insurance claims a year, after school - none. Autocrossing usually does very little damage to cars, you actually have to try or really mess up to damage anything other than what an orange cone will do. No wheel to wheel. You will go through tires quicker though and if you get hooked you can spend $$$ on setting up your car. I run a bone stock base edition Miata with Falken Azeni tires and need to replace every year. With my setup I'm midpack in times. Of course, future plans are to upgrade to limited slip, bigger front sway bar and shocks (Koni's or Bilstens) which will help me move up the pack.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by wlkelley3 I run a bone stock base edition Miata with Falken Azeni tires and need to replace every year. With my setup I'm midpack in times. Of course, future plans are to upgrade to limited slip, bigger front sway bar and shocks (Koni's or Bilstens) which will help me move up the pack.

If youare going to do all that, might as well anti up for a new set of rims and some R Compound race rubber!!!

Oh yea, one last thing... actually one of the most important things.... a proper Autocross alignment!!!

Here's a picture of my daughter driving at a MidDiv regional at Davis Field outside Muskogee, OK a few years back. I'm in the passenger seat....

[wlkelley3]

Originally Posted by Paul If youare going to do all that, might as well anti up for a new set of rims and some R Compound race rubber!!! Oh yea, one last thing... actually one of the most important things.... a proper Autocross alignment!!! Here's a picture of my daughter driving at a MidDiv regional at Davis Field outside Muskogee, OK a few years back. I'm in the passenger seat....

Yeah, that's on the list also. A Friend let me run an old set for a couple events last year and wow, they are on the list. My daughter runs an RX8 w/Mazdaspeed springs. she just acquired an extra set of stock rims and is saving up for tires. Tires for 18" rims ain't cheap, that's why I'm thankful for my 14".

[wlkelley3]

Actually just finished some mods. Added revalved Bilstien shocks, bigger "Racing Beat Tubular" front sway bar and bought an extra set of rims with Kumho 710 VictoRacers mounted. And it made the car way faster, now I have to learn to drive faster. The car is now capable of more than I know how to do. It will be fun learning to go faster.

Next on the list is new brakes. Thinking of going with the Carbotec pads with new rotors. And maybe replacing the fluid with synthetic racing brake fluid. I know the alignment will help but this car is also my daily driver and I often drive it out of town on business, so to radical of an alignment is not practicable. Might have a compromise alignment done though.

[Paul]

I've had very good success on my dual purpose daily driver/ Auto-X car alignment over the years by... Setting Caster and Camber to my auto-x spec but running street spec toe.

At the alignment shop, I would sit in the drivers seat, if I had time to be there or they would add sand bags of the proper weight. Then they set the Caster and then Camber. For the toe settings, we would first find the street setting and then mask a straight line down the tie rod and piant a white line. Then we would develop a list of how much toe out was gained for each 1/4 revolution of adjustment. Then after driving to the event I could dial in how much toe adjustment I needed for each course set-up and then return to the street setting by returning to the paint marks.

I hope my rambling makes sense...

[JeffH]

Originally Posted by Tru-Craft I agree with Jeff, Go-Karts! Cheapest way to race.

Really? I was the pit crew for a friend's karting campaign. As it ended up, he probably spent close to what a low budget regional road racer would spend for a season of racing: different gears for different tracks, plus spares, plus repairs for all the stuff that got broke. However, he was running a spec kart (F1-K) which may have had something to do with it. I don't know whether some other class would have been cheaper.

Around here, the cheapest type of racing is ice racing: get an old, no-longer-road-legal clunker for a few hundred bucks, do some very basic and cheap mods (and get it running if it isn't already), throw some tractionized winter tires on it, get a DOT-rated helmet, and go racing for $50 a day. You can even split the cost of the car with a buddy by running him in one of the second driver classes. It's not exactly an option in Georgia, though.