Just starting out .....

[DarkAngel13]

My son has wanted to race for several years and now that he is old enough I'd like to get him into it by starting with a 4 cylinder, however, I'm lost from that point forward!! I would appreciate any input from those that have been there as to what type of car is best, engine, tires, setup, etc. Thanks in advance.
:help:
Racing Mom

[snowicee]

Stock 4 or Ucar series. If it's ucar then a Honda has showed to be a fast car. Alot of guys have the Preludes. If I could I would be fixing the Accord I have to run. Another thing about the ucar series is that you run street tires so you can have several sets for only a little money. Plus the motors are supposed to stay stock so the cost is down.

[JEDC94]

I would recomend the Stock 4 or mini-stock stuff.

If you race U-car, only do it for a season just to get your son used to racing and handling traffic.

In the rear drive classes (stock 4 or ministock) MOST racers in those classes are a little more serious about the class, and theres a little more money in the cars so drivers are less likely to play bumper cars and end up messing their stuff, or each other, up.

Also, the rear wheel drive cars will have some similar handling techniques to other, larger scale race cars and can.

One more thing-make sure that what ever you race, you and your son are mechanically competent enough to fix when stuff breaks because when it comes to a race car, anything can and most likely will break.

[brencoracing]

has he ever raced anything before why not start in karts?

[jojoracer]

Brenco karts are very hard, You really have to
know what your doing to run 'em. I mean miss
your air pressure 1/2 a pound and go from top
2 to 8 or 10th or miss your tires 4 pts on the
duro and get lapped. I think if he has been
around racing alot then any 4 cyl will be good
but if he hasn't mabey he could get to going
weekly and help some one for a couple of years
to learn what it is all about. One thing is for sure
if he wants to race he should try it. Encourage him
100%, because the more racers the better.
you should be able to get a U car to the track
for around $ 1,000 + a hauler. A mini stock for
$ 2500 up a street stock for about the same
a super street for around $ 4000 and a crate car
for mabey $10,000 just general information once
you find your class there'll be plenty of help if you
ask .....look around, There maybe a U Car around
for cheap just make sure it's safe, take a trusted
local racer with you to look at it.......Good luck....

[Dpassmore]

Karts are good to start with and if I can setup one then it can't be that bad.If he's 13 or under it would be good if he's 15 put him in a car.The karts for a 15 and up are fast,and very competitive.Karts are a blast zand teach great driving skills.You have to smooth to win in a plate class.As far as mini stock honda and acura is the way to go.A stock vtec is very fast.David raced them on asphalt.Go to his website it'll give you an idea of how they run.
Either put him on the track,it's a great thing to do for his confidence and father-son relationship.David and I do everything together.We love it.Just make sure he knows that he doesn't have to prove anything to anyone.He should try and have fun.

Good luck!

[Demon_Doctor]

Racing is determined by several different things.

How much money do you have?

How much talent do you have?

How much time do you have?

How much effort are you willing to put into it?

How much money are you willing to spend and how much money are you willing to loose?

Will you be able to find sponsors for your car?

Do you have the tools to repair, build and maintain your car?

Do you own your own home?

How close to a residential area do you live?

How mechanically inclined are you?

Does your child know how to drive?

Will your wife support your decision to go racing every weekend during the summer?

Does your son / daughter really want to race? Or do they just think that it looks cool, and maybe they would like to try it out for a couple of weeks.

How hard of a worker is your son / daughter?

Do they keep their room clean at home?

Do they put away your tools after they are done using them?

Do they wash your car without even having to ask?

Are they really interested in working on automobiles?

Do they help you work on cars or are they always off playing video games and hanging out with their friends?

Racing is not fun! It is a lot of HARD WORK!

Racing is not just jumping in a race car one or two nights a week.

You have to have a garage, a welder, a complete set of mechanic's tools. A truck that can haul all your junk around. A trailer that can haul the car, spare parts, tools, tires, and the one hundred other things you will need to race.

You can't build a race car if you live in a housing development and you cannot try out your car if you live in the middle of a city. You need acres and acres of land where you can make noise at 3 am and not have someone call the police on you.

You need someplace where you can have junk piles. A place to store all your tires, trailers, spare parts, broken parts - that were damaged while racing.

You have to have fabrication skills, where you can take a bent piece of metal and straighten it and make it work. You have to have tools not normally associated with regular home maintenance. Come alongs, winches, floor jacks, scales, a place where you can melt lead and make your own weights. A tire machine, Mig, Tig and Stick welders.

Level's, scales, tape measures, grinders, maybe even a sand blaster - if you live in a rust belt state. Spray guns, air compressors, cutting tools - such as a metal air nibbler. Air impact gun, deep well impact sockets.
Wiring skills
Welding skills
Tire experience, not only mounting and dismounting tires, but tire selection and also tire management. Siping, grooving tools. Tire buffing wheels etc..
Air gauges that are accurate to 1/4 lbs! - the old pencil type tire gauge your dad gave you when you were a kid just won't cut it.

Then you get into gauges for inside of the car that can run anywhere upwards of $700+

All of the technology associated with what ever division you enter.

Back in the day, I would suggest that you subscribe to Circle Track. But since the two publications of Circle Track and their sister publication have merged, they really are no longer much help in either dirt track or paved track technology.

Some things such as a balanced set up - goes both ways. But other things like a sway bar and big bar / soft springs - just doesn't work in a dirt car.

Front wheel drive, you might get into the sport for less money. But nothing that you learn for front wheel drive, exchanges with what you will need to learn for rear wheel drive.

Paved track will not prepare you for dirt track racing.

Building a front wheel drive car, and then moving up the next year to rear wheel drive will only waste valuable money that could have been spent elsewhere.

Then you get into engines and transmissions and rear ends and tires and fuel and oil and filters and all the things that your racecar will need for racing. No matter how you look at it, if you get into racing - you are going to need a pile of money.

Nothing sucks worse than spending a bunch of money on someone elses looser car and then finding out - that over the winter - the rules has changed in that division - at that same track where that car dominated last year and now is no longer compeditive.

Nobody wants to ride around in the back, where more times than not, your car will get tore up and you will get tired of repairing it and soon you will be out of racing.

If you really want to race, get a pile of money together and call me and I will put him in a compeditive ride where he can get real time experience and seat time where he can be compeditive.

My last year of racing Street Stocks / Pro Stocks. I spent $18,000 in 18 nights and I did not work that summer, so I lost $18,000 in wages and I still was not compeditive - due to a lack of money.

The people that were compeditive, spent twice as much as I did and they had sponsors and lot's of shop help. People that gave them parts and equipment and lot's of support.

The simple rule of thumb is, the more you spend, the better you will look.

The better you do on the track, the better you will do off the track.

Once you win races, the other compedetors will give you more respect and you will make friends and things will get a lot easier from there.

Run around in the back and you will get no money and no respect and soon you will be out of money or out of patience and out of racing!

[Lucky13]

Racing is determined by several different things.

How much money do you have?

How much talent do you have?

How much time do you have?

How much effort are you willing to put into it?

How much money are you willing to spend and how much money are you willing to loose?

Will you be able to find sponsors for your car?

Do you have the tools to repair, build and maintain your car?

Do you own your own home?

How close to a residential area do you live?

How mechanically inclined are you?

Does your child know how to drive?

Will your wife support your decision to go racing every weekend during the summer?

Does your son / daughter really want to race? Or do they just think that it looks cool, and maybe they would like to try it out for a couple of weeks.

How hard of a worker is your son / daughter?

Do they keep their room clean at home?

Do they put away your tools after they are done using them?

Do they wash your car without even having to ask?

Are they really interested in working on automobiles?

Do they help you work on cars or are they always off playing video games and hanging out with their friends?

Racing is not fun! It is a lot of HARD WORK!

Racing is not just jumping in a race car one or two nights a week.

You have to have a garage, a welder, a complete set of mechanic's tools. A truck that can haul all your junk around. A trailer that can haul the car, spare parts, tools, tires, and the one hundred other things you will need to race.

You can't build a race car if you live in a housing development and you cannot try out your car if you live in the middle of a city. You need acres and acres of land where you can make noise at 3 am and not have someone call the police on you.

You need someplace where you can have junk piles. A place to store all your tires, trailers, spare parts, broken parts - that were damaged while racing.

You have to have fabrication skills, where you can take a bent piece of metal and straighten it and make it work. You have to have tools not normally associated with regular home maintenance. Come alongs, winches, floor jacks, scales, a place where you can melt lead and make your own weights. A tire machine, Mig, Tig and Stick welders.

Level's, scales, tape measures, grinders, maybe even a sand blaster - if you live in a rust belt state. Spray guns, air compressors, cutting tools - such as a metal air nibbler. Air impact gun, deep well impact sockets.
Wiring skills
Welding skills
Tire experience, not only mounting and dismounting tires, but tire selection and also tire management. Siping, grooving tools. Tire buffing wheels etc..
Air gauges that are accurate to 1/4 lbs! - the old pencil type tire gauge your dad gave you when you were a kid just won't cut it.

Then you get into gauges for inside of the car that can run anywhere upwards of $700+

All of the technology associated with what ever division you enter.

Back in the day, I would suggest that you subscribe to Circle Track. But since the two publications of Circle Track and their sister publication have merged, they really are no longer much help in either dirt track or paved track technology.

Some things such as a balanced set up - goes both ways. But other things like a sway bar and big bar / soft springs - just doesn't work in a dirt car.

Front wheel drive, you might get into the sport for less money. But nothing that you learn for front wheel drive, exchanges with what you will need to learn for rear wheel drive.

Paved track will not prepare you for dirt track racing.

Building a front wheel drive car, and then moving up the next year to rear wheel drive will only waste valuable money that could have been spent elsewhere.

Then you get into engines and transmissions and rear ends and tires and fuel and oil and filters and all the things that your racecar will need for racing. No matter how you look at it, if you get into racing - you are going to need a pile of money.

Nothing sucks worse than spending a bunch of money on someone elses looser car and then finding out - that over the winter - the rules has changed in that division - at that same track where that car dominated last year and now is no longer compeditive.

Nobody wants to ride around in the back, where more times than not, your car will get tore up and you will get tired of repairing it and soon you will be out of racing.

If you really want to race, get a pile of money together and call me and I will put him in a compeditive ride where he can get real time experience and seat time where he can be compeditive.

My last year of racing Street Stocks / Pro Stocks. I spent $18,000 in 18 nights and I did not work that summer, so I lost $18,000 in wages and I still was not compeditive - due to a lack of money.

The people that were compeditive, spent twice as much as I did and they had sponsors and lot's of shop help. People that gave them parts and equipment and lot's of support.

The simple rule of thumb is, the more you spend, the better you will look.

The better you do on the track, the better you will do off the track.

Once you win races, the other compedetors will give you more respect and you will make friends and things will get a lot easier from there.

Run around in the back and you will get no money and no respect and soon you will be out of money or out of patience and out of racing!

In this post a couple of the statements you made are about the wife's support. If you look at the name and the profile, it is a woman asking these question. Just thought Id let you know.

[Demon_Doctor]

Put brain in gear, before leaving out the clutch.

If it is a woman telling us that she would like to put her son in a car, then she better have a man around the house to do the work. Not that a woman can't do all these things, but that racing is a family affair. Everyone has to be involved to make it work, and with most racing, you have to have a two income family, or a person that is filthy rich to be able to do it on a weekly basis.

The first thing that the people in Mooresville NC asked me was - where is your wife?

When you spend 16 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week working on a race car, you need to have someone to do the cooking and the cleaning of the house and washing of clothes and all the household chores. Even just little things like cutting grass and chores - makes it a two person affair.

[racinMike69]

The original post is pretty old, so hopefully DarkAngel13 and her son have tried some racing and enjoyed it. But Demon_Doctor might scare off some potential new racers. Demon man, I think you mean well but you missed the original point. They just want to try starting in a 4 cylinder class. Don't assume that everybody has to be wildly successful and heavily invested to enjoy learning what racing is about. A lot of your points are true, but only apply after years of racing and moving up in commitment. I can argue almost every point you make.

For people who want to start racing, especially if they just want to try it out, stock engine 4 cylinder cars are great. Karts are also great. Any of these can give you a feel for the sport and decide if you want to keep at it. And all racing experience applies to future races, whether you are successful or not.
Start by visiting tracks you might race at and finding out what the rules are for entry level classes. Talk to people in the pits who already race in the class you might run. Lots of them are friendly and will answer questions about what they need to race. See if you can hook up with an experienced racer who is willing to help you with stuff that you can’t do yet. Often you can buy a currently legal and race-ready car and make a deal with the former owner to help you get started. You’ll need a tow vehicle, but usually a used pickup truck and used flat trailer will work. Find books, in the library if you must, about repairing the kind of car you decide to race. Then go racing, do your best, try not to wreck, and ask lots of questions. Many racers, especially in the lower classes, are there for fun and they’ll want you to have fun with them. Yes there’s a lot of work involved, but don’t worry that you have to have mega-bucks, mega-talent and mega-car building skills just to get started.

[philthpill]

ok well i had this problem last year. i wanted to race but im in the military and home for only 3 to 4 weeks at a time and im deployed more than i am stateside. so i bought a raceready ucar hahah not to fun. suppose to be cheap and for lil ones to learn how the tracks run stuff. i raced paved tracks in september while i was home from iraq 7 races 6 tracks in 18 days. than got invited to race dirt with some friends and went out last friday niight to rtr and found out i am better on dirt but the ucars are to small for me to learn with i cant use the driving styles or stuff i learn from the track when i move up to a v8. so i guess im trying to say save ur money and atleast go to a mini stock or heel if he wants to try it out rent a paved track like hickory or somthing and i will bring my car and let him see if he can or wants to drive.

later philip:feedme:

[racinMike69]

Well folks, I guess I left some stuff out.

Goals & expectations. Figure out how successful you need to be to enjoy racing. Know that it is hard to win right away because you’re competing against a lot of experience. If your goal is to get onto the track and take the time to learn how to win (or at least not get lapped) you won’t get as frustrated as if your goal is to win races and dominate right away. Also decide of this will be a hobby, or if your aspirations are to go pro.
Budget. Figure out how much money you can afford to spend up front (buying the car, tools, etc.) and how much you can afford to spend each week (entry fees, fuel, towing, etc.). Find out what your family obligations will allow.
Support. Inventory your own car-related skills and what your helpers can do. Also, how good are your organizational / leadership skills? Identify weaknesses and make plans to strengthen them. Make sure that everybody has enough time to go to as many races and do all of the shop work that your goals require.
If your goals say “win win win” but your budget makes you race a $3000 car against a field of $10,000 cars, you’re going to need to wait and save money for a while. You can study during that time. If you need “win win win” and have money buy top shelf equipment, attend racing schools, and hire experienced crew. If your goals say “learn to win later” don’t get frustrated by blue flags and breakdowns. You’ll figure out how to avoid them. No matter what your goals are, you have to earn respect. It’s cheaper and easier to earn it by driving clean and steadily improving your team. Bashing your way to the front will cost you the help you’ll need later if you want to move up.