Be a weekend racer
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Date Posted:
May-25-2009 17:37
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And maybe even make some cash…
So you’ve always wanted to race
cars. Maybe you’re an adrenalin junkie craving the smell of burning
rubber, or perhaps you just want to be able to slip “race-car driver”
into conversation. Either way, it’ll cost a bit and you’ll need time to
prepare. Here’s
FHM’s how-to guide.
Start in Karts
Who? Anyone looking for an affordable motorsport or wanting to kick-start their racing career.
Cost?
A couple of grand can buy a used 100cc kart with spares. You’ll also
need safety gear, which varies from hundreds to thousands, plus
membership of a karting club ($100) and a licence ($250,
karting.net.au).
Famous exponent: Almost all top-level drivers started out in karts, including a young bloke you might’ve heard of named Lewis Hamilton.
Chance of killing yourself: Not likely 2/10
Sedan circuit racing
Who for? From everyday rev-heads to would-be V8 Supercar stars.
Cost?
Drivers pay a couple of hundred bucks to drive their road-registered
car around a track for the day. Sedan racing then progresses to
improved production cars (Google “ipra” and your state), which is based
on older passenger cars that have been transformed into race cars. Your
beast can range from a $5000 road-registered car, to a second-hand
improved production car, from about $15,000. Plus you’ll need a helmet,
spare parts and tyres and a Confederation of Australian Motorsport
(cams.com.au) licence.
Famous exponent: The late Peter Brock. He started circuit racing in a Holden-powered Austin A30.
Chance of killing yourself: Moderate 4/10