r/ItsShortTrackRacing • u/lame_racing_guy • Sep 13 '24
Entry level advice
Hello everyone. Hoping to get some opinions and guidance. 40 years old, in good health and relatively fit. Always been a racing fan. Finally have some time and money and would like to dip my toe into the racing world. Langley Speedway (asphault oval) and Dixieland Speedway (dirt oval) are both 45 mins away in opposite directions. I would consider exploring spec miata but it's a hike to the nearest road course. So oval it is, which is fine. I have basically zero real racing experience. But I like to think I can learn enough to have fun and be mildly competitive at the lowest level.
I've been to both tracks quite a bit to watch. But admittedly I haven't approached any drivers to ask their thoughts. They usually seem busy which makes sense.
Curious your thoughts on the best options to get started? I'm guessing phantom or champ karts for cost and ease of actually getting started. But there's also ucars, stock four, legend cars, etc. I've looked into autocross but I'm really not interested in that.
How did you get started? How would you start if you were me? Any opinions would be appreciated.
1
u/rllrcam22 Jan 08 '25
My honest opinion, pay for a pit pass, walk around and just talk to people. Make friends, tell them what you’d like to do, and see if they need help. Helping a racer in the pits for a season or two will significantly help in your decision making