Can you become a professional racing driver even if you're not rich?
356253
It will be hard, but possible - not all top drivers come from rich families. You should really have talent and some luck would do too.
811411
Do you own a race car? Without one, you won't be able to race at your local track. Best thing to do is head for a kart track, rent a kart and start driving. Next step would be to buy your own kart and start racing. After that you can possibly move up to Formula  Ford and Formula 2000.
1186756
it all depends on the winnings they made per year, the sponser stuff they had.. and how much money they put back into the team.. and also it depends on how much the team makes and how good of a driver they are.. \nfor example, tony stewart probably banked the most last year b/c of being champion and having a hell of a sponser.. his earnings alone for his races were 6,987,535.. that doesn't include other income.. \nyeah, they make some pretty darn good money though...but they use a lot of that to help their career. a lot of driver's put money into planes to make travel easier, and be able to do more.. a lot of them get better motorcoaches as time goes on, and lot of them start plahying in owning cars/tracks and all that good stuff. i mean, sure, they are living a bit ncier than the average joe..but they make shit compared to most athletes, b/c their sport is so expensive to get into, and keep operating in in the first place.
292042
Yes. With the "Race to the Cup" for the top ten for one thing. When one position in points can mean hundreds of thousands of $, I feel sorry for the guy in eleventh place. Under the old rule 11Th place could possibly move up a couple of spots to 8Th or 9Th, maybe. And what are all these penalties for "non-approved" parts. These parts aren't illegal, just not from a supplier that has sucked up (payed off?) to NASCAR. Used to be you could run any part that conformed with the rules. It didn't matter if you built it yourself or bought it. And these young drivers, used to be that a driver had a few years of experience before moving up to NASCAR's big league. These new drivers are good, but inexperienced. And the new drivers all seem to fit the cookie cutter corporate image. They are good looking and articulate. A short guy like Cale Yarbourgh, or a driver that spoke like his mouth was full of marbles like Buddy Baker, or an ex-convict like Junior Johnson, wouldn't make it in today's corporate racing world. I think NASCAR should stop being such a glamor sport and go back to basics, go fast, turn left, and may the best driver/car win. I'm curious as to how many of these race fans are really fans. A lot of these people only watch racing on the TV or maybe attend a couple of NASCAR races a year. How many go to their local short track? Almost everyone in the contiental U.S. is within an hour's drive to a local track. These tracks offer about 4 hours or more of entertainment for under $15 on most nights. Whether the track is paved or dirt, running late models, open wheeled sprint cars or modifieds, you will probaly see some exciting racing. As I said before, let's get back to basics.
519202
Well yes, if you feel you can afford to, or you would get dragged down a lot by a job you weren't passionate about. If you love your career, then your more likely to give more of yourself to it, and work harder at it. So doing what you love, and taking that far, can get you a lucrative career. So you have your cake and eat it too!!!
1090320
Start at your local racetrack, find local businesses who are interested in sponsoring a team.But the most important thing is to find someone who will show you the ropes, go to a driving school, but a lot of the drivers started from the ground up, go-carts, modifieds, etc. Find a machine shop or some business that deals in race parts.But the thing is to get your face and name out there to be recognized, because with most things, it's WHO you know as well as your talent.You can be the greatest racer, but have no personality and you have to SELL,SELL,SELL!
629774
Just like in any profession, you have to have the God given talent for it. If you don't, all your desire to be a great jockey will be in vain. With practice, you may become a fair jockey, but never be great.
1063622
Same way all GT Racers become GT Racers. They are winning drivers in races. They are good enough to catch the attention and sponsorship of an advertising company. This company will pay for everything you need to drive in the races, and you agree to endorse their product .\n\nThat is how you become any kind of race car driver anywhere any time. Nascar and all the other racing associations do not care if you are red blue green or from the moon or Philadelphia, or Malaysia. Racing knows no prejudice, unless maybe it is in the area of the right kind of tool for the job. Skin color makes no respect, only skill makes you respected and you have to earn that
562714
Why you'd want to do it is beyond me, anyone can go straight.  But if you must, find the local drag strip.  There are probably some car tuner boards in your area where you can hook up with some folks that go to test and tunes and free run days at the drag strip.\n\nIf you want to get into from a professional standpoint, go to an event and talk to some of the team members, they may be able to point you to an amature series.\n\nIf you want to stay in any motorsport for a long time and leave on your own terms, KEEP IT ON THE TRACK.  Don't get caught up in the egos and put the rest of the public in danger by doing something stupid on the street.  No trophies or points or sponsorship oppurtunites on the street.
741023
Generally, "sponsorship" is only done through family members or employers.  You cannot be sponsored by a random US citizen.  If you want to live in the US and you don't have a close family member who is a citizen or resident, then you need an employer.  If you don't have that, you pretty much have to be either rich or famous.
465287
It depends on what level you are competing on. You will need money either from a family business or other income. Alternatively, you will need someone with a solid track record to attract support from sponsors. You will also need to ensure members of the team are capable of performing their roles and aren't there simply because they related to you. Motor sport is an unforgiving business. Good luck to you.
545851
No, they don't get paid too much, NASCAR drivers EARN THEIR MONEY by playing(racing)hard just as much as other sports stars do. Driving a NASCAR stocker, or ANY race car for that matter, is PHYSICALLY DEMANDING, a lot more than some people think. Why do you think certain drivers pay attention to exercise(Carl Edwards and Mark Martin both exercise daily)...to give them an edge when racing! Look at a Nextel Cup driver right after a race...they look really exhausted and sweaty..because they ARE. A Nextel Cup or Busch Series car gets pretty d*mn hot, add to that the length of the race(usually at least 4 hours)...And yes, they put their lives on the line...but it's not only for the money. They do it because they love what they do, and they do it for us fans who support them week after week. Could any of you who say stupid things about NASCAR do that? I don't think so.
1176403
Your ambition is great! Unfortunately, you're between a rock & a hard spot. Serious racing sponsors consider not just experienced racers, but only those with winning records. Nobody wants to be in last place & few want to be connected with a nameless rookie. I know that sounds cruel, but those are the facts. Before I retired, approving & issuing sponsorships for racecars & show cars was part of my job. I turned down hundreds of racers & only bought into a few each year. If you can grasp the reality that no one is going to pay you to learn (if they would, we'd all be drivers), I can tell you how to proceed.\nYou need to eat, sleep & breathe racing. You should be at the track every chance you get. You need to talk to & become friendly with drivers, owners & technicians. You should offer to help with the dirty work, even for free.  Once you're in this circle it is much easier to gain a sponsorship.  Most often drivers/owners get sponsors through networking.  That is, knowing someone who knows someone who knows someone who recommends you to a sponsor. Get car people on your side.  It isn't easy.  But if it was...well, you know.
426696
there is no such thing as JUNIOR F1 CAR RACE.1st u should try ur hand at go-karting\nthen if u acquire the required skills,then ur next step would b formula3 racing\nin the mean time,find companies who 'll sponsor u( otherwise u r dead) coz its TOOOOOOOOOOO EXPENSIVE SPORT
435389
Inorder to get onto a driving seat one has to first have a super licence which can be obtained by displaying one's skills in local, national level, etc. small races like go carting etc. after obtaining the super license one may build his/her repute by  entering in smaller world championships like formula3, indy car etc. then with the help of sponserers he can have a test drive with any of the F1 teams with their approval. and if you fulfil the necessary requirements and if the team feels you as suitable for a driving seat, u may be given a driving seat.
636628
Depends..\nIf you want become rich very fast, be a sporty person!\nNerds are too conscious about it and can't make it. \nBut if you're a nerd, it's more fun because you can laugh at all these dumb brainless bodies around, unless, well, you have the tendency to getting envious on their success, popularity and money...
908274
Not necessarily.  Like climbs, categories are listed from lowest to highest, i.e. Cat 2 is higher than Cat 3, etc.  To participate in a categorized race, you usually need a UCF or UCI license, whether a yearly one or a weekender.\n\nYou can't race in Cat 2 until you've earned enough points in Cat 3, and can't go to Cat 3 without the same thing.  I suppose if you were REALLY good, were able to get into some major races and spank all the other Cat 2 riders you might get noticed and sponsored by a pro team, but it's pretty unlikely.\n\nPro teams usually recruit from Cat 1 level riders on well-established teams.  You pretty much need to have massive support and be able to ride for hours every day to reach that level by the time you're 18, because it will still take a couple more years of development to reach that elite pro status.