Go to an autocross and meet the people, thats the best way to get started. Later attend a racing school like bondurant. You'll ALWAYS have fun. You'll find you're on your way to door to door racing, but it doesn't happen overnight. Good luck
Start with a Flight Medical... then apply with the SCCA. From there you need to apply a Big "X" on your car to let the Pro's know you're a ROOKIE and then they'll give you plenty of room! Cripes I just sold two SCCA cars... one was a 1966 Shelby GT350 and the other was a Turn Key Hooters Roadrace Cup Car!
If only I had the time and money..... I met Bob Bondurant years ago at a 'high performance' driving cl*** he gave for the Jaycees. Super nice dude and has the credentials to back up what he says. I'd love to attend his school someday.
Step 1: come up with more money than you think you will need. Step 2: Realize you will spend that and more, very quickly.
I went through the SCCA school in San Francisco in 2007. I'm older than dirt but had a lot of fun racing with kids half my age. I believe the SCCA school is the best and also the cheapest way to go. The SCCA school is a three day cl***, you spend the first half of the day in "ground school", then are paired up with an instructor. The only hitch to this is that you must have/rent/borrow a real race car that will p*** the SCCA tech. I rented a Spec Miata for $1000 for all three days. Then you will need race gear, approved helmet, fire suit, gloves, shoes, Nomex underware. When you take the car out on the track the first couple of times you will not be allowed to p*** your instructor but will follow his lead. You will be split up into groups, I think there were about 60 people total in my cl***, and they were split into three groups, so you have about 30 cars on the track at once. You gradually get up to speed, then you will be on the track by yourself for 20/25 minute sessions. You will only be allowed to p*** on a designated area. Each time you come in you will go over your performance with your instructor. I was lucky enough to have a former SCCA National Champion as my instructor. Then when you start racing each time you come in you will not only meet with your instructor but the Chief Steward of the Regional SCCA, and he will tell everyone what they did right or wrong. On the last day of training/racing you will attend two 35 minute race sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. These were the most fun for me and being an old guy who had never done any road racing, the first two days I was 29th or 30th most of the time in my group, but when it came to both races I placed 14th/13th and showed some of those young whipersnappers the short way around the track..................Loved It!!!!!!! Of course you must be signed off by your instructor and the Chief Steward before you get your license...............in my group everyone got their license.............but it is not a given and some people have failed their first time. Then, for the SCCA you must race in at least 2 Regional events within 2 years to get your compe***ion license, as you will only have your Novice license when you start, and yes, you will have an N on the car to let the rest of the drivers know you are green. Cost, Suit/etc........................$700/1000 SCCA School..................$700 Rental Car.....................$1000 So, if you don't have up-to-date gear or a car you can expect to pay around $3000, which is about what you'd pay for a lessor co****..............I strongly believe in the SCCA school and wouldn't go anywhere else. The SCCA will accept some schools, but not all. Check with your local regional office. Have Fun
If you haven't done any SCCA (Secret Car Club of America) Autocross events yet I would highly recommend it. It's real cheap and there are always some cool gearheads. You could use your Sundance. You could watch an event 1st to see what to expect.
As a past SCCA driving school instructor, do not autox and expect any benifits from it in road racing. It ussually makes The instructors job harder, he has to guide you through unlearning all of you bad habbits. The only student I ever failed had 30 years in racing oval track, and he just refused to lear the differences. Auto-x and road racing are very different racing. And I have done both along with ice racing. Interesting note my last student bought Paul Newmans last Trans-am race car and took the SCCA drivers school, he had previous Vintage road racing experience. jim h
The Jalopy Journal
