HOW TO HOP INTO THE DRIVERS SEAT IN OFF-ROAD RACING
If you've ever been to an racing event, you know how they trucks get from the trailers, to the pits, to the race track. But if you haven't, there is no better way to get a feel for the sport than seeing it in person. Nothing will spark your interest like seeing huge, loud, and fast trucks racing to be the fastest. If you have that spark and want to take it further, you may want to be a part of an event, a part of a race team, or even race your own Race truck! If this peaks your interest, read below for the steps to take towards your racing dreams!
Go To A Race
The first step to becoming the next top racer is going to a race. There you will be able to see how races work, and how a race team works together. Normally race teams are parked next to each other in a space where fans can come interact, and watch them work. Here, you will be able to talk to racers, crew members, and get an idea of what it takes to run a race team. Racing series will keep an updated schedule on their website.
Get Involved
After experiencing racing and what it takes in person, you may want to know more of what happens behind the scenes. Many race teams have websites or social media profiles which show what they are working on outside of race weekend. On top of that, online forums hold current conversations going on in the race world, off-road racing series websites show current point standings and race results for the season, and blogs (just like this one!) will showcase all other facts that will keep you informed. Joining these online communities and keeping up to date on the racing world will give you a big head start on your race career. Click on the image below to find an off-road race team website.
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Volunteering
Many off-road race series' have opportunities where you can volunteer to help out. You could be on the race track watching and sending flag signals to racers, help maintain facilities, or even volunteer helping an individual race team. These are all great ways of getting to know people in the race community. These connections may open doors to new opportunities for you as a racer, as well as new information about racing. Clicking the photo below will take you to the Mint 400 volunteering page, where you can sign up to be apart of the event.
Putting The Race Team Together
Any great racer has a strong team of supporters behind them. A team is necessary in order to perform well and consistently. These supporters help in every way they can. By helping with repairs, cleaning, and providing a pit crew during the races. A race team should have a crew chief, a few mechanics, and other individuals to help with all other needs. This crew can consist of friends who have a love for racing, or professionals who have crew experience under their belts. Whoever your crew may be, they should all have good chemistry and a great work ethic. The image below will take you to the Race Dezert job search page where you can look for job openings, as well as post a job listing.
Building Your Race Truck
Probably the most exciting, and hardest part of this process is building your race truck. First you must pick the type of racing and series you want to race in. This will determine what truck you're building and what rules your truck must follow. Each vehicle is designed to run in certain race conditions, for example, Trophy Trucks are made to run long desert races, and Pro-4's are made to run in short course races. You may want to start from scratch, using a production truck to build a car out of, or building from the ground up with a fabricated race chassis. This requires mechanical knowledge to complete. As well as the funding to purchase and make all your trucks components. Another option is to buy a race ready vehicle from a previous race team. Websites such as Race Dezert offer a marketplace for selling race vehicles and tools. Below is a link that will take you to the Race Dezert classifieds page.
Funding and Sponsorships
The last and most important step to building and maintaining your racing career is funding. Racing is a very expensive sport. A race truck alone can cost upwards of $20,000. Then there are the race weekend expenses which consists of entry fees, fuel costs, travel costs, parts, and pit crew member costs. The best way to battle these expenses when starting racing is with sponsorships. Sponsorships are brands that are willing to pay you money to be a part of your race team. In exchange for their funding, you will have to volunteer advertising space on your vehicle. In order to catch the attention of bigger sponsors however, you will need to win races, and have a large fan following. The more fans you have, the more sponsors will value your race team. This link will take you to a multiple part article teaching you the ins and outs of sponsorship
