Valvoline.com

Vintage Racing: Getting Started

Preparing your car—and yourself—for the track

In the first two parts of this series, we saw how vintage racing has become one of the fastest growing forms of amateur motorsports. We also discussed the various types of vehicles involved in the sport. Now it's time to find out how to get on the track and start having fun. The first thing you will need is the right attitude.

Most books about race driving will tell you that the secrets to success are the desire to win, an unwavering dedication to developing the car, and going faster. Well, for vintage racing, toss those ideas right in the trash. If you really want to beat every car on the track—and bending the rulebook is your idea of a good time—there are other types of racing better suited to your goals.

Rewards

Vintage racing is about driving fast in very cool older cars. And if you win, it's gravy. For those who have just as much fun dicing for 14th as winning by a lap, then you're in the right place. And if someone gets in your way, you carefully plan your pass to make sure no accident occurs. Vintage racing is all about fun, and no one thinks its fun to rebuild a bent car on Saturday night instead of eating barbecue and trading lies with your friends at the track party.

Clubs

Next, pick the clubs you want to race with by attending events and meeting the members. This will help you pick a car that appeals to you. Get a copy of the regulations, so you can make sure to buy a car that will be legal. Just because a car is advertised as "vintage legal" does not mean that your local group will accept it.

Your Car

Some beginning racers prefer to build their own cars, but when you are starting out you will have your hands full just learning how to drive safely. Without previous racing experience, you may have difficulty telling if driveability problems are caused by an incorrectly set up car or by driver inexperience. Also, you can usually buy a race-ready car for less than the cost of building a car from scratch. If you insist on building your first race car, get an experienced driver to take your car out in practice to see if it works correctly.

You will also want to take running expenses into account. Even though a Corvette may be within your purchase budget, can you afford to buy a new set of racing tires every other race and feed the thirsty engine with $4 per gallon racing fuel? Some exotic Formula and sports-racing cars have temperamental engines that must be rebuilt, at great expense, on a regular basis. Make sure you understand the weaknesses of whatever car you choose.

Maintenance is a regular part of racing, and you will need to decide how much of the preparation and repair you can do yourself. There are many racing shops and mechanics who service vintage racing cars, so get recommendations from those who race cars similar to yours. You will also need to locate businesses that sell racing parts for your particular car.

Safety

Once you have your car picked out, you will need to buy a fireproof driving suit and helmet. Suits come in a variety of materials and thicknesses. At a minimum you will need a single-layer suit with flameproof underwear, including socks, gloves, shoes and, if you have a beard or mustache, a balaclava (a head and face covering). Make sure the suit fits you and is a model approved by your racing club. A helmet is also required, sporting a current Snell Foundation sticker. Snell evaluates helmets and sets standards to be met. An approved helmet will have a sticker inside with a date and the type of racing it is intended for. A "SA" sticker signifying "Sport Auto" is what you need.

Other necessary safety items include safety belts approved for racing with sewn-on tags that show they meet S.F.I. standards. They should also have a date stamped on them and be no more than three years old, as research has shown that the webbing on belts deteriorates rapidly. The belt system will include a lap belt, a pair of shoulder harnesses and "submarine" belts that prevent the driver from sliding under the lap belt in a frontal impact. You'll also need arm restraints that keep your hands and arms inside the cockpit should your car roll over. Club regulations may also require safety items such as fuel cells, cut-off switches that disconnect the ignition, and catch cans that prevent spilled water or oil from getting on the track. Now you have your car ready to go. In our final installment we'll explain how to get your license to actually race!