Valvoline.com

Vintage Racing: Your First Race

Getting licensed and lining up

In the other Vintage Racing articles, we learned what vintage racing is all about, picked out the perfect car and surrounded ourselves with safety equipment. Here, we'll cover gettng our license and what it's like going to our first event. Hang on—we're on the track at last!

Licensing

Before you fire up your racer, you will need to get a license. Some vintage racing clubs issue their own licenses, while others subscribe to the Vintage Motorsport Council (VMC) licensing program. Some clubs will also accept licenses from other established racing groups, such as the Sports Car Club of America or other vintage racing clubs.

Checkup

Your first stop before race weekend will be at the doctor's office for a good physical. Your club will provide a form that may require an E.K.G., depending on your age. Your doctor will be asked to evaluate your ability to take part in a high-stress activity like racing. You need not have always had perfect health. Many vintage racers have survived heart attacks or other serious illnesses.

Qualifying

If you have had previous racing experience you may be able to bypass some of the club regulations for qualifying for a license. Having taken a professional racing school may help as well, but most clubs prefer for new drivers to be taught the "vintage" way to race, not the "win at all cost" methods common in other types of racing.

Class Time

A typical vintage racing school will start on the Friday before a race weekend, and will include a number of classroom sessions that explain the meaning and uses of the flags. Flags are the principal method the race officials have of communicating with the drivers during a race, and a clear understanding is essential to safety.

More Rules

The instructors will also emphasize the importance of correctly adjusting your mirrors and keeping an eye on them. It is your responsibility to let faster drivers pass during a race, and drivers who engage in blocking or are not aware that they are being closely followed will be reprimanded.

Track Time

At last it's track time. Instructors will either take their students around the track in street cars, or lead them around at slow speed, showing them the correct lines and appropriate braking points. Then the students climb into their own racers and begin to find their way around the track. After the track session the instructors will critique student progress and make suggestions for improvement.

Critique

This routine of practice and critique continues throughout the weekend. Some clubs may issue a license at that point, while others require two schools. New drivers are typically put on probation for a period of time, during which they will be observed to make sure they continue to make progress. A large black "X" is usually affixed to the back of the car to warn others that you are a beginner. It's nothing to be ashamed of, as everyone starts out with one.

Sign-Ups

When you have successfully completed your schools and received your license, you can enter races with your club. Clubs that do not issue their own license will certify you to obtain a VMC license. Many clubs are members of the VMC, and will accept this license should you wish to run an event in another part of the country.

Bona-Fide

Now that you are a racer, you can get out on the track and start having fun. But remember to not get so carried away with racing that you forget about racing safely. If you drive in an unsafe manner you may lose your license and be put on a nationwide list that will prevent you from racing with other clubs. This helps keep competition safer for everyone, and contributes to the high level of safety that vintage racing is famous for. You will need to run a minimum number of races per year to keep your license current (usually two), or you may have to go back through a school to have your license reinstated. That's the easy part—once you have been on the track you will want to run every chance you get!