New Guy

[cmconner1]

Hello hello!
I'm the new guy, and I am wondering how I can get into racing? Being from Iowa I know I will have to travel alot but I figure, I'm young. I currently ride a ZX6R and a DRZ. I am genuinely interested in what steps I would need to take and if this is something that I really can spend my life doing.


/New Guy

[badmoon692008]

The short answer is get your bike prepped, get your gear, show up to a learning curves day (which are held just about every race weekend on Saturday) pass the class, get your licence, and give er hell! If you've never been on the track before I'd probably suggest a track day or two to get comfortable before you head out and race, but for years there was no such thing as track days and the only way to get out there was to jump into racing, so that's definitely viable if you feel confident.


Not sure how prepped you are or how soon you were planning on getting into it, but a handful of us are doing a track day on September 2nd at Blackhawk farms (where most of the races for CCS midwest region are held) they have gear rental available if you're short on gear, and we're more than willing to help you get out there and try it out. Otherwise the next race weekend (for midwest) is September 22-23 (also at Blackhawk farms) and there's a learning curves licencing day on saturday. If you have more questions I can send you my phone number if you wanted to chat or we could chat on facebook or something. Good luck! always cool to see more people getting into racing!

[cmconner1]

That is the most useful information I have received this far, thank you very much! I'm looking at trying it out next season, which should give me plenty of time to prepare a bike.

[vance]

Just go do it, and don't let perfect be the enemy of good.  Take the short answer given by badmoon and run with it.  You'll be inundated with terms and theories from tire pressures to suspension settings and it won't even be applicable until you can start turning consistent laps.  When I started, I started on an brand new 2005 R1 and every time I heard of XYZ, I put it on the bike to go faster, which worked as long as the bike wasn't leaned over 
Over the next few years, the cheaper and smaller the bike I bought, the faster I went.  This is a marathon, not a sprint.  Well, unless it's a sprint, then it's a sprint, but still it's a series of multiple sprints, so sort of like a marathon with pauses.  Welcome to the addiction.

[Dave Wolfe]

Where are you at? Cedar Rapids here. Started racing again this year after a 20 yr break myself. TrackAddix runs track days at a place outside Omaha. Its a bit of a bare bones facility but they run 30 minute sessions and only two groups so tons of track time. Tons of runoff room. Its a pretty relaxed group, good for getting your feet wet.


If you are gonna race, id recommend getting a bike that is already race prepped and cheap enough that you wont care much if you have to throw it in the dumpster at the end of a raceday. I made this mistake in my first roadracing stint, i had a brand new 600 and I was worried about crashing it. That really held me back. Now im on a cheap 250 and I have zero worries of crashing it.

[cmconner1]

Dave,
I'm in Ankeny. However I will be in CR possibly tomorrow night, and definitely on Wednesday. Also thank you everyone for all of this advice and info. Very helpful!

[Dave Wolfe]

I think there are a few active BFR CCS racers from Ankeny and Des Moines. RPM would only be a 2hr drive for you.
Have fun and see u at the races