Hey everyone, nifty site you guys have here. Very informative.
Anyways my name is Matt, I am currently a junior in college studying Mech. Engineering who is a big race fan. I am such a big racing fan as a matter of fact that I started a Formula Hybrid team at my university. The point of it is to basically engineer and build a little hybrid single seater to compete in Autocross and a few other events other schools. When I graduate I am certainly planning on going racing, but normal production car racing is of little appeal to me. So that leaves sports cars or open wheel formulas.
I know that unfortunately these are the more expensive categories, a problem for a college student and still a problem in a few years when I am not exactly raking in the big bucks right out of school. So what is the best category to start in? What is cheap and where can you learn how to race? What categories leave you room to develop the car? As I said, I am an engineering student with a little experience in the field, so I would like to do some of my own development work. I have almost no racing experience, only 150 laps or so at an indoor karting track and a couple of motorcycle track days, the last of which ended with crash. I know that I need to do a racing school school to get my license, but I am concerned with where I go from there.
Although I most likely won't be on track for a few years, but I would like to start thinking about what cars to do, and if the category allows it, start thinking on some aerodynamics work.
Thanks for the help,
Matt
PS- Anyone in the Boston area that wants somebody to turn wrenches over the summer, give me a shout.
Anyways my name is Matt, I am currently a junior in college studying Mech. Engineering who is a big race fan. I am such a big racing fan as a matter of fact that I started a Formula Hybrid team at my university. The point of it is to basically engineer and build a little hybrid single seater to compete in Autocross and a few other events other schools. When I graduate I am certainly planning on going racing, but normal production car racing is of little appeal to me. So that leaves sports cars or open wheel formulas.
I know that unfortunately these are the more expensive categories, a problem for a college student and still a problem in a few years when I am not exactly raking in the big bucks right out of school. So what is the best category to start in? What is cheap and where can you learn how to race? What categories leave you room to develop the car? As I said, I am an engineering student with a little experience in the field, so I would like to do some of my own development work. I have almost no racing experience, only 150 laps or so at an indoor karting track and a couple of motorcycle track days, the last of which ended with crash. I know that I need to do a racing school school to get my license, but I am concerned with where I go from there.
Although I most likely won't be on track for a few years, but I would like to start thinking about what cars to do, and if the category allows it, start thinking on some aerodynamics work.
Thanks for the help,
Matt
PS- Anyone in the Boston area that wants somebody to turn wrenches over the summer, give me a shout.

















