Vintage Racing: Getting Started

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.