Become a Racing Driver?

As we sit on our sofas on a Sunday Afternoon it can be easy to idly day dream about our own driving skills as we watch some international grade motorsport on the TV. It doesn't look too difficult does it? Its just pointing the car at a track you have driven a thousand times before and waiting for the vehicle to do all the work. But appearances can be deceptive, there is a lot more to being a racing driver than meets the eye, most people won't appreciate the skills that are required to reach the top levels of motorsport.


Driving talent


This is a pretty fundamental one as you might imagine. Driving talent is an innate sense of how the car is performing and how you can extract the ultimate from it. Some drivers just seem to be able to 'feel' how much grip a car has and them be able to drive right up tot that limit in order to maximise its performance. If you step over the line then you will end up off the track - if you are too cautious then you are slow. Its a very thin, very difficult line to cross.


Race-craft


Race-craft is the ability to know how to drive safely in a competitive environment. Being a safe racing driver will not only be to your own health and financial benefit but will help you make friends with other competitors as they will know you to be a good driver. You need experience lining people up for overtaking, unsettling them in their normal rhythms in order to place them in a position where you can pass - all in a safe manner. Not an easy job.


Financial Backing


This seemingly mundane element is in fact absolutely essential. If you can afford to race then how can people see how good you are? Getting people to sponsor you is one of the most difficult aspects to become a professional driver. So if you don't have a wealthy family to back you then you need to get a 'business head' as well.