working in motorsport/tracks advice please guys

[pitbull86]

Hi all. Ok basically im 22, and not don’t what I want in life so wanting to really change it around. I live for cars. Everything revolves round them. Now have been looking at possibly getting a second job to get some more money as skint, and trying to build my r32 gts-t ready for track next year. And then national b race license in 2010 hopefully. However I really want to get my foot in the door around the race tracks. And ive been thinking, anyone know who best companies to contact about either working, or volunteering if that’s what it takes to work with them around track experience sort of environment, though a main problem I see is I have a week 9-5 job, so its only night times or weekends im free to be able to get there. And think a lot of time would be weekdays?. Was chatting to a good mate who works on this stuff, though he’s from Birmingham. And I live in Macclesfield so looking for Oulton or a track round there really.
Basically what im trying to get across, is have people had experience, work with companies who do this or just have knowledge of the sort of thing I could be trying or who I should be getting in touch with.
See I don’t have any mechanic skills tbh. But I just have a passion for cars, driving etc, and thought why not ask on here as well.
If I can get some money together im going to try get my adi as a profession. Then after racing if I get the funds, found a good series perfect for us really. Then ill be trying to go for a adi. Hence working round tracks is where I want to be in the future.

Edited by pitbull86 on Thursday 27th November 11:19

[Ockside]

I studied BSc Motorsport Management at Swansea Met. The course was great because I'm not engineering minded and the course is based around the business side.

One of our lecture's was David Leslie and he supported the course as he knew there wasn't enough business minded people in the sport. I would recommend it and your never too old to study.

Good luck

[pitbull86]

hmm may look into that. prob with obv working and having house bills etc have to see if they have a night time course. g/f gets paid sod all so i carnt be out of work lol.
am am getting better at mechanics, but i need someone to learn with, couldn't just be left witht he car yet.

[pitbull86]

does anyone know if corporate companys have just small time jobs going. hell brew making haha. just maybe at weekends to see how its done and while trying to everything else sorted

[MrKipling43]

Marshalling - get in touch with the MSA and they'll let you know what you need to do.

Edited by MrKipling43 on Thursday 27th November 13:48

[pitbull86]

have done some rally marshalling int he past. not done track marshalling. if i was unable to get in a experince sort of comapany/ training company as thats my eventual goal but way in future, think ill have to get my license for marshalling and do some of that. loved the rally marshalling, and closer to the cars than everyone else haha

[Dave Brand]

pitbull86 said:

think ill have to get my license for marshalling and do some of that.

If you want to get involved in marshalling get yourself along to the Oulton training day on February 8th. Details, & a volunteering form, can be found at:

http://www.brsccnw.com/marshalling2.htm

[pitbull86]

yeah if there no look in a race license team, then i reckon i would get on touch with them. gets me into oulton park free, and sure can get round the racers and info about racing etc.

plus always progression to get doing more in marshalling for the sport.

[bordseye]

So you have (your own words) no money, no mechanic skills - and judging by your post no great ability to express yourself. Yet you're keen on cars and want someone to pay you to play with them. What are you offering? What would you say to anyone if you got an interview? Why should they chose you?

Sadly most things in this life come as a result of hard work. Suggest you get yourself off to college and acquire some relevant skills. Might sound harsh to say so, but the world is full of people who would like to be paid to do what they want. Most of them are actually paid to do what they dont want to do.

[Piglet]

bordseye said:

Sadly most things in this life come as a result of hard work. Suggest you get yourself off to college and acquire some relevant skills. Might sound harsh to say so, but the world is full of people who would like to be paid to do what they want. Most of them are actually paid to do what they dont want to do.

I'd echo this...BTW if you think Marshalling will be about you having a jolly around the paddocks and just getting to see things for free I think you'll be quite disappointed.

It's a job for those who are dedicated to what they do, work hard and give hours and hours of their time at their own expense to allow the sport they love to continue. They don't get much out of it except the satisfaction of doing a fantastic job and making great friends.

[pitbull86]

i know. as said, ive done rally marshalling in the past so well aware of standing in the rain with a flask of coffee to keep me warm all day. so reckon ill be reet meowed. nothing like being around the cars and people. just a passion that burns inside
no the thing is to get foot in door in this sort of thing until i eventually have been racing. like said currently building my car to get some track days done, only done bike track days in past unfortunatly.
so, if its voluntry it will be good for me. yeah i may not have much to offer, but hey i got to start somewhere havnt i.

Edited by pitbull86 on Friday 28th November 22:07

[pitbull86]

oh that bussiness in motorsport course looks very good.
unfortunatly only found it on full time. so im going to keep looking for a night time course somewhere. even mechanicing or any form or course. cheers for that, thankyou

cheers for the info guys and the link for the marshalling. much appreciated everyone.

[bordseye]

mechanicing is easy enough to learn - at least the basics. buy an old car, park it off the road and strip it down / put it back together. take components to bits as far as poss. get the whole thing to work at the end. service your own cars. work on mates. its not rocket science or the average mechanic couldnt do it. or me.

[pitbull86]

yeah i panned to do that to learn. but then had to move out and various problems. i am looking for some land to be able to do this. will be fitting odd bits to my car but if can get a agrage ill take that approach as be worth it. my goal was to do it to my skyline when i finally get a place with a garage again haha

[The Excession]

Piglet said:

bordseye said:

Sadly most things in this life come as a result of hard work. Suggest you get yourself off to college and acquire some relevant skills. Might sound harsh to say so, but the world is full of people who would like to be paid to do what they want. Most of them are actually paid to do what they dont want to do.

I'd echo this...BTW if you think Marshalling will be about you having a jolly around the paddocks and just getting to see things for free I think you'll be quite disappointed.

It's a job for those who are dedicated to what they do, work hard and give hours and hours of their time at their own expense to allow the sport they love to continue. They don't get much out of it except the satisfaction of doing a fantastic job and making great friends.

pitbull86 said:

i know. as said, ive done rally marshalling in the past so well aware of standing in the rain with a flask of coffee to keep me warm all day. so reckon ill be reet meowed. nothing like being around the cars and people. just a passion that burns inside

???

Evidently you you've got some enthusiasm, but seriously, given statements like yours above do you really think that anyone is going to take you up on a whim given the way you've presented yourself?

I too grew up in Macclesfield, so I know a little bit of where you are coming from. The advice above is spot on. Go learn a trade, learn how to write English correctly, and then spend some time talking to and engaging withthe people in the motorsport arena. You have to shine, you need to stand out from the crowd around you. Without buckets of money behind you, you need to offer something special, so that means you need to study, listen, learn and contribute.

Oh gosh... do I really want to say this? I got lucky. Big time. I spent 12 years studying in computers and sattelite communications. I got really lucky and was sent out to the Safari Rally in 2002. I spent that week talking to anyone and everyone I could and ended up supporting the WRC for a year after that.

Please, listen to what people on here will tell you, you have to be presentable, you have to be educated, you have to offer a skill, otherwise you are just a groupy hoping to get lucky. Now, if you've got big tits and a sweet smile then maybe you get noticed and taken on board. Otherwise you need to study and learn about te sport and decide how you want to get involved.

Tea boys are ten a penny and unless you happen to be a second cousin to someone who is already deeply involved, then without the charisma that your initial posts lacks you really aren't going to get very far.

Not meaning to offend, that's just the way it is.

[pitbull86]

nice break that.
but come on, is being light hearted such a problem. apologise for not being serious, but it is an internet forum.

good point. being skilled does make the diffrence. as you say tea boys are ten a penny.
for now think ill pop along to the marshalling course. at least there will be something i can do in the sport. oh but i have big man boobs. do they count?

as said before, cheers for the replies guys. some of them been very helpfull and have given me a good idea.

[The Excession]

pitbull86 said:

nice break that.
but come on, is being light hearted such a problem. apologise for not being serious, but it is an internet forum.

Sorry, I didn't mean to come across too strong, but you really do need a lucky break, I certainly got one - just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was sent to the Safari Rally purely to set-up satellite phones, but whilst I was there I got talking to the technicians that ran the timing systems. After a few evenings sat round the camp fire I'd come up with a rework for their entire network that meant they could turn up anywhere in the world and setup straight out of the box. (Ever tried provisioning ISDN lines to the middle of a field in Argentina?)

pitbull86 said:

good point. being skilled does make the diffrence. as you say tea boys are ten a penny.

As said, I got lucky, met the right people and had some bright ideas.

pitbull86 said:

for now think ill pop along to the marshalling course. at least there will be something i can do in the sport. oh but i have big man boobs. do they count?

as said before, cheers for the replies guys. some of them been very helpfull and have given me a good idea.

Marshalling is a good idea and a great way to get involved. Just keep talking to people and watch and learn what's going on. You never know there might be a call for some kind of transportable tea container that you can make your millions with!

At the very least you should get to meet some fabulous people and have a laugh watching some good motorport.

Hope it goes well for you!

[GreenV8S]

pitbull86 said:

good point. being skilled does make the diffrence.

I get the impression you're expecting to have a career in motorsport. In order to get involved in motorsport you need to have a combination of skills and money. If you're rich enough then you can buy your way onto the team regardless of how useless you are. The more skills you have to contribute the less you will have to pay. If you're exceptionally good, you may find you don't have to pay and might actually find people willing to pay *you* to work with them. And out of tens of thousands of people actively involved, a handful might earn enough to actually make a living at it. Obviously you have to beat a huge amount of competition to get into that position. Being keen is more or less taken for granted and on its own is not going to get you anywhere unless you also have skills or money to contribute.

If you're interested, and can afford to do it, then go for it. Starting at the grass roots level will be much easier and cheaper than trying to jump straight in at the deep end. If you're planning to compete your own car, I suggest that as a reality check you find about how much it takes to run a car for a season in your preferred championship. I suspect you may be dismayed by the answer; the costs mount up very rapidly.