5 Things You Need to Know If You Want to Become a Pro Racer

One of the kids I worked with over the past few years has decided to stop racing bikes after a serious injury. Motorsports flow through his veins, too, and he asked me to help find the next big thing for his career. After much debate, we decided drifting would be the best way forward.

But before he signed up for the drift school (the same one I graduated from ten years ago), I felt it imperative to warn him about what it all means. He was already aware of some of the following points, but I will reiterate them for anyone who plans to become a pro racer.

1. Racing Isn't Cheap

"But Dragos, virtual racing isn't that expensive," you might say. Well, perhaps you'll realize after doing the math how expensive a pro sim rig is. For 21-year-old Luca, racing a motorcycle already seemed to be a costly habit. But going on two wheels will often be much more affordable than racing on four.

He was shocked when I explained that pro drifters can go through 20 or more sets of tires per weekend. He had probably used just slightly more throughout his previous season. If you're serious about competing, you must ensure you're comfortable with this idea. And you need to count on your forces to survive for at least two or three years before you can even hope someone will step in and sponsor you.

2. Sponsors won't fall into your lap

That's right. Sponsors won't fall into your lap. So you've won the local championship (drifting, drag racing, hill climb racing, or whatever you opted for). That won't guarantee you'll find the funding to go at it again next season. I've seen many pro drivers upset about this situation, but it is what it is.

If you plan on convincing a company to support your program, you need to explain how their investment will ultimately render a profit. Return on investment is a key factor here, and it's much more complicated to make things work than you'd think.

3. Marketing is crucial

You should know that marketing is crucial. Treat your motorsports career as you go about building a business. Instead of doing that with a company, put yourself in the spotlight. People must get to know you first before you can secure the funds you need so eagerly. If the audience loves you, you have a better chance of finding sponsors.

But you'll need professional photos, videos, social media work, a website, flyers, proposals, and fresh ideas to elevate yourself above the crowd. "Why would we sponsor you when our inbox contains similar proposals? What makes you different from the rest?" You'll need to come up with a good answer to those questions, or otherwise, you'll likely fail. And don't even think about doing all that work on your own, as no man or woman can get those tasks done without having someone to help them.

4. It's all about team effort

"It's all about team effort" should be one of your mottos if you want to become a pro racer. In the worst-case scenario, your marketing team needs a photographer, videographer, social media expert, and sales expert. But that's just half of the picture. You will need another team to handle the other part of the game: a mechanic, a logistics expert, and a driver.

This kind of small crew will work for drifting or other sports where the stakes aren't as high. But you might lose your mind once you discover how big the F1 teams are. Racing is a team effort; think of it this way: You're only as good as the sum of your parts. If you neglect your team, it will do the same to you. So choose them carefully, treat them right, and you might get there.

5. Motorsports can be dangerous

Last, it's not all fun and games out there. My friend, Luca, had to quit motorcycle racing after a nasty high side. It left him with back problems and a twitching eye due to nerve damage. James Deane had to quickly exit his RTR Mustang in Long Beach recently after it burst into flames. People have died racing on two and four wheels, and you should always be ready for the worst-case scenario.

Safety regulations are critical in motorsports, and you should follow them to the latter. It's all a vicious circle, as these will further increase racing costs. With increased costs, you will need more sponsorships. To get there, you need more marketing work. But for more marketing work you need to spend more on your team.

Spending more on your team will require bigger budgets. So, you must break that vicious circle to survive. It's not easy, and you'll find yourself racing off and on track to accomplish your dreams. But if that's what makes you happy, just do it! I'm rooting for you!