New here Into w/ some noob questions :D

[Andor]

Hey guys, my name is Andor Tobelem and i am currently studying at penn state university up here in COLD Pennsylvania. I've been on many car forums and know that the worst thing to do is ask questions without research. I'm going to be transferring back down to Florida Atlantic University (FAU) where i have many more doors open for me to start my racing career, which is what i want to do.

Little back ground: I was born in Venezuela, african american father from Morocco (jewish) and hispanic mother (jewish as well) and moved to the States in 1994 when i was 4. Basically I'm american but struggled to speak english in the beginning because i had to learn hebrew at the same time. Like everyone else on here, my whole life has been about cars and about racing in general. At 10 i got my first dirt-bike and quickly started to de-assemble the bike and seeing how everything worked. After getting a bigger bike (growth spurt) and being able to clear most of the jumps on the track, i begin to race. After all the adrenaline waiting for the gates to fall and seeing the white flag pass by when your in 1st and it taking an eternity to cross the checkered flag, the feeling was indescribable and i was hooked. Than got my car and moved on from motocross to cars. b/c of funding, i wasn't able to get myself to skippy's 3-day until senior year of high school. I took the 3-day racing class at road atlanta, Georgia. I wasn't familiar wit the track so i did many many hours on Forza on xbox to re-memorize the tracks and the turns etc. (def. helped out a lot!!!) well, the 3-day was over and i was just in love. I have never felt better in my life and i just wanted more. I talked to the instructor telling him about my plans in the future, to race and join the SBRS and was told what i had to do but a month later, i was already heading to college up here in PSU and all my plans for racing were put to a hold. well as stated above, now i'm transferring back down to florida where i will be saving lots of $$$ that will def. help me out for my racing career.

of-course, the plan is to take 2 day advance than do a practice and a weekend race. I am just confused on how things work. In order to do well, or to be in a series, do i need to do every race? or a minimum amount of races? or lest say if i race in my 1st race and finish with points, what than? just by me joining races near my state, i'm in the series? a little confused on this part. And how do i get qualified to be in the national series? Than if in the national series, do i need or should i race in as many races possible?
(sorry for the noob questions. I'm not sure if its the same as in racing motorcross etc. )


Some other questions i have:

As in doing some research, i found that it says that you should do your first race in the track that you are most familiar with and best at so you would have the best results the 1st time out. This being, I have taken the 3-day at Road Atlanta and really loved the track and was very familiar with it of-course. Now, trying to sign up for a 2-day advance in sebring or pbir (moroso) or homestead, which none are available in the summer or from may 7th - asap, the soonest one would be Roat Atlanta in July. This being said, for my 1st race, should i not sign up for one at Sebring, PBIR, or Homestead if available because i'm not familiar with the track and sign up for one in Road Atlanta for my 1st race?

I also did my search on the gear that is needed and already have selected a few items but have some questions on which would u recommend is the best. For helmets, i'm really liking the HJC AR-11. I found it for under $200 which is good for helmet pricing but i know that you should never be cheap on safety equipment b/c there's no price on life.
The Helmets that i can choose from in order of preference are
1. HJC AR-11 $179
2. Aria GP-5k or (PED) (i dont think the k stands for karting ) (and whats so different b/w this and the AR-11???) $798
3. HJC AR-10 $299
4. Bell BR-1 $399
5. G-Force Pro Eliminator $249

if you guys would please recommend the best one for a rookie beginning there season thats also the best bang for the buck

Also what would be a good racing suit that would be good for a rookie. I'm looking to pay anything under $600, but if i have to go over to be safe of-course i will. But what would be the best bang for the buck there?

Also, whats really the big difference b/w kart racing shoes/helmet/suits/gloves etc and automotive racing? The prices for karting are a lot! cheaper and i was just wondering why!? the obvious is of-course assuming that automotive racing gear is more fire proof making it safer, but is that just it or are they completely different? cause the suits look legit the same as due to other products.

I know these questions are annoying and if you dont like them, please dont bash on me

Well thank you all for your help and i look forward meeting as many of you as i can as i rise the ladder!

Thanks again,

-Andor Tobelem-

[dalyduo]

Love your enthusiasm and passion for racing Andor. No need to apologize for your questions.

You might want to look at some of the older threads here that relate to helmet and equipment selection.

http://www.teamjuicyracing.com/forum...splay.php?f=17

Every year there is a Skip Barber karting shootout at Sebring where top young drivers from all over the country come and compete for sponsorship in the Skip Barber National Series. (the winner gets a full National Sponsorship and top runner ups get some partial sponsorship) It is very competitive so you would want to spend at least a year or two honing your skills before you attempt to seriously compete there. There is probably no better way to test yourself against the best of the best young drivers and get quality expert feedback than to compete at the shootout so that would be a good long range goal starting out.

Since money is a consideration you probably want to give yourself a less pressured time frame to get things done. If you're in school and have that cost covered take advantage of getting your education and work in as much instruction and racing as you can around that education while you build your funds for competing at an event like the shootout.

Contesting a championship, either regional or national means you need to run a full season of points but it would be expensive, time consuming and premature at this point to focus on a championship before you've done your 2 day advanced school or your first race weekend. If money were of no concern you could go straight to regional SBRS races to develop your craft but given the demands of university and the expense of racing you may find it more time and money effective to locate a good karting series and compete regularly there while also completing your 2 day and first couple of SBRS regional race weekends. All of this can be done in Florida.

Regarding equipment: Buy the best helmet you can afford not the least expensive. Arai and Bell make high quality auto helmets... Not sure about the others you list. Karting helmets have a lower threshold for impact and karting suits for fire resistance so you wouldn't want to use any karting equipment in a Skippy or any other race car. Don't skimp on safety equipment. Save up and get the best you can afford.

I'm sure others will chime in with advice but do give yourself the time to learn the craft. It's easy to put too much pressure on yourself to do it quickly. The best thing about Skip Barber is the professional support and feedback you get at every event. Seat time is everything, good coaching is everything, treasuring the journey is everything. Good Luck!

[Andor]

thanks dalyduo! def. helped! now the racing equipment i would purchase lets so for the SBRS, would i be able to use that gear in a karting series? and would i need to purchase a kart myself in order to be in a karting series or is it like the SBRS, where the karts are provided for u?

[dalyduo]

The answer to your first question is yes. You can certainly use your auto racing gear when you race karts. (You'll also want a good rib protector that will only be used when karting.) The answer to your second question is that depends on what kind of karting you're doing. I race amatuer arrive and drive karts which, depending on how the karts are maintained and how the facility is run can be a good workout and very competitive. There are more competitive series and more powerful karts that you would need to buy and maintain yourself or pay someone else to maintain. Perhaps someone who lives in Florida could give a better perspective on the karting scene down there.

BTW... You can use the Skip Barber helmets and uniforms for your first few race weekends if you need to but you will want your own equipment sooner rather than later if you're seriousl about racing for fit, quality and safety reasons. If you use the Skip Barber helmets and suits you'll need Nomex underwear, socks, balaclava, gloves and shoes. But if you go that way you won't have a helmet or suit for kart racing and unless the karting facility provides or rents them you won't have what you need.

Originally Posted by Andor

thanks dalyduo! def. helped! now the racing equipment i would purchase lets so for the SBRS, would i be able to use that gear in a karting series? and would i need to purchase a kart myself in order to be in a karting series or is it like the SBRS, where the karts are provided for u?

[Andor]

Originally Posted by dalyduo

The answer to your first question is yes. You can certainly use your auto racing gear when you race karts. (You'll also want a good rib protector that will only be used when karting.) The answer to your second question is that depends on what kind of karting you're doing. I race amatuer arrive and drive karts which, depending on how the karts are maintained and how the facility is run can be a good workout and very competitive. There are more competitive series and more powerful karts that you would need to buy and maintain yourself or pay someone else to maintain. Perhaps someone who lives in Florida could give a better perspective on the karting scene down there.

Thanks, i'm definitely going to look into this. My 1st priority right now is going to be the advanced 2-day racing. But i know there is a good track, PBIR (Moroso), which i'm going to look into. I know they have arrive and drive events basically 3 times a week but idk if i can enter my self into any racing events w/o my own kart but the best way to find out is to call them and ask. Thanks for the fast replies.

[Slowhands]

Andor--

Welcome! It is great to have another passionate racer join our community! DD has answered most of your questions, but there are a couple that I thought I would put in my $.02.

1) Being as familiar as possible with the track for your first event is important IMO, because all of a sudden you are now running nose-to-tail and side-by-side with bunches of cars, and you suddenly realize you have a lot more to manage beyond what you have practiced. Your sight pictures change dramatically especially for the first few laps as cars obscure your vision of the corner, and your eyes are darting in new and unfamiliar directions as you try to keep track of where everybody around you is as you yourself enter the braking zone of a corner and now have to make new kinds of decisions on inputs and car placement. On top of that, you will likely be side-by-side in corners and therefore off the proper line that you have practiced so hard to become consistent with. One option is to enter an ADV2 that is being immediately followed by a race weekend at the same track. That way you get great instruction on the "proper" line and get to run lots of laps immediately before the race weekend, the information and muscle memory are fresh.

2) Running a computer sim game is a great way to visually prepare for a track. I tried Rob's iRacing setup a few months ago, and IMO that is the closest visually to being in a real Skippy car at a real track. Much closer to the real experience than the X-Box/PS alternatives. Check out iRacing, it has a real Skippy car and I think all of the tracks Skip runs.

3) The G-Force GF 545 is the best bang for the buck in a bonafide auto racing suit. ( http://www.gforce.com/products/suits/4545.php ) Despite being less than $500, it uses the newest materials so it is very light and comfortable, combined with underwear gives you 3-layer protection. It is not designed by the Italians, so the cut is functional but not particularly stylish, but then you're not going to be picking up babes at a Skip event. Well, YOU might, but all you really need to do is hang around your race car as much as possible when said feminine target is in the vicinity, since that seems to have plenty of impress value at your age.

[Andor]

Originally Posted by Slowhands

Andor--

Welcome! It is great to have another passionate racer join our community! DD has answered most of your questions, but there are a couple that I thought I would put in my $.02.

1) Being as familiar as possible with the track for your first event is important IMO, because all of a sudden you are now running nose-to-tail and side-by-side with bunches of cars, and you suddenly realize you have a lot more to manage beyond what you have practiced. Your sight pictures change dramatically especially for the first few laps as cars obscure your vision of the corner, and your eyes are darting in new and unfamiliar directions as you try to keep track of where everybody around you is as you yourself enter the braking zone of a corner and now have to make new kinds of decisions on inputs and car placement. On top of that, you will likely be side-by-side in corners and therefore off the proper line that you have practiced so hard to become consistent with. One option is to enter an ADV2 that is being immediately followed by a race weekend at the same track. That way you get great instruction on the "proper" line and get to run lots of laps immediately before the race weekend, the information and muscle memory are fresh.

2) Running a computer sim game is a great way to visually prepare for a track. I tried Rob's iRacing setup a few months ago, and IMO that is the closest visually to being in a real Skippy car at a real track. Much closer to the real experience than the X-Box/PS alternatives. Check out iRacing, it has a real Skippy car and I think all of the tracks Skip runs.

3) The G-Force GF 545 is the best bang for the buck in a bonafide auto racing suit. ( http://www.gforce.com/products/suits/4545.php ) Despite being less than $500, it uses the newest materials so it is very light and comfortable, combined with underwear gives you 3-layer protection. It is not designed by the Italians, so the cut is functional but not particularly stylish, but then you're not going to be picking up babes at a Skip event. Well, YOU might, but all you really need to do is hang around your race car as much as possible when said feminine target is in the vicinity, since that seems to have plenty of impress value at your age.

thanks for the good advice. I tried doing the iRacing but unfortunately, i have a mac and iRacing is only for Windows....
And that def. makes the most logic to do a ADV2 than practice than race as close as possible. From racing in motocross and being forced to take different and uncomfortable line through turns and braking areas, i'm def aware of it that it'll happen during a race but happening at a track i'm most familiar with will def. be less dramatic than one i wasn't familiar with. And the G-Force suit def. Looks like what i was looking for!