When you're a little kid, you want to have a cool job when you grow up. Maybe an astronaut, or a rock star, or a professional athlete. Or, you could want to be a racecar driver. Say you want to become a racecar driver. Your friend also wants to become an athlete, but he prefers playing football. Your friend already knows what to do to accomplish his goal. He'll start playing in high school or before, and try to get onto a college team. If he is good enough in college, then a scout from a pro team may hire him. Your career path is not as simple. Where does one begin to become a professional driver? The first step is commonly known. If you are too young to drive, then you must begin in go-karts. Find a local track, and go to a race. People there can offer you advice on where to begin. If you are at least 16, although some exceptions are made for younger drivers with karting experience, you can club race cars. A great place to start club racing is with the Sports Car Club of America. On their website, they have instructions on where to start for a new racer. Club racing can be very competitive and fun, but it is not the same as being paid millions to travel the world racing as a pro. Making that transition is the hardest thing to do in racing. Where do you begin, now that you have some experience? Until recently, there was no definitive answer. Now, there are a few ladder systems in place to train new drivers. The ladder system that is gaining a lot of publicity, and is the one that I am attempting to enter, is the Mazda Road to Indy. It is a ladder system of many race series that a driver can move up through, eventually ending at the IndyCar series. It all starts at Skip Barber Racing School. With a ladder system like this in place, you can at least have some direction in which to go with your career. How would you try to get a job if you do not enter a ladder system like the Road to Indy?
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