The need for speed can be met with a career in racing.
Race car driving, whether working a local scene, driving in Nascar or touring several continents in international competition, is a career that demands dedication and sacrifice. While some mechanical and engineering knowledge is useful as a race car driver, most of what you need to know will be learned on the track. For those less interested in driving and more interested in the technical angle, there are jobs on a race team or in the shop.
Driving
Race car drivers need to be quick-thinking, knowledgeable about cars' performance in certain weather and experienced in the kind of driving unique to high speeds and racetracks. There are three main types of racing in the United States: stock car, drag and open wheel. A driver can gain experience in these types of racing through a series of apprenticeships with race car teams or by attending a formal driving school with high performance cars and tracks for you to practice on, such as the Bondurant High Performance School, the Skip Barber Racing School or the Bertil Roos Racing School. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is not able to compile salaries for race car drivers because they are part of the "spectator sports" designation. However, earnings for race car drivers can vary widely, with some drivers barely or not at all covering their costs, while others win million-dollar purses and sign on to endorse products.
Pit Crew
For those who don't want to drive the car or who need experience around the track before driving, a position on the pit crew might be the answer. Pit crews are responsible for caring for a race car's mechanical needs during each pit stop the driver takes. Since time at a pit stop is time lost for the driver, workers in the pit crew must be speedy, agile and strong to perform their duties as quickly as possible. Pit crew members repair car problems, and refuel and change tires before and during a race, so they must have a good mechanical knowledge of the race car. As with race car drivers, salaries for the pit crew vary widely and are usually a percentage of the driver's winnings.
Shop Workers
Each race car begins and ends in the shop, where a skilled team of mechanics, fabricators, painters and others prepare cars for races. Show workers might build a race car from the ground up or might modify a stock car for the needs of high speed and racing tracks. Mechanics and other auto body courses at community and technical colleges prepare workers for the demands of a race car shop. Shop workers are the most likely to have a steady wage, with the U.S. Department of Labor average in May 2008 for automotive body and related repairers coming in at $54,750; machinists average $45,060 and painters $52,870.
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