44 replies to this topic

[Ernie Jr.]

Just turning 13 and got a copper SM. Can't wait to start racing in March at nasa's florida region.

[William Bonsell]

Just turned 13 and got a copper SM. Can't wait to start racing in Febuary or March in SCCA and NASA Florida regions. Used to race go karts so they will let me race.

Say what...13?...oh heaven help us! Just kidding, kid....if a sanctioning body will let you race with the grownups at 13...(I think I am going to bite my tongue here). Good luck!

[Nick Arenella]

Awesome dude. My kid's a year younger than you, but my first time on a track was in March. I'm sure you can kick my butt. Have fun, and be safe.

Nick

[dstevens]

Hmmmm, profile says 12, 13th birthday next month. SCCA has a hard limit of 15 years old. NASA has a wavier system and I don't see national giving a jr karter a novice license. In jr kart classes it tops out at 15-20 hp. Usually the racers that are waivered in are 15 or so from the sr kart clases. When a kid can win a championship in TaG Sr or a shifter class at either the FL Winter Tour or the SKUSA national tour or even national Sr Rotax they're ready for cars. They don't let you race a Legends until you're 12. You got a few more years in karts or Legends or quarter midgets. Color me skeptical...

Dave

[Jim Daniels - FIG]

You guys read up on your history. In NASA 13 can race and are. We worked on that about 4 years ago with Bobby Boulieu being the first. Tyler Vance was not far behind. Later, SCCA followed with the 15 (following NASA, humm.....).

http://forum.specmia...3956;p=0#000000

[dstevens]

In NASA 13 year olds are pretty rare. Most of them are around 15 or so. This kid though has some holes in his story. Profile says 12, not 13 yet but the post says just turned 13. Says he's going to race SCCA. Unless they change the rules that ain't gonna happen. I'm all for young kids going up but his one seems doesn't add up.

[TheFence]

Just wait until you can get a drivers license. You will have more respect, take the time until then and build a car that is well prepared. My $.02

[dmathias]

Makes the bicycle I got for my 13th birthday look like a booger.

[Personal opinion alert] Wait??? Wait for what? 'Someday' usually translates as 'never'.

[Qik Nip]

Just turned 13 and got a copper SM. Can't wait to start racing in Febuary or March in SCCA and NASA Florida regions. Used to race go karts so they will let me race.

Thirteen? Holy crap, I've got shoes older that that! Seriously, I wish I'd had the means to race something bigger than carts at such an early age. Good luck to you young man ... just as long as you're not staged in grid with me!
Rick

[Josh Chaney]

Just turned 13 and got a copper SM. Can't wait to start racing in Febuary or March in SCCA and NASA Florida regions. Used to race go karts so they will let me race.

I have a feeling that I know which car you bought. There was a copper one online for a while.

Welcome aboard! Wherever you get some seat time, good luck! I wish I had parents that supported my aspirations! lol

[Ernie Jr.]

Got it in Pompano Beach, Florida. And to those doubters of me racing i raced mini max for 6 years and NASA let me start and they gave me a liscence. But to get that i had to make a list of all my past racing events and top finishes i got. My fist event is March 12-13 at Homestead in HPDE 1.

[Ernie Jr.]

In NASA 13 year olds are pretty rare. Most of them are around 15 or so. This kid though has some holes in his story. Profile says 12, not 13 yet but the post says just turned 13. Says he's going to race SCCA. Unless they change the rules that ain't gonna happen. I'm all for young kids going up but his one seems doesn't add up.

Probably not scca but nasa just confirmed my first event march 12-13 2011 and i just turned 13 january 23 i got my safty equiptment such as hans helmet sfi suit sfi gloves and shoes

[Ernie Jr.]

You guys read up on your history. In NASA 13 can race and are. We worked on that about 4 years ago with Bobby Boulieu being the first. Tyler Vance was not far behind. Later, SCCA followed with the 15 (following NASA, humm.....).

http://forum.specmia...3956;p=0#000000

Thanks for sticking up with my story. I was pushed to do this when i went to my dads race in homestead ( he races a corvette zo6 gt2 race car) i saw my old go karting buddy in a green spec miata he won that race and beat john adamcheck correct my spelling and he was only 13. So i talked to the head nasa workers and said if i have a good amount of victorys and events i can race.

[Mtaylor]

It does sound a little crazy but, Nasa makes the kids go thru hpde 1 thru 4 just like everybody else. I run in Florida NASA SM and it is not easy to get thru hpde 4, It could take two years of track days for most. Now we have a 15 year old currently running with us who is a former carting champ. He made the 1-4, then got a chance to run in a race to see if he could do it. Well he is always in the top 5,and won a mazda teen ladder event, maybe even a spot ( NOT SURE). So you can doubt these kids can drive until one passes you. These kids had shifter kart when we schwinns with banana seats.

Welcome to Nasa Florida, our crew is very welcoming to new sm drivers and you will find a lot of help and direction.

Mitch

[dstevens]

HPDE is not racing. At 13 I'd either stay in karts or Legends (and kick ass) until 15-16 so you can race. If you are serious about racing going from racing karts to DE for a year or two is a step backwards. NASCAR will issue a provisional Charger license that will let you run Division 4 classes at 14 with little experience that will let you race and ASA will issue a provisional license at 14. I've seen a lot of kids come up over the years, Speed and Almendinger among them and I've never seen anyone go to cars to do DE. But have fun, it's cool to see your parents have the means to support you. You're fortunate to have that.

[Mtaylor]

We all know Hpde is not racing, but were can a starter get track time, instruction and get familar with his car, being on real race track for the cost of hpde. Many smer started in Hpde and NASA program is a good learning tool, short of going into a junior seriers ( which are not cheap) . As I said, we have a kid who went thru the program who will be a top star in the coming years.

[Ernie Jr.]

It does sound a little crazy but, Nasa makes the kids go thru hpde 1 thru 4 just like everybody else. I run in Florida NASA SM and it is not easy to get thru hpde 4, It could take two years of track days for most. Now we have a 15 year old currently running with us who is a former carting champ. He made the 1-4, then got a chance to run in a race to see if he could do it. Well he is always in the top 5,and won a mazda teen ladder event, maybe even a spot ( NOT SURE). So you can doubt these kids can drive until one passes you. These kids had shifter kart when we schwinns with banana seats.

Welcome to Nasa Florida, our crew is very welcoming to new sm drivers and you will find a lot of help and direction.

Mitch

Is the 15 year olds name micheal litares because i used to race gokarting with him he was in rotax jr. and i was in mini max.

[Mtaylor]

Yes, it is Mike, and he is doing really well in our seriers, I recall his first race was quite interesting.

I guess your dad is Ernie from BBP. Good guy, as a owner of 08 LS3 Vette I appreciate the stuff your dad brings to the events.

[dstevens]

I'm not out to harsh the brothers and sisters in DE. DE teaches you how to be The Stig. Racing teaches you how to be Ben Collins...

There will be another crop of fast teens coming up this year. SM is a great club series but I don't see too many coming up through the pro ranks via SM. Probably has more to do with visibility than anything. Thanks to one Anton Hulman George many opportunities for young'uns to road race have been replaced with future Ricky Bobbys. Hopefully folks like the Nard Dawg and Mazda can help turn that around.

[Ernie Jr.]

Yes, it is Mike, and he is doing really well in our seriers, I recall his first race was quite interesting.

I guess your dad is Ernie from BBP. Good guy, as a owner of 08 LS3 Vette I appreciate the stuff your dad brings to the events.

Yes my dad is ernie and he has the yellow zo6 racecar. My dad just tested my miata in december in a race.