There are many exciting careers in racing, but it’s not for everyone.  Long hours, endless travel, and hard work and great sacrifice don’t guarantee success. But with the challenges are great rewards. Here are some typical careers in racing.

Driver

Racecar drivers typically start out driving karts; some start as young as five-years-old. Karting is a fast growing sport in the US and Europe and it's a cost-effective entry-level option for aspiring drivers. There are Karting schools, and race schools for cars, such as the Skip Barber Racing School.

But driving is only part of the equation. Racecars and racing are technical and drivers must have a good understanding of mechanical engineering and aerodynamics to calculate how the car’s settings, or changes in driving style affect handling on the track. And racing is a big business, involving partners, contracts, and money, so racers must have a good understanding of business.

Drivers can earn anything from a small share of the prize money (hence the T-Shirt "will race for food") to millions of dollars a year.

Race Engineer

The race engineer is responsible for making the car/driver combination as fast as possible. He or she creates a "setup sheet" for the team, which tells the mechanics exactly how to tune the car for each session or track. The setup sheet would specify, for example, the spring rates, shock settings, gearing, ride height, wing angles, and more. A racecar is highly adjustable - there are over a billion combinations of settings and they are all inter-related. It is both an art and a science to get these settings right. An engineer is also a key partner to the driver, and needs good interpersonal skills to get the most out of his partner.

Most engineers have a background in ME, but increasingly, they have technology degrees in CE or CS. Some were even English majors. Race engineers can make from $75,000-300,000 a year.

DAG

The DAG, or Data Access Geek, is responsible for all the software and hardware that records the instrumentation on the car. For example, a Champ Car can have well over 100 sensors recording everything from the movement of the wheels, to the airspeed of the car, to the force applied to the steering wheel. These sensors are connected via a “loom” to the logging computer and to a telemetry modem. The DAG installs, calibrates, and maintains the sensor network. The DAG is also responsible for analyzing the downloaded data and providing reports to the engineer and driver.

Most DAGs have a background in EE, CS, or CE and can make from $50,000 - $100,000 a year.

Software Engineer

In the early days of racing, testing involved building a new part, installing it on the car, and evaluating its performance. With the stakes higher than ever, and the increasing power of technology, more parts are tested before they are ever installed, some even before they are manufactured! Sophisticated simulation programs help engineers optimize the suspension geometry, aerodynamic performance, shock absorber damping forces, and the spring stiffness rates before the car turns a wheel on the racetrack. And with the increasing emphasis on race tactics - fuel management, tire wear management, and pit stop strategy - teams have developed software applications that allow faster, better decisions, made right at trackside. These applications are the domain of the software engineer, who must write powerful applications quickly, and continually improve them according to their success and failure in the race. It's similar to any software development job, but it happens much more quickly!

Typical racing software engineers have a CS or CE degree and can make $50,000 - $100,000 a year.

Team Manager

The Team Manager does just what you would expect: they run the team, which numbers from 15-75 people, both at home and on the road. That means hiring and firing the crew members, and making sure all the departments have systems and tools they need to get their job done. The Team Manager is the hub of communications in the team, and will work with suppliers, sponsors, team owners, and staff. Leadership and good organization are a must - running a racing team would be difficult even if it stayed in one place all year, and it most certainly does not!

Team managers can have virtually any formal background, although a solid understanding of business and technology are a good start. Team managers can make anywhere from $75,000 - $175,000 a year.

Press Relations

Racing is about competition but it is also a form of entertainment. Teams represent their sponsors and need to show the sponsors’ products and services in the best possible light. Press Relations has the job of promoting the team and driver in the press, arranging events to highlight the team, and handling all communications with the media. There are also PR roles for the sponsors, for the series, and for the drivers themselves.

PR representatives are often journalism or communications majors, and can make anywhere from $35,000 to $100,000 a year.

Business Development

It takes a huge amount of resources to field a race team: lots of smart people, expensive equipment, and travel. And that means lots of money - as much as $5-10 million dollars a year for each car.   Locating and retaining partners or sponsors to fund the team's efforts is the job of the Business Development team. . In exchange for sponsorship dollars, sponsors receive TV exposure, print and online press coverage, event marketing opportunities, product endorsements, and driver appearances. Often, these arrangements involve multiple partners, and sometimes sponsorships are contingent on a minimum performance level by the team or driver. The top drivers and teams can make upwards of $30 million dollars a year in endorsements and merchandising.

Business Development team members often have business or management degrees and enjoy sales. They can make $50,000 - $125,000 a year, or be commissioned on their “sales.”

Race Mechanic

The race mechanic’s job is one of the toughest around. The mechanic is often the first on the job (at 5:00 or 6:00 a.m.) and the last to leave (sometimes after midnight), the mechanics take care of their team’s racecars the way flight crews take care of fighter jets. And like fighter jets, each hour on the track may require hundreds of hours of preparation and maintenance. It takes a whole team to win a race but a single mis-tightened bolt can lose a race…or worse.

Race mechanics can make $35,000 - $75,000 a year.