Expert: Dan Liddy - 4/6/2011

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I would really appreciate your honest answer to my question. I am a 24 yr old Automobile Engineer From India. Its since a year i have completed my graduation. I also hold a good experience in Automobile Service Industry. But that is not the area i want to land up. I am looking forward for a career in racing as an engineer. So can u please guide me how can i get into racings.

ANSWER: I believe it would be best if you were to move to England, Germany, Italy , or the USA and to a city which is home to several racing teams.  Even then it is terribly difficult to get hired on, and many of the employees started by sweeping the shops, and cleaning the toilets before moving to more responsible positions.

In NASCAR stock car racing , the home town seems to be Mooresville, North Carolina,(USA).  For the Indy Racing League it's  Indianapolis Indiana.  Formula One is mostly based somewhere in England, and of course other series will be found in other European countries like Germany. Once you determine what series you are interested in, you can decide on a location. Do the research, find the racing companies, and start sending resumes. Understand though, that for one job, there could be hundreds , even thousands of applicants, and only the very best get hired. So you should be prepared for a long  uphill battle.

I wish you luck

Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida , USA    

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank You Dan for your guideline and thorough suggestion. But do you think it is worth waiting for the response through online application. I mean is there any kind of possibilities that i could end up through online applications.

Answer
I have no idea. Hiring practices vary from company to company. Just finding a job in this economy is tough enough. Finding a job in racing has to be tougher. There are literally thousands of people that wish to work in racing and not so many positions available.

You should also know that almost universally, such jobs require long hours and hard work, beyond sitting at a desk.  Racing is hard, hot, dirty work and you have to really love the dirt and noise to survive.

Personal appearances at various facilities are much more effective than online applications, though you may get some responses. I just don't know. My abilities are mostly around the mechanical and fabricating areas.

Good luck.