Who wouldn’t want to be the next Jack Brabham or win one Grand Prix after another like Daniel Ricciardo? The life of a race car driver is glamorous, they make a lot of money so no wonder many young Australians dream of following in their footsteps. When you look at a race that is over in minutes you might be tempted to believe it’s an easy life, but becoming a race car driver takes more than having a passion for fast cars. You need a lot of determination, an athletic condition, a healthy living style and a clean record.
How To Become A Race Car Driver?
For some, the dream of a career in the world of Formula One starts when a kid joins a local kart club. Children as young as 7 or 8 don their helmets and do lapses in their little karts while seeing themselves behind the wheels of one of those cars you only see in the live broadcasts from the Italian Grand Prix.
However, to become a race car driver you need to practice sports and train regularly from an early age so that when you’re old enough to drive a real car you are in perfect physical condition.
A Formula One driver must be able to handle massive G-forces and temperatures over 60 degrees Celsius in the cabin, while keeping their eyes on the track and a steady hand on the wheel.
Many join a race club in their teens or at least in their early 20s, but to be accepted you need to be in excellent physical condition and work very hard to stay in shape.
The Importance Of Having A Clean Record
To make it into a racing team at any level an aspiring champion will come under intense scrutiny. Team managers and coaches need to know the prospective driver has what it takes to succeed in this field. It’s not a question of ‘want to’ but of ‘can do’.
One of the things race club managers are certain to look at is the newbie’s police record and this is a step you cannot refuse. All that a race club manager has to do is log in to the website of a local police station or an accredited agency and upload your information to get a full background check listing all the offences on your record, if any. Some minor offences, like a juvenile misdemeanor charge from your high school years might have already been erased from your record under the Spent Convictions scheme. Other similar less serious charges might get overlooked. However, if you have drunk driving offences on your record, most race club managers will probably pass on your application. The risks are too high. At this level an accident can be lethal and they’d find themselves drawn into a major public scandal for accepting a driver with a drinking problem. On the other hand, race cars are expensive and a driver with a penchant for alcohol cannot be trusted to handle a car that might be worth millions of dollars.
Check Your Own Record
If you’re thinking about joining a race club and don’t know what sort of offences might still be on your record, you can access the following website link: https://www.australiannationalcharactercheck.com.au/Police-Check-Application.html and perform a police check on yourself and see how it looks. If you have a spotless record, good for you! Put the certificate in your file and present it together with your application to improve your chances. Good luck!