NOLA Motorsports Contacts?

[Quickdraw22]

I've been doing Commercial Telecom sales for a while now, and although the money is good, my passion is still in the racing/automotive field. I figure NOLA or MSR would be my best options for a job that I'm looking for.

Before I go off chasing a dream, does anyone on here know anyone at the NO track? I've searched high and low, and only found a few random names, but no titles to match them with.

All help would be greatly appreciated - feel free to PM if needed.

-Dave

 

[jdessell]

Nice place.

 

[Request Dust Off]

Job as what?

Regarding NOLA. Call them on the phone. Email them. They suck at communications. Maybe that is an indication of why you might not want to work there. The "culture" there seems a bit messed up. Individually I like the people there. There seems to be some Issues @ NOLA.

No Problem Raceway ??

What I did was educate myself on racing, driving, chassis setup and other aspects of auto racing. I never worked as a pro. I ended up as crew chief for a group of guys. My deal was I would not make a dime but would not spend dime. I didn't pay to travel or room. I paid my own meals. (I also bought lunch on one day as a smart move) I had a pit scooter for my use. I ran the 'team' at the races. All of this was based on me proving myself in an incremental fashion. Guys don't invite someone they don't know to do this.
It was a lot of just being the one person responsible for all the task done over the weekend. It involved everything from driver coaching to air and fuel tanks being filled. I would even be involved in making calls on when to pit or what the weather might do. Once when the weather was iffy I decided to put the rain setup on the rear and the dry setup on the front so we only had to change half the setup once we made final decision. Another time I decided how long to keep a driver out on slicks before coming in for rains and it happened to work out. I would always air up the tires on the cars at night before leaving and refill the air tank. Same with fuel. A lot was just time management. I would learn anything I could about every aspect.

Now I am doing similar for karting after being away for many years. I am rusty and karts ain't cars. I run a 2 kart team and assist with a 2 kart team. Again It takes time to get to know people, build trust and prove yourself. I am going out Sunday to help some friends.

So for me it was not a career but a way to do it on the cheap. But I treated it like a college education or a profession. My advice is get a real day job and pursue it as a hobby or part time gig. You really need to look at yourself objectively from the outside. What do you bring to the table? You may have to volunteer to get a foot in the door.

Read anything you can get from Carrol Smith.

 

[RedStickChick]

My brother works there. Or did work there. What do you need to know exactly? I can try and find some stuff out for you.

 

[Quickdraw22]

Job as what?

Advertising/Marketing/Sales/General Bitch/Anything

My current job in sales was as raw of a deal as one could get, which I think has prepared me for most situations in a professional setting. No "real" training program - I was literally thrown out in the field, and expected to sell to companies who had never heard of us. It sucked.

My father and I started our ground up MG build when I was 12 or so, and it's never really slowed down since then. I worked as a mechanic through highschool/college, but promised myself I wouldn't turn a wrench for a check after graduation - the job takes an unbelievable toll on your body. Since then, I've rebuilt a handful of cars for race/street use, but nothing too major. I also spent 5 years in Engineering - if that even matters.

Either way, my mechanical background is immense, and I truly enjoy perfecting the art of driving. I figured working at a track would really give me some "fresh air" - since I've been getting increasingly bored with my surroundings lately...

 

[Request Dust Off]

"the job takes an unbelievable toll on your body" It does. That is one reason I do it for fun and not a full time thing. I am starting to see the problems older mechanics have. On a karting day you can easily need to lift a kart 10-20 times. You are also outside not in a shop. I can't get under a dash anymore, I might if I would try. Mentally I feel I can't & don't want to. Now I don't want to challenge my body past a certain point much less punish it.

A lot of what I do now is not at all glamorous. I spend a lot of time cleaning. But you figure out what works and what doesn't. It is a balance between rust and dirt. Drilling fasteners is fun too and I am being sarcastic. A lot if it is mundane task that are necessary evil. As I get older the newness wears off quicker. I made one tool already for our new program. I have another idea to make getting the karts turned around between track days.

Engineering would be a plus. Any problem solving, project management, priority & goal setting are all skills that crossover to other fields. What would look good on a resume is always a consideration and I have been at my current job for 38 years as a minimum. I have done some work on the side too.

Most people I know from racing were successful outside of racing and can afford it.

Now "Advertising/Marketing/Sales/General Bitch/Anything" You could always start with a team as a volunteer and help them work on sponsorship. Then as you prove yourself you can progressively charge more.

This year we are ramping up our efforts as a team in the technology aspects and next year I may pursue some sponsorships. But first we need to be able to present a 'Quality Product'. Again I need to see ourselves as an outsider would. People skills can go a long way too.