If you are interested in Alfa Romeo Motorsport, the chances are you have either thought about taking an Alfa out for a spin on a circuit or wanted to actually get out on the grid. But where do you begin?

If your only desire at the moment is to take your road-going Alfa out onto a proper circuit where you can push it beyond normal road limits, contact ARCA for information on Track Days. To do this you will not need a competition licence or to make any expensive modifications to your car.

You may have raced before some years ago but you want to get started again. Why don't you contact ARCA to discuss your options. Maybe a track day to get back into the swing of it or hiring a race car from one of the companies that offers Alfa Championship cars to hire would be good options.

Finally, maybe you have never race before and the though of it all seems a bit overwhelming. Well don't worry, there are lots of ARCA members who will be able to offer you help and advice to get you started.

Here is a brief guide to how to go about racing for the first time :

Before you even get onto a circuit (apart from track day events) you will need to get yourself an MSA National B grade license. You may require some tuition to get you through this. This is what you need to do:

The Novice Race Drivers Scheme

Novice racing drivers will be obliged to undergo a half days training at one of the Association of Racing Drivers’ Schools (ARDS), before they can obtain a National B Licence.

Any one who does not possess a Race Licence must first apply to the MSA for a "Go Racing" Pack. The pack contains – among other information – a "Competitors Yearbook", a VHS video and a novice application form.

Currently the "Go Racing" Starter Pack costs £46.

Once you have your pack and you have studied your Yearbook (you will hear this referred to as "the blue book") you will need to arrange to have a medical examination. This can be done by your GP and is similar to a life assurance examination. The form for your GP to fill in is included in your pack from the MSA. Unless you have a very sympathetic, motorsport loving doctor, you will have to pay for this examination.

Once you have completed this you must decide at which ARDS racing school you would like to take your test. If your standard of driving is competent and safe you should get through this without too much trouble.

Before you go much further into motor sport, please give some thought to the cost aspect of racing. Even basic club level competition can average out at over £500 per race. Unless you are well funded, take some time to think over the implications of such a financial commitment. You will be disappointed if you run out of cash half way through a season - especially if you are making good progress and getting results.

When taking costs into account please be aware of the ever changing requirements for safety equiptment. Even if you have raced recently there is a good chance that some of your personal safety equiptment will be out of date and will not pass scruitineering.

Finally, as well obtaining your licence and joining ARCA you need to be a racing member of the BRSCC in order to race in the Alfa Romeo Championship

A final word on this. Your MSA licence is valid for the calendar year for which it is issued and will expire on 31st December. Your BRSCC membership is valid for twelve months from when you join - so there is no need to join until it is close to your first race.

For general circuit testing (not track days) you only need to have an RAC MSA competition licence.

For links to the MSA and the BRSCC web sites visit our Racing Links page.