Work Your First Motorsport Event

 Work your first motorsport event

If you love motorsport and want to work in the industry this article will set you up for success and show you how to get trackside as fast as possible.

What this article will cover:

• Is motorsport the right industry for you?
• How to find, apply & work your first motorsport event.
• What roles you can fill at motorsport events.
• How to build your motorsport network.
• How to build your career in motorsport.

Is Motorsport the Right Industry for You?

To decide if the motorsport industry is right for you, this article will go through 5 pros & 5 Cons. While reading these pros & cons, write them down & tick whatever tickles your ears for comparison in the end.

Pros:

• You'll work at the racetrack.
• You'll work with  teams & drivers.
• You'll get to be part of some of the greatest motorsport moments in history.
• There's a lot of travel.
• It's a fun industry to be a part of.

Cons:

• It's long periods away from home and your family and friends.
• It's long hours. events roughly start at 7am, sign on could be at 5am. you will be first in and last out.
• You'll work weekends. Most motorsport event are Friday to Sunday.
• It's a hard industry to crack into, very popular. There's a lot of people applying for one job.
• Because a majority wants to work in motorsport, early on the entry level roles don't pay particularly well. It's a bit of short-term pain long-term gain.

If you have more ticks on one side compared to the other. For example if your pros override your cons then the motorsport industry is probably a good choice for you!

Find a Motorsport Event to Work At

There are so many motorsport events around the world. The first way is major sports events:

• Formula One Grand Prix's
• NASCAR Races
• Supercar Races
• GT Races
• Formula E Races
• Rallies
• And even the indianapolis 500

All major events like these scale up staff as their events approaches and represents an opportunity for you to volunteer at, just for fun or to build up your sports industry work experience to help you begin your career in motorsport.

How to find these opportunities?

While reading this article take the time to find a motorsport event you can work at and sign up to volunteer now! This is your chance to work at a motorsport event and:

• See how it works.
• Is this something you actually like?
• You'll see how the event unfolds, the schedule, the on-track activities and the off-track activities.
• And you'll be exposed to so many new contacts in the industry.

Roles You Can Fill at Motorsport Events

In the world of motorsport there is a "Race Official" usuaally related to being "on-Track". Most of the time you need to be accredited by your countries governing body and hold an "officials license" to fill a role like this.

The second type of official is an "Event Official" also known as a Volunteer. These roles are more event specific and don't require official accreditation. 

Build Your Motorsport Network

Motorsport has a certain reputation for nepotism. And it's true - often, it's not about what you know, but who you know. But you don't need to have a wealthy parent or have generationsof motorsport legacy behind your family name to succeed. Building beneficial relationships is the best way to ensure a  successful career in motorsport and networking is crucial when it comes to expanding your commercial connections.

Social media is now one of the most powerful tools you can use for networking. LinkedIn, Instagram, facebook and even TikTok can be a great way to connect with businesses and individuals who can benefit your career.

Build Your Career in Motorsport

Chances are you are working in a completely different industry right now looking to break into motorsport. Most businesses would prefer to employ an expert in their field, with a proven track record with a healthy interest in motorsport. Industry specific knowledge can be learnt either on the job or industry designed qualifications.

What searches do you put into Google when you are job hunting? Jobs in motorsport management won’t just appear because you type in ‘jobs in motorsport management’! There are thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of jobs in motorsport management which won’t even contain the words ‘motorsport’ or ‘race team’ and ‘racing’. So, where do you start if you’re looking for motorsport jobs?

To start with, look at your local area as unless you’re at a career level where you’d consider relocating, you’ll want to limit your commute. Look for automotive businesses, local racetracks, race teams, manufacturers, look at sponsors of race teams.

Also look at specialist recruiters in the industry. Racestaff are one of the best in the business and have been going longer than any other motorsport jobs board.

Your expectations are key to finding and securing a job in motorsport management. We’re not saying you’ll never make it to the big leagues but be careful to pace yourself and be realistic! Starting at the bottom can be a big boot to your ego if you’re already working in management in a different industry so weigh up how much it really means to you and whether sacrificing for a pay cut and lesser job title are worth it for the bigger picture.

Look at smaller teams or manufacturers where you can cut your teeth in the industry.