Start your engines: 10 tips on how to become a NASCAR driver

Ready to tear up the track, hear the roar of the crowd, see your name in lights and your face tattooed on strangers, get champagne sprayed all over you, and rack up the big bucks?

You've got a little bit of work ahead of you. And by a little, I mean a lot.

Racing professionally in the highly competitive world of NASCAR requires a great deal of hard work, practice, truckloads of money, physical training, mental focus and driving know-how, plus some good old-fashioned networking. And there's more than one way to break into the sport. But, short of being a bootlegger in the 1930s or actor-turned-ARCA-driver Frankie Muniz, these are the most common ways to become a professional driver.

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Go-Karts: Get behind a wheel as early as possible

Many professional drivers started when they were children, driving go-karts and getting a taste for speed. Karting helps you start learning the skills you'll need to control a fast-moving vehicle as well as getting you used to tracks and the racing community. Starting young also makes it easier to get into and stay in lean racing shape.

Check with your local tracks and see what's available. Many offer youth racing. Enter karting competitions from local to international to get practice and, just as important, notoriety. Many pro drivers were scouted while they were teenage karters (looking at you, F1 racer Lewis Hamilton).

Perhaps most importantly, you'll get an idea pretty quickly if you want to devote your life to this.

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Schmoozing: Make connections in the racing world

You're not likely to chat up Jack Roush at the karting track, but some people may know other people and the more connections you can make the better. The world of motorsports is a close-knit family and the friends you make may help you later on. Word-of-mouth and who-knows-who counts for a lot in racing. (Also, life.)

You can try talking to professionals at the big tracks. Get a pit pass, where available, and (politely) hang around. Don't be annoying, and don't expect the crew or especially the driver to drop everything to tell you their secrets, they've got stuff to do. But you can get a feel for the flow of a race day and you might pick up some tips. Daytona International Speedway made that easier with the FanZone, which allows you to peek into the garages and sometimes talk to drivers and crewmembers.

Drivers often have meet-and-greets before race days and you may be able to get in some questions. And pretty much all the drivers and teams have social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and more where you can try asking questions or finding useful advice.

Be polite and respectful, enthusiastic and passionate about the sport. The more people who know and respect you, the more chances for getting scouted for teams and sponsorships.

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Play video games. No, really.

It's not "real" racin', but racing simulators have gotten incredibly realistic and can help you develop eye-hand skills and fast reflexes. You might even jump from the virtual world onto the asphalt like NASCAR driver William Byron did, which came in handy when NASCAR moved to a simulator iRacing exhibition series while the COVID pandemic kept everyone away from the tracks.

You might even pick up some moves. Ross Chastain used an eye-popping video-game-inspired idea at Martinsville last year when he deliberately smacked into the wall and took his hands off the wheel on the last lap, whipping past the other drivers on the way to the finish line. But don't try this at home.

Get in (and under) a real car and practice, practice, practice

Karts are fun, and with luck you have some awards to show off, but at some point you'll need to get some miles on a track in a real car. Hone your skills whenever you can and enter amateur racing competitions to get the experience and start building your resume.

It also doesn't hurt to pop the hood and get in there. You don't need to be a mechanic to be a driver, but it does help you to have a good knowledge of how your vehicle works, how tuning and tires and everything in between affects your speed, and the best ways to get the most out of your equipment.

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Head back to school

Why not learn from people who already know how? There are lots of racing schools in the U.S. to help teach you the basics of wrestling 3,300 pounds of hot metal around a racetrack, with prices starting in the hundreds and going up depending on the length of the course. The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) offers regional driver schools around the country. You'll get training, more track experience, more connections and more items for your resume.

And this shouldn't need to be said, but watch races, as many as you can, in person and on TV/online.

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Get the NASCAR experience on a real course

Many speedways offer packages that let you drive a real racecar on the big course, either on your own or following a pace car.

The NASCAR Racing Experience at Daytona International Speedway offers timed racing sessions on multiple course layouts, by yourself or as a passenger. It'll cost you and it's only available on certain dates but you'll be driving the same course as the Daytona 500 drivers and what's better than that?

Get your hands dirty: Volunteer for local drivers, teams and tracks

Want some experience in the pit? Offer to help drivers near you. You may (definitely will) start off with the gruntwork but you can get some hands-on experience. Check with local teams or tracks to see if they have volunteer programs or training.

Some tracks, teams and organizations, including NASCAR, offer internships. NASCAR also has a diversity internship program.

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Cash money: Find some sponsors

Professional racing ain't cheap. For that matter, amateur racing ain't cheap. Even aside from the vehicle — professional race cars can run between $200,000 and $400,00 — you need protective gear, equipment, tools, a crew, trailers, car inspection fees, backup car inspection fees, entry fees, post-entry fees if you register late, insurance premiums, and the competition license you'll need just to get started. It can cost millions to get a driver ready to race.

Unless you have money already (see below), you'll want to get sponsored. To do that, you have to look profitable. Have you won any races? Are you a proven success? Are you personable and reliable? Do you have a strong social media following? Do you have a good story? Do you have plans to get fans engaged and get your prospective sponsor's logo in front of them? Will anyone vouch for you? Start up your social media accounts and a website and brag about your wins. Spread the word.

Sponsors want to know they'll make more money off you than they'll give you, like any other business, and this is where all that amateur racing and networking will pay off. Hopefully.

Try approaching smaller companies and pitching yourself to them. Keep doing it, but don't expect to get all your bills paid by one company (although it's nice when you can get it). Sponsorships don't have to be money, either, if they can hook you up with free products you need.

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Have the right last name

No, you don't have to be named Petty, Busch, Waltrip, Baker, Bodine, Allison, Wallace or Earnhardt to be a great racecar driver.

But it does seem to help. Genetics aside, relatives in the racing world are a great way to get a head start yourself since it gets you an immediate "in" to the racing world, and a lot of life and racing experience and connections that someone outside the racing dynasties simply won't have. You still have to be a skilled racer yourself, though. A last name might get you noticed but it won't pull across the finish line.

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Be a famous actor or musician

This also isn't guaranteed; you still have to have the passion and a lot of skill, or at least potential skill.

But being famous opens a lot of doors and tends to bring disposable income for expensive hobbies, and owners, drivers and teams may be more open to accommodating someone they can post selfies with on Instagram.

Steve McQueen, James Dean and Paul Walker all loved competing in fast cars. Jackie Cooper was known for his love of Austin-Healey cars, Eric Bana raced Porsches, Adam Carolla moved from Toyotas to Corvettes and Rowan Atkinson has raced practically everything.

Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason has competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans multiple times. Lorenzo Lamas, Gene Hackman, Craig T. Nelson, Patrick Dempsey, Tim Allen and AC/DC's Brian Johnson all have raced at Daytona.

James Garner once fielded a team (and was inducted into the Off-Road Racing Hall of Fame) and comedian Dick Smothers drove in the 1969 race.

The most famous is arguably Paul Newman, who worked his way up the ranks to compete at a professional level and formed his own highly successful IndyCar team, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. Newman also competed in endurance races and won the Rolex 24 GT Class in 1995 at the tender age of 70, co-driving a Jack Roush Mustang with Mark Martin, who was Roush’s top NASCAR driver.

In January, two-time Golden Globe nominee and former Emmy nominee Frankie Muniz ("Malcolm in the Middle") announced that he will drive the No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford Mustang full-time this season in the ARCA Menards Series. Muniz has raced before, competing in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship from 2007-2009 before breaking his back in a crash. He previously drove the pace car for the 2001 Daytona 500, and took part in ARCA testing at Daytona last year.

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How do you become a famous actor or musician in the first place? That's a different list.

C. A. Bridges is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network, working with multiple newsrooms across Florida. Local journalists work hard to keep you informed about the things you care about, and you can support them by subscribing to your local news organization. Read more articles by Chris here and follow him on Twitter at @cabridges

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: How to become a NASCAR driver: 10 tips to get started behind the wheel