SCCA is the best if you're considering to take it to a professional level and shoot for the stars. Right now, for me, that is a bit out of my price range. Visit:
http://www.nasaproracing.com/aboutnasa/

 

I've been autocross racing for many years and the first thing you'll need to do is join the Sports Car Club of America, or S.C.C.A. Below is the link -

http://www.scca.com/joinnow.aspx

S.C.C.A. members also enjoy special discounts from Sam's Club, to FTD florists, to car rental discounts and more -

http://www.scca.com/contentpage.aspx?content=81

This link will tell you all about the S.C.C.A. -

http://www.scca.com/contentpage.aspx?content=51


Now as to what you'll need to race, first you'll need a street legal car of course, (unless you enter the all out race car class), a proper Snell approved helmet, (not just any helmet will do). You can race any kind of car you want as there are many different classes. You'll only race against other cars like yours, in order to make it as fair as possible. With your car being modified, you'll be in the class with other modified cars, which means you'll be going up against experienced S.C.C.A. racers and get your butt handed to you! But don't get discouraged, because as you learn to drive better, you'll get better and more competitive.

The most important tip I can give you is to closely watch the most experienced S.C.C.A. drivers and emulate what they do. Talk to them, ask for help/tips and they'll be more than happy to help you out. Also, with stock air pressure settings, your car will handle like a slippery whale. Bump up the air pressures to about 40-45 psi and experiment with air pressures to find your vehicles best settings. Bring a tank of compressed air, so you don't drive on the street with overinflated tires, which could lead to punctures, wheel damage, premature wear, etc. If you're fortunate, you might have a gas station with an air pump very close to the race track you'll be racing at.

To experiment with the best air pressure settings, inflate your tires and then chalk the shoulders of the tires, so after a run you can see how much of the tire rolled over onto the shoulder/sidewall by how much chalk wore off or not. Ideally, you want enough air pressure in the tire so that it's not rolling over onto the shoulder/sidewall, providing maximum contact of the tread with the track, instead of rolling over on the sidewall. Correct tire air pressure settings can make a big difference, so be sure to bring a very accurate tire air pressure gauge with you. Of course, at the end of the race day, bleed off the race tire air pressure settings back down to the street driving settings.

There are many video's on YouTube about S.C.C.A. autocross racing. Here is a link to a bunch of them. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...search_type=&a

I hope this helps you out.

 

Auto crossing is hard to be out of you price range!? I just drive up to the local races, pay the 35$ for the sunday and run 6 to 8 times, and i spend more in gas and lunch than i do on the event! Its a fun time and my tips: Keep it in one gear hit first then leave it in second for the run. Try to left foot brake some, because on and off the gas on a drive by wire mustangs thats tuned and touchy can be difficult.

 

Shaun - Just show up to an event. Everywhere I've gone and raced, the local club has been extremely helpful to newcomers, and make an effort to have your first few races be fun and educational. Find your local club and their schedule, go to an event that works for you and show up a little early to register/get an idea of everything thats going on. It seems much more daunting than it actually is!

Prep the car:
No loose lug nuts
Battery tied down and positive terminal cover
nothing loose inside the car(trash, cd's etc)

HAVE FUN!!!!!!!!!!

 

Here is another site that might help you find a club or an event. Allot of clubs also use this site for pre-registering

 

Check and see if your local SCCA region or other local car clubs put on an instructional course as well... the SCCA in Chicago region has one every year & it was a great way to get started.

But either way, its cheap & not hard on the car... so just find one, register/show up & dont be afraid to ask for help... ride along in someone elses car on your break or have someone ride in yours to get tips & advice too