A Pro Driver's Guide to a Career in High-Speed Racing

      Fast Sideways

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      Nik Romano possesses a rare blend of skills. He can drive quickly, articulate how to drive quickly, and most importantly, he can do both simultaneously. This fall, he will be hosting several videos on The Drive’s YouTube channel focusing on high-performance driving techniques and concepts, so here’s a brief overview of his background. His lifelong passion for cars and driving has taken him from being simply an enthusiastic car lover to operating his own advanced car control school.

      If you haven't watched his initial video with us, where he debunks the myth of snap oversteer, check it out on YouTube. His next video will be released on our channel on September 30.

      Romano and I connected for about thirty minutes via video chat, during which I’ll share some paraphrasing and direct quotes. To start, I inquired about his personal car collection. Currently, he owns nine vehicles.

      “Everything is always a project,” he admitted. “… usually, at least one vehicle is drivable. Often there’s more than one, but everything’s somewhat of a project. The newest car I have is an ‘07 Mustang, which is currently on jackstands in my driveway. Go figure.” I could relate to that. He also mentioned an ‘04 Suburban and an ‘03 M5 as his “newer” cars that see the most action.

      I also asked what drivetrain configurations he prefers.

      “Just the classic FR [front engine, rear-wheel drive]. But I enjoy various types… I just love cars. I appreciate everything; each has something to offer. Even if it’s a mundane econo box with front-wheel drive, as long as it has three pedals, I can find something to enjoy about it. … One car I’ve never owned and is on my bucket list is a classic Honda. The EG [the ‘92-’95 Civic] is my favorite.”

      Romano’s motorsport background includes experiences driving Dirt Sprint cars, Pavement Midgets, Modifieds, Late Models, Formula Fords, Sports Cars, Endurance Racing, Time Attack, Karts, Rallycross, and Drifting. He cited Sports Cars as his favorite so far.

      “Sports Cars have always been my primary interest, even while I was involved in oval racing. There’s a tangent in grassroots racing if you follow the road racing path. It’s a challenging route due to the lack of financial reward. Securing sponsorship is difficult, as few people watch it. The crowd consists largely of drivers and their friends and crew members. This contrasts with grassroots oval racing, where nearly any local track's grandstands are often full of spectators simply there to enjoy the races. It’s a vastly different experience.”

      “That’s how I grew up. However, I found sports cars more compelling than the cars I raced, even if the racing was arguably better for my level. I’ve always had a passion for sports cars and racing. Eventually, I gravitated in that direction, focusing on GT cars, endurance cars, and anything similar. I love both the driving and the tinkering aspects. Anything that allows you to build and tune and express your creativity in the build process interests me. If you can creatively interpret the rules without cheating—using gray areas—that's fascinating to me.”

      Romano (in the passenger seat) with a student. Fast Sideways

      Now that you’re familiar with Romano’s cars and interests, let’s briefly cover his origin story. He attributes (or blames) his family for directing him toward cars. As a child, he was captivated by Speed Racer VHS tapes from Blockbuster and enjoyed watching his dad shift gears in his manual BMW 5 Series. By the age of nine, he was racing go-karts with encouragement from his parents. “You could go one of two ways,” he mentioned. “It could just be a fun activity, or it could become my entire life. For me, it became the latter.”

      From that point onward, Romano aimed to work only in jobs related to cars or racing. “Performance or racing, not just cars in general,” he clarified.

      “It’s quite challenging because, especially in motorsports, making a decent living is tough. I battled for a long time,” he remarked. Romano joked about being stubborn and “too dumb to pursue anything else,” but it was evident he was singularly focused. He maintained a broad perspective that provided him with a uniquely deep understanding of the motorsports landscape. His wide array of vehicular experiences is undoubtedly key to his success.

      “I worked at a suspension tuning company for a while, learning about shock absorbers and tuning intricacies and how they affect the car. I also worked at a race car shop focused on arrive-and-drive services, where I gained mechanical experience and insight into the business side of motorsports,