Street tires will work for a licensing test but if you're going to go racing later, you'll need race tires. We used shaved 17-inch Kumho Victoracers from Vilven Tire, wrapped around 5Zigen FN-01RC wheels.
An important lesson in racing is the realization that you will have to play the part of marketing genius, driver, mechanic, crew and transporter. The Civic needed new brake pads, an oil change, new tires and more padding on the roll cage. Unfortunately, I started preparing the car about a week before it had to make an appearance. Oops, rush time for me.
With cords sticking out of its R-compound rubber, the Civic needed help. I had a set of 17x8 bronze 5Zigen FN-01RC wheels, but with mere days to go, I still needed some sticky track-ready tires to cover them. A quick call to Vilven Tire and a set of 225/45/17 Kumho Victoracer V700s were shaved and overnighted my way, saving my ass completely. Shaving a tire reduces its tread depth and consequent tread squirm under hard use. At the track, the reduction in squirm helps prevent chunking, increases the size of the contact patch (and the resultant grip) and can actually increase the tire's longevity. Very few tire shops can handle the shaving of a tire capably and reliably, so be careful where you take your wares.
After a quick overview on Saturday morning and a prep talk with Edwards, I was ready to head out onto the twisting, undulating hills of Infineon Raceway for practice. Edwards will ride along and judge my ability-with the track and with traffic-during one session of my choosing. But first came practice.
And what practice it was. There are few things better than wailing on VTEC, sliding on Victoracers, all while going through the downhill, left-hand turn six, side-by-side with a blaringly loud Porsche GT3 Cup racer.
After two sessions, I'm eager to get the licensing check-off behind me. The anticipation and waiting between sessions is killing me and I just want to get my mission accomplished. Edwards is busy handling the other future racer, so I schedule my check-off for the first session on Sunday. It doesn't come a moment too soon.
When we arrive back in the pits, Edwards presents me with the second part of the equation, the written test. Be sure to memorize the NASA rulebook before attempting to get your race license, because the questions run the entire gamut through the ins and outs of NASA's rules. You'll be quizzed on flags, starting rules and hypothetical race situations. A little studying goes a long way here.
After passing these two requirements, you'll be rewarded with a NASA Provisional License. This lets you enter NASA wheel-to-wheel race events, albeit with a large 'R' sticker on the back of your car, which lets everyone in the racing world know what a big rookie you are. Accomplish four races (or two full weekends) without contact or an off and your Provisional will be upgraded to a Rookie License. Do four more races and you'll finally have your full national Competition License. Now you can enter endurance races, such as the notoriously grueling 25 Hours of Thunderhill.
And from here, it's up to you where you go. Most likely, it's going to be the all-too-common downward spiral of broken parts, dented cars and empty bank accounts synonymous with the racing world. We wouldn't have it any other way.
Know Your Officials
If you're heading out with NASA, be sure to know who runs the event in your region. They're the ones who make everything work and their instruction will let you know where to go and where to be. These are the good folks at the NASA NorCal region.
Tech inspection will scrutinize and pick apart your car to the very seams. They'll provide all the help needed to make sure you comply with the rules but they'll also send you home packing if your car isn't up to snuff. | 
Jerry Kunzman (left), NASA Executive Director/Regional Director and Barry Hartzel (right), HPDE Director | 
Donny Edwards, Chief Licensing Instructor |
Larry Marsala, Chief Scrutineer | 
Ralph Alexander, Chief Instructor | 
Edmun, Mark, Jason, Fred, Wendy and all the guys at Opak Racing, our friends and pit buddies |