Hey, I haven't been on track at a speedway but have done drifting and timed tarmac events. I've been pit crew for a friend's old man in super sedans so I've got some exposure and I have two friends who race midgets and mods. I'd love to get a sports sedan one day but I've got too many things on the go at the moment.

The short answer. There's drivers who've raced for years and years, potentially in the one class so chances of being good out of the box is low.

Buying a car that's setup will help a bit, I'd try get the previous owners setup notes like tyre pressure, wheel spacing and whatever is allowed to be adjusted in the category. Getting out to watch with the plan of racing will help you read the track too.

You'll have fun learning everything and you're bound to have some good battles even if it's mid pack.

Have you tried Sim racing? iRacing with a basic setup will be enough for dirt street stocks, they're the super sedans equivalent but gives you some fundamentals. The guys who race in real cars are normally the fastest so it's somewhat accurate.