How to be a Rally Driver
You can watch our top stars in action in the British Rally Championship. However, if you’ve ever fancied a go, then Autosport magazine’s Rally Editor, David Evans, tells you how to get yourself into the hot seat…
If you hold a full UK driving licence, you’re half way to becoming a rally driver. You’re next stop is to get a Rallying ‘Starter Pack’ from the Motor Sports Association, the governing body of UK motor sport. This will tell you everything you need and help you on the next step: passing a one-day test at a rally school.
Then, get yourself along to Ystrad Mynach Motor Club, or your local club but we would prefer you to come to us. That’s how former British Rally Champion and now team principal of BP Abu Dhabi Ford World Rally Team Malcolm Wilson started.
There are no age barriers to getting started in rallying, but few will manage it as early as Wilson.
“My mom took me to navigation classes when I was 12,” he says. “You absolutely don’t need to be 17 to get involved.”
It’s true. There’s a new junior championship open to those 14 and over. However, if the pockets aren’t deep enough, be proactive. There’s plenty more to rallying than just driving the car. If you don’t know one end of a driveshaft from the other, get in there and get your hands dirty.
“Motor clubs are really friendly places,” says Wilson. “There’s always going to be someone in there building a car. Go and help them after work. Be prepared to do anything, even if it’s just running around and picking up spare parts – it’s all about experience.”
While Wilson’s own start in the sport is a while ago, he’s well acquainted with the challenges facing a youngster starting out in the sport. Not long ago, his son Matthew was doing just that – and now Wilson Jr is Britain’s only full-time driver in the World Rally Championship. He drives for the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford World Rally Team. Sure, his dad has helped him out here and there, but that success is really starting to come at the highest level is thanks to his own hard work, determination and talent.
Matthew’s advice is to buy the most cost-effective car you can find and then drive, drive, drive. “Buy a cheaper car and do as many rallies as you can possibly afford. Rallying’s not like football, where you buy a ball and off you go, but it doesn’t need to be vastly expensive. You can pick a car up for a couple of thousand pounds and, if budget allows, you could be out virtually every weekend in it. Nothing beats experience.
“Once you’re on the ladder and competing, do everything you can to climb it as quickly as possible. You have to keep on moving up.”
Don’t worry, if this sounds daunting. Help is at hand. Numerous manufacturers run one-make rally championships, where all the cars are identical and much of the organisation is taken care of by a central team of people. Malcolm’s advice is to get involved in these as soon as you can.
“If I was setting out again that’s what I’d do,” says Wilson Sr. If anybody has serious aspirations about being in the world championship then look at all the manufacturers competing at the highest level and find out which of them run one-make championships. Then get into one of them.”
Competing in exactly the same machinery puts much greater emphasis on a driver’s ability – and these series are far more attractive to people like Wilson. He adds: “If you’re winning a one-make series, it’s very clear that talent will shine through.”
As you climb the ladder, the learning curve gets steeper and steeper. So why wait to start levelling it. Matthew didn’t.
“We used to go out to WRC rounds and do the recce,” Matthew says. “This doesn’t have to be expensive. Take Finland, for example, you can hire a car and drive the stages after the rally. You can make a set of pace notes and learn so much from the lines the best drivers in the world have taken.”
A handful of years ago, Britain ruled the world in rallying. Champions at the highest level, Colin McRae and Richard Burns were the best of the best. Don’t miss your chance to follow in their wheeltracks.
Original article courtesy of the GO Motorsport Initiative. www.gomotorsport.net