How to start rallying?
Author
Discussion

turbotongue

Original Poster:

7,573 posts

210 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
Please excuse my naivety but..

How do you go about getting into rally racing? Im in the in the south east.

OnTheOverrun

3,965 posts

207 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
I'd start by dumping the clutch at about 4500rpm.

vescaegg

30,341 posts

197 months

Riggernut

1,681 posts

261 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
I'm sure someone with some experience will be along however google list some interesting results

http://www.motorsportads.com/rallying/how-do-i-get...

hesnotthemessiah

2,121 posts

234 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
OnTheOverrun said:
I'd start by dumping the clutch at about 4500rpm.
LOL!biggrin

PhillipM

6,563 posts

219 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
Aim for a gap in a hedge.

J T

930 posts

212 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
Save a lot of money, then make sure you are comfortable blowing this amount within a very short period of time.

Also, try looking at autocross/motorkhana events, which do not require a roll cage or anything like that. I am not in the UK, so cannot provide specific contacts unfortunately.

Zad

13,016 posts

266 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
Join your local motorsports club!

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

234 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
Step 1 Find your nearest car club that is recognised by the MCA and join the club

Step 2 Go and join in some events as a marshall or do some things like a 12 car rally where you can learn about navigating and road books

Step 3 Spend loads of money and try to miss the trees

Nic jones

7,188 posts

250 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
turbotongue said:
Please excuse my naivety but..

How do you go about getting into rally racing? Im in the in the south east.
Stop calling it rally racing for a start, that's a sure fire way to get those with Subitsi jackets knickers in a twist! hehe

Ok serious answer...

Have a hunt around on the MSA website (http://www.msauk.org/custom/asp/home/default.asp), if you're in the south east maybe try Sevenoaks and District or Chelmsford motorclub, I'm fairly sure they organise some rallies. Go along to some club meets, attend some rallies, have a wonder around the service area and chat to the drivers/co-drivers and decide which seat you want to sit in.

Top tip, the left hand seat is cheaper, as when the silly sod in the right hand seat stops listening and bins it you can walk away and leave him to pick up the bill... hehe The only downside is the driver will take (nearly) all of the glory if you do well!

Next step, assuming you decide you want to compete on stage rallies (have a look at the different types, although road rallying is nigh on dead in the S.E these days) you'll need to do one of two things...

Driver:
Get a go-rallying pack from the MSA, then go to one of the rally schools and do your BARS test, this will then allow you to pay an exorbitant fee for a National B stage rally licence. (You can upgrade to Nat A once you do some Nat B events and get some signatures if necessary). Then you'll need to worry about sourcing a car, much easier to buy one already prepared initially I believe. Then the relevant homologated romper suit/helmet and all other associated gubbins (nomex undies/socks, boots, gloves etc). Then you're ready to go.

Nav/Co-driver:
Get a homologated romper suit and helmet as a bare minimum, buy a decent watch and pimp yourself out to drivers as someone with little experience but willing to learn (and cough up the entry fees!) drivers are always looking for a keen nav with some money in your pocket!

Many single venue events use map style diagrams which are reasonably easy to grasp (and if you can't you're in the wrong seat!) and pacenotes can only be learnt through actually attempting to use them, it's a great feeling when you get it right through a stage and know the driver is hanging on your every word. thumbup

Do it, you won't regret it (your wallet and OH might though) but bks, you only live once, I hope that helps, obviously I've only skimmed the surface but step 1 is definately to join a motorclub and get asking questions. It is a bugger to get into but even harder to escape once you're hooked!

If you need a nav you know where I am! biggrin

jonnylayze

1,640 posts

256 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
thinfourth2 said:
Step 1 Find your nearest car club that is recognised by the MCA and join the club

Step 2 Go and join in some events as a marshall or do some things like a 12 car rally where you can learn about navigating and road books

Step 3 Spend loads of money and try to miss the trees
I've never done any stage rallying but I think the thrill of 12 car road rallying is motorsport at both its most affordable and its best. I should really get back into it....

velocemitch

4,019 posts

250 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
Good post Nic, shame the Op lives in the South East though. As you mentioned road rallying is much easier and cheaper to get into and is still living and breathing in some parts of the country.

Historic Road Rallying is thriving, can be a real challenge in either seat and the costs are a fraction of Stage Rallying.

mybrainhurts

90,809 posts

285 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
Zad said:
Join your local motorsports club!
This man wins tonight's carrot...smile

dan19evans

4,954 posts

197 months

Thursday 17th June 2010
quotequote all
OnTheOverrun said:
I'd start by dumping the clutch at about 4500rpm.
rofl

turbotongue

Original Poster:

7,573 posts

210 months

Friday 18th June 2010
quotequote all
Nic jones said:
turbotongue said:
Please excuse my naivety but..

How do you go about getting into rally racing? Im in the in the south east.
Stop calling it rally racing for a start, that's a sure fire way to get those with Subitsi jackets knickers in a twist! hehe

Ok serious answer...

Have a hunt around on the MSA website (http://www.msauk.org/custom/asp/home/default.asp), if you're in the south east maybe try Sevenoaks and District or Chelmsford motorclub, I'm fairly sure they organise some rallies. Go along to some club meets, attend some rallies, have a wonder around the service area and chat to the drivers/co-drivers and decide which seat you want to sit in.

Top tip, the left hand seat is cheaper, as when the silly sod in the right hand seat stops listening and bins it you can walk away and leave him to pick up the bill... hehe The only downside is the driver will take (nearly) all of the glory if you do well!

Next step, assuming you decide you want to compete on stage rallies (have a look at the different types, although road rallying is nigh on dead in the S.E these days) you'll need to do one of two things...

Driver:
Get a go-rallying pack from the MSA, then go to one of the rally schools and do your BARS test, this will then allow you to pay an exorbitant fee for a National B stage rally licence. (You can upgrade to Nat A once you do some Nat B events and get some signatures if necessary). Then you'll need to worry about sourcing a car, much easier to buy one already prepared initially I believe. Then the relevant homologated romper suit/helmet and all other associated gubbins (nomex undies/socks, boots, gloves etc). Then you're ready to go.

Nav/Co-driver:
Get a homologated romper suit and helmet as a bare minimum, buy a decent watch and pimp yourself out to drivers as someone with little experience but willing to learn (and cough up the entry fees!) drivers are always looking for a keen nav with some money in your pocket!

Many single venue events use map style diagrams which are reasonably easy to grasp (and if you can't you're in the wrong seat!) and pacenotes can only be learnt through actually attempting to use them, it's a great feeling when you get it right through a stage and know the driver is hanging on your every word. thumbup

Do it, you won't regret it (your wallet and OH might though) but bks, you only live once, I hope that helps, obviously I've only skimmed the surface but step 1 is definately to join a motorclub and get asking questions. It is a bugger to get into but even harder to escape once you're hooked!

If you need a nav you know where I am! biggrin
Hi Nic,

Thank you for the detailed reply. I will do my research, find a club and prepare my wallet smile

I did a bit of googling before posting but thought I would get a decent reply from somebody involved on here

Cheers

james_gt3rs

4,816 posts

221 months

Friday 18th June 2010
quotequote all
Step one: Win the lottery or somehow come in to some money biggrin

frosted

3,549 posts

207 months

Friday 18th June 2010
quotequote all
I did want to start racing a quad few years ago and the amount if money needed for that was like roughly 5-7k pa plus bike . And that's just as a novice


Rallying could be 10x more

Futuo

1,202 posts

212 months

Friday 18th June 2010
quotequote all
Best advice is join a club

Craven MC are SE too I think (Im up in rallying heartlands Ooop North so bit sketchy on what's down there).

Something like the 205 Challenge can be done for 5-6k ish, season road rallying would be about 1k but not a lot down there as the roads are a bit crap and the natives restless. Although the mighty Preston is run by Chelmsford (but runs mostly in E Anglia AFAIK)

Rallying is a great sport, and cheaper than racing like for like.

LeeThr

3,122 posts

201 months

Friday 18th June 2010
quotequote all
OnTheOverrun said:
I'd start by dumping the clutch at about 4500rpm.
Are you rallying a diesel by any chance?
I'd start by dumping it at around 5500 to 6000rpm :P

Lot's of tire smoke then and lots of biggrinbiggrin

dudleybloke

20,553 posts

216 months

Friday 18th June 2010
quotequote all
pretend to be scandinadian! smile