I really want a career in rally racing please help?

[JCH]

I really want a career in rally racing please help?

I really want a career in rally racing because it would be something i would enjoy im not sure about the pay though. I would like to be either a rally driver or mechanic for rally cars but I would prefer to be a rally driver and have the knowledge of a rally mechanic. I live near banbury in the uk where prodrive is and silver stone is near to. Im 16 and im still in secondary school.
Im not sure which type of course I should which one would be best. Motorsport engineering or motor vehicles. Is there anyplaces I could go in banbury to help me with my rally career part time. I know subaru used have a rally team in banbury.
Please help.

[MrJan]

First thing, you can virtually discount a career as a driver. Motoring News apparently had an article this week that mentioned only 5 current WRC drivers are paid for their troubles (my guess would be Loeb, Solberg, Latvala, Hirvonen and Ogier), the others all put in their own money. I don't want to disillusion you but it really is very, very hard to have rallying as anything other than a hobby.

So in essence you're looking at being a mechanic, obviously you want to do some sort of college course along those lines, preferably with a view to motorsport. For example I know that Bridgwater College in Somerset have a motorsport course, look at colleges near you to see if any offer a similar thing. The best thing would be to contact Prodrive (and probably M-Sport in Carlisle too) expressing the same thoughts that you've written here, they will then be able to offer advice on how to get into the sport. (Incidentally the Subaru team you refer to would have been Prodrive anyway, they ran the SWRT programme). See if you can do some work experience at Prodrive, even if it's making tea. Join a local motor club (preferably one that has a strong rallying connection) and see if any drivers would be okay with you joining their service crew at an event, again even if you're only making tea or stood on the sidelines it gives experience and shows interest.

You'll also need to appear keen, but try and realise when you need to stand out of the way, it's important that you don't get in the way too much as that will only annoy the people that are helping you out...it should be pretty clear when that's the case, if everyone's rushing around and no one's cracking jokes then you really ought to stand back.

[JCH]

Thanks for the reply but which course would be best a motor sport engineering course or a motor vehicles course Ive got the apllication forms for both of them.
Also if I did join someones service crew at the event what would I do. Im asking as I dont know much about mechanics of cars. Would I just spectate.

[Francis44]

I think it's very hard to start driving professionaly, you best bet would be to follow a mechanic career and save up some money, and later rent a car.

[JCH]

What does prodrive do? The only thing I know that they do is making parts for rally and formula and making minis off road.

[MrJan]

Thanks for the reply but which course would be best a motor sport engineering course or a motor vehicles course Ive got the apllication forms for both of them.

I don't have a clue, mate, I work in the construction industry, motorsport is just a hobby for me. As I suggested you'd probably be better off contacting someone like Prodrive, M-Sport, Team Dynamics (okay so it's touring cars but essentially the same deal) and asking what they think would suit best. It also depends on what the courses include, e.g does the Motor Sport Engineering course require that you already have a working mechanical knowledge?


Also if I did join someones service crew at the event what would I do. Im asking as I dont know much about mechanics of cars. Would I just spectate.

It probably depends on the team you're with, they may get you doing stuff or you may have to stand back and just learn by watching, the important thing is that it would give you experience and teach you a bit more about the sport.


What does prodrive do? The only thing I know that they do is making parts for rally and formula and making minis off road.

They build racing cars, for example the Mini WRCar was built and prepared by Prodrive, they also controlled Subaru for years. When people talk about Subaru being succesful in rallying they're actually talking about Prodrive (as they're the ones that made the car great), Subaru just provided the big pot of money. Prodrive also built the Aston Martins for the Le Mans 24 Hrs.

[driveace]

i believe that Myercough College do a Motorsport course too,but its probably too far away from you .

[AndyRAC]

Actually, Prodrive do a lot more than Motorsport, which is now only a small percentage of their work.

[JCH]

I sent prodrive a email yesterday when do you think they will contact me back?
Which course do you think will be best for me?

Diploma in motorsport engineering level 2 at bicester college.
I will know no one they and I dont know bicester at all.
You dont need knowledge of mechanics but they prefer you to.
This what you do at the course.
What you learn on the course
You will study the following units:
Essential Working Practices
Vehicle Electrical and Electronics
Essential Skills
Motorsport Vehicle Inspection
Motorsport Engine Strip and Rebuild
Vehicle Components Remove & Refit
Vehicle Engine Systems
Science and Maths
Vehicle Layout

The benefits I see on this course is that I might go into a different motor sport career into a different motorsport and knowledge of motorsport.

The motor vehicle course would be
Foundation Learning - Vehicle Mechanical Maintenance & Repair at northampton college
I been to the college once and I remember how to get from the entrance the workshop. My friends will going to northampton college. I know some of northamton area.

This what you do in the course
Vehicle servicing and construction
Wheels and tyres
Braking systems
Transmission systems
Steering and suspension
Health and safety.

The benefits are I will be confident at the place as I will have friends thier and I know the town a little bit. And the courses later on will include better stuff and I we might get to work with the bloodhound a car that is suppose to go 1000mph but goes something like 726mph.

[driveace]

What age are you,as USUALLY people wanting to get into motor sport,are involved,one way or another from a very early age.No one on here has any idea of when Prodrive will respond to your letter,and in life we do start new college,s ,or work placements where we do not know any other person there. Just be pleasant,and sociable,and mix easily with others.

[Mark]

My guess is they won't respond or you'll get a standard reply. They must get hundreds of these a week.

[MrJan]

My guess is they won't respond or you'll get a standard reply. They must get hundreds of these a week.

I dunno, sometimes these places can be really helpful. I reckon you'd get at least one good reply if you sent a clear and concise letter to 5 different preparation companies or teams.

[Mark]

I guess; I don't really know :) . I think it depends on what level you pitch it at. I mean I'll bet the likes of McLaren gets loads of letters / emails every week asking to work with the F1 team. I would be surprised if they didn't have a standard response pointing out how difficult getting a job in motorsport is and some advice on qualifications / experience etc.

[JCH]

What age are you,as USUALLY people wanting to get into motor sport,are involved,one way or another from a very early age.No one on here has any idea of when Prodrive will respond to your letter,and in life we do start new college,s ,or work placements where we do not know any other person there. Just be pleasant,and sociable,and mix easily with others.
Thanks and im 16 years old still in secondary school.

[JCH]

Unfortunely prodrive doesnt have any work exprience places left as it is first come first served.
Is there any other rally places in banbury or near that might do work exprience?
Does silver stone have it own mechanics and drivers or are ther mechanics and drivers hired there?

[driveace]

Silverstone is a racing circuit,there are Or where some satelite teams working from units,based at Silverstone,but I dont know if these are still there.Just keep plugging away ."The world loves a tryer "

[MrJan]

Unfortunely prodrive doesnt have any work exprience places left as it is first come first served.
Is there any other rally places in banbury or near that might do work exprience?
Does silver stone have it own mechanics and drivers or are ther mechanics and drivers hired there?

Google is your friend, Clicky Linky (http://letmegooglethat.com/?q=banbury+motorsport)

[Carlo]

First complete an apprenticeship as a motor maechanic and gain your trade qualifications. Gain as much work experience as you can working alongside of people in machine shops like Fitters and Turners, welders etc and gain supplimentery knowledge. Likewise work alongside of Auto Electricians and Hydraulic specialists for if you want to be a real motorsport mechanic you will need all of the skills if you are to stand out from the rest.

Join a motorsport club and participate in everything as you will build friendships and contacts. Attend race meetings and rallies, offer to help as a Gopher (aka Gofer,as in go for this and go for that etc).

Keep a clean drivers licence and NO DRUGS as one conviction and you are useless outside of your home country.

There are no short cuts, do the hard yards and it will come to you. One suggestion is that you may like to contact the Tuthill Porsche or other similar operations near you and start by offering to sweep the floors after school, just hanging out around people like this will help you considerably and lead to doors being opened in the future.

Best of luck for if you can dream it then you can achieve it.

[JCH]

Is there a motorsport club near banbury or daventry. I couldnt find any on the internet. And for the work exprience can you do it out of school if so how can I. Im asking because apparently you can only do it at school.

[MrJan]

Have a look on the GoMotorsport website for a local club http://www.gomotorsport.net/en-GB/gofind.html

It's also worth browsing that website, offers some good advice about getting into the sport as it's run by the MSA.

Work experience is a term usually only applied to something done when you're at school. It's basically the same thing but you may get further if you offer to volunteer. Bear in mind that some companies will have to sort out health and safety paperwork for under 18s, that means they usually won't bother unless you seem really promising.

Mostly you need to show initiative and desire, things like not wanting to go to a college where you have no mates is gonna stand in your way. Grab the bull by the gonads and show some passion for this career.

[JCH]

Cheers MR jan.

My dad is a agriculturcal engineer and fixes lots of vehicles mainly tractors and other agriculturical vehicles for many years and has been very succesful as he started at 89p a hour and now he is very busy with all his work and has become self employed.

And though those many years has become very exprienced repairing vehicles and now knows a lot of skilled people and thier buisnesses.

He said that he will ask some people he knows that repair classic cars and then race them around the world and that thier are very skilled at restoring classical cars to see if thier will have me do some work there.

The annoying thing is that he knows all this great information and doesent tell me it and only tells me a little. How could I get more info out of him as I do ask. I think its because last year I kept on changing my mind about what I wanted to do but im dead keen on doing a career in motorsport.

He has been trying to offer me work for many years now to work for him but I simply hate learning from him I dont know why I think its because its the way he teaches it to me anyone else I will happliy learn from even if its the same way as my dad. I know that it would of benefit me alot if I did.

And I got an interview for bicester college soon for a motorsport course and apparently most of the people who want to do the course are just getting D grades in GCSE when im getting C grades with ease and should hopefully be getting some B and A grades if I do extra work at home. So hopefully I ve got a better chance to get in.

[JCH]

I cant find anything on go motor sport as it goes to the websites HTML and says erroe at the top.

[MrJan]

I cant find anything on go motor sport as it goes to the websites HTML and says erroe at the top.

Works fine for me. At a guess I would say that Oxford is one of your nearest, certainly in terms of one that's quite active.

[JCH]

Yesterday I had a tour, test and interview with bicester motorsport engineering performance centre and it was brilliant there and I got a course place reserved there for me and I can join in september as long as I get at least 4 C GCSE grades which I have gotten already. The bicester motorsport place has loads of strong links with most companies around bicester like Williams F1, lotus renault, prodrive and mainy more so there companies have work exprience and apprentences just for the college. Plus there is so many extras and fun stuff.

Ive also managed to get some work expirence.

Is there any other advice people can give me.