I want to get started in rally racing.
which of these vehicles would be the best to start with ?
1987 Honda Accord, 5 sp.
1987 Jeep Comanchee, 6 foot box, 5 sp.
1991 Gmc sonoma, v-6, 6 foot box, auto.
1987 Dodge Dakota, v-6, auto, 8 foot box.
1991 Ford tempo  ( sure not this one, LOL )
We are leaning to the Jeep Comanchee, it has heavy duty frame , it`s been a rugged truck for us. I like this one but we need some advice on the choices.
What is considered as entry level  ???????
We have many many questions and we are serious about getting involved. Any advise from here will help us decide where to start .
Thanks in advance.
John.
Team Muskoka Racing.

Hi, John.

There are a small number of trucks kicking around the performance rally scene.  I've actually seen a Jeep Commanche rallying in the U.S. and there's an American S-10 that sometimes makes appearances in Canada.

That being said, trucks are definitely in the minority, and most of the ones still running are U.S. teams that take advantage of the Rally America "RallyTruck" class, something we don't have here in Canada.

For a newcomer, I'd suggest a few things.  First, if you're getting into rallying because you want to drive, consider buying, rather than building, your first car.  It will help your learning curve by letting you concentrate on improving your driving skills instead of having to worry as much about keeping your car going.

Second, if you've made up your mind that you really, really want to build a car (and have the skills, tools and everything else necessary), I'd suggest you look at what you want in a car.  Consider things like:

- total overall cost (not just the initial price of your car)
- reliability
- availability of rally suspension, tires and wheels
- availability of performance parts & ease of modification
- the size of the knowledge base you can draw on in the rally community

I assume that the cars you listed are ones you have now or have easy access to.  I encourage you to look at the whole investment you're planning to make:

- car purchase
- car prep
- "per-rally" costs: entry fees, accommodations, gas, tires, etc.
- repairs
- future modifications & improvements

Most of the time, the car purchase price will be only a small part of your overall expense.  Rallies are tough on cars, and a cheap car can be false economy; if you continually bend or break the car, you'll quickly end up spending just as much to fix it as you could've paid to start with a solid platform.

Also, don't understimate the value of the advice of other teams.  Rally people tend to be helpful, but every car has its own special quirks and you may find it more difficult going alone with an oddball car.

I'd echo what Nikola said about volunteering.  Seeing a few rallies in person and chatting with teams in the service area should give you a very good idea of what your car will be expected to take and which cars are more suitable than others.

And navigational rallying is definitely a good idea, too:  It'll help you learn the process involved in a rally and you'll improve your in-car teamwork immensely.

You said you have many questions - please feel free to email me.

Jeff Hagan
VP - Performance
RallySport Ontario
vpperformance - at - rallysport.on.ca

You don't say where you live, John, but you might want to look up the whereabouts of the club closest to you (I'm guessing it's MLRC) and attend a meeting. Meeting fellow rally fiends . . . er, friends, is a great way to get started!  

Good luck on your quest. You're in good company!

Jeannie (PMSC)

Echoing the others, and putting in my 2 cents, do NOT underestimate the value of navigational rallying prior to get into performance rallying (rally 'racing' - when did we add 'racing'?? This was debated recently on another list).

While I'm not a performance rally driver, personally, there's no way I'd start driving roads in anger until I'd been on the clock many many times before that, and knew how a rally was run from the competitor side, and had the teamwork thing all sorted out.  Teamwork, in the car, under pressure, is a huge thing to figure out.  You can do that on the cheap in navigational rallying.  Same goes for volunteering as both a rally marshal, and a service crew.  That will really pay dividends. Hope to see you at both types of rally!
Craig