What’s your name?  Where are you located? What do you do for a living?
Brian Klausen, live in Denmark in Scandinavia. Not too far from the Danish capitol Copenhagen. Apart from being a dad and a husband, I’m team leader for a bunch of IT-consultants, in a smallish IT consultancy company based just north of Copenhagen. So basically a computer guy.

What got you interested in rally?
Well, I have always been into basically anything with an engine. I’ve been motocrossing for the better part of 10 years, started when I was 12. Also homemade go-carts, mopeds, lawnmowers, whatever with an engine had my interest when growing up. So naturally when I was old enough to get my drivers license, I got a car. Went to a lot of car races, shows, etc. – and dreamt a lot. Then 9-10 years ago I was at a local car show, and the local rally club was handing out flyers for their introductory course for what was then known as “Maneuvering stages” (sorta directly translated).

That is the entry level type of event for rallying in Denmark. It’s something like your autocrossing, only with a twist of stage rally, in the way that we have 10-12 different (short) stages at different locations – so we have transit and stuff like that too. You can enter in a street car + some minor safety equipment, but we also have classes for full out rally cars.

Anyway, I grabbed my daily at the time – a Seat Ibiza Cupra II 2.0 16V – and a friend, and we turned up. Turned out we did pretty well… even beat a 250 horse Impreza by a second.

Tell us about your rally car/truck.  How long have you had it?
1985 VW Golf GTI 16V. Port and polish, slightly warmed over cam, MegaSquirt ECU. Toyota ITB’s on homemade manifold, etc. Bilsteins in front, GAZ in the rear, 11” brakes, 4.64:1 R&P + a ton of other small things.
Bought it bog standard back in late 2003.

Did you buy your rally car or build it?
What challenges did this cause?  What benefits did you realize as a result?
Part of the fun for me is building it. Originally I planned on showing others that you didn’t have to make a big dent in your pocket to go racing. So the “LB” in LB Rally Team was originally short for “Low Budget”. I’m still extremely conscious of cost, but the budget isn’t as (extremely) low as it was in the beginning.

So naturally I built my car – and with the type of events I started out with, a rolling build is quite possible. As for challenges – well – I’ve used a LOT of time. Both in terms of man hours, but also it has quite literally taken years for me to get it to where it is. Going to an event always had priority over upgrades. Seat time is important.

The benefit has been that I’ve been able to upgrade over time, not needing to come up with a lot of money at once. Then of course I know the car inside out. But mostly I’m very satisfied when we do good at the events, and I can say that I made it ALL by myself on a limited budget. That is a very nice feeling.

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
I’m  a way conservative driver, so I don’t really have that many situations to talk about. But the worst was right after getting the damn paint job I’d been wanting for several years… you can hear where this is going right? Anyway – it was wet, concrete surface, think I may have messed something up with the tire pressure or whatever. Regardless I stuffed the car right into an iron pole. Smack in the middle… quite a bit of damage to the bodywork for what the accident was.

The car could actually drive afterwards. Radiator wasn’t leaking, engine was running, all was actually good, except the lights where quite a bit out. I could’ve pressed on regardless, but somehow didn’t feel like it. Since then I’ve become more… shall we say: “interested” in winning… so if that had been at the last event, I would have continued.

Tell us about a time when you narrowly avoided a DNF. How did you press on regardless?
That would have been the national finals a few years ago. We had driven a long way to participate, and on the first stage a coolant hose blew AND the ignition started to cut out. I was gutted to say the least… we made it to the finish of the stage and then got out. Turned out the ignition was just a lead that had popped off – easy fix obviously. The coolant hose was for the heater – not such an easy fix, but the heater was expendable, so we decided to try to re-route the hoses, just bypassing the heater with the hoses (complete or in pieces) that we had. After tinkering for 20 minutes we’d come up with a solution, and we were back in business. At the next stage the car felt incredibly slow, but didn’t sound wrong in anyway – just really sluggish. At the finish of that stage I had the window down and noticed the distinct smell of warm brakes. Couldn’t believe it – it hadn’t been that bad… ½ a mile down the road I realized we had been driving the entire stage with the handbrake partially engaged… from then on everything went smoothly, but we’d lost too much time on the first stages to really finish well.

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally?  The most challenging?
Like I mentioned with regards to building the car – I particularly enjoy when we do good, and can literally say that it’s all thanks to me. I’m the one driving, building, inventing, fabricating, researching… everything except co-driving obviously… When all that comes together in a good result, I’m very pleased. There is basically no one else that takes part in the effort, so no one can say anything to take the result away from me. There’s no “yeah, but you got that trick engine by this or that über engine guru” or whatever. It’s all me: my sweat, ideas, abilities, talent, etc.
That also tends to be the challenging thing about it though… I don’t really know how to let go. Also, balancing the home life with the wife and my 1 year old daughter is a bit of a challenge. But the missus is super patient – thanks a lot honey!

How many events did you enter last year?  Is that trending up or down?  Why?
7 or 8 I think – 2009 was a bit of a slow year for us. 2008 was worse though. 2010 has seen us at 5 events so far, and we have plans for at least another 5 to 7. Keep in mind though, that the events in Denmark are way shorter than in America, and thus much cheaper, closer to home, etc.

Also, a lot of the events are our autocrossing-rallying-hybrid that I mentioned earlier. Much, much cheaper. Out of the events this year, there are at least 4 rallysprints, and 1 proper stage rally – though almost everything here in Denmark is one day events.

What kind of cash prize structure would entice you to enter more rallies or push the car harder?
To enter more, it would be something that wouldn’t give you a price for ranking the highest. Like one of our rallysprint series where a tire brand is sponsoring the series. Everyone at the event running their tires, are entered in a draw for gift cards. That’s a nice feature.

Anything about pushing harder would need to not directly be about finishing closer to the top. My budget is way too limited for me to get close to anything there. So I don’t care much about those prices.

How important are car classes?  What class/region do you race in?
How many competitors in your class at each event?
Very important. To get high number of participants you need to accommodate all levels of ambition and economic possibilities. Car classes help with that.

The Golf is currently in Group H, but that has been discontinued, though already built cars are allowed to continue using the rules of Group H. However, we are thrown in with the Group DK-cars, which basically mean that you can do anything. Thus we get our butts handed to us – this is also due to not even using the Group H rules to the fullest in the beginning. Remember – we are on a budget.

I have most of the parts in place for moving the car to Group E, which is sort of the “warmed over” class. “Proper” gearboxes are still allowed, as is some engine work. But some of the really expensive stuff is prohibited. Just need some time for the change.

What do you think about recce vs pacenotes vs blind rally?
Can’t really say as I’ve only done recce. I’ve tried a short recce where we got pacenotes beforehand – sort of like a starting point. But I don’t have that much experience with it, so I can’t really say.

Spectators: Dream come true or worst nightmare?  Why?
Dream come true – absolutely. Over here they tend to be very well behaved, clever enough to think about where they stand, etc. Also it just gives a very particular sensation when you drive along a crowd and you know they are looking at you.

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
I have a fairly active web site (www.lbrt.dk) – lots of info there, with emphasis on the cheaper solutions that work. I want to tell people that through dedication you can do a lot, without denting your pocket too much.

Also I try to be as outgoing and open as possible to the newcomers. Help them out if they mention that they have this or that problem, etc..

Finally I’m very active on a couple of internet car forums where I do my best to tell about the excitement of rallying and how to get started. You know – to heighten awareness.

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
In Denmark I feel that the “red tape” and paperwork you need to get done to go racing even in your street car, is prohibitive of getting new comers into the sport. There is a ton of introductory courses, marketing, etc. going on from the clubs – but the stuff that has to be done at the sanctioning body is a bit much in my opinion.

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
Not enough I’m afraid… but just volunteering for crowd control, etc. If I’m out spectating I always bring my camera and make sure to upload and share with the community. As a driver I appreciate it very much when others do the same to me.

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be?  Why?
Heh – good question. I haven’t EVER thought about that. But I would think something with smooth sweeping gravel roads. I’m thinking Portugal or Finland or something like that. We have too little gravel in Denmark, and the experience is great.

Your favorite Group B car?
Oh – there’s a few. I can’t name just one. But generally I have a weakness for the more quirky, or outrageous weird ones. Some of the favorites are: Opel Ascona 400 – just because my first car was an Ascona with most of the 400 bodykit on it (not the arches though – could afford wheels to fill them). I’m somewhat of a Peugeot/Citroen fan, so the Peugeot 205 T16 is on the short list too. MG Metro 6R4 too for just being ridiculous. But I think that the top of list belongs to the Ford RS200. Ever since I was a boy I have been in love with that car.

Though it’s not technically a Group B car (as I understand it), I feel I have to mention the Lancia Stratos too. That is my all-time favorite rally car. It is every bit as bonkers as the Group B cars. Twitchy, hard to drive, fast and outrageous styling – what’s not to love? Like the RS200 I have loved that car since I was a boy.

We’ve all got a rally hero.  Who’s yours?
Hm – tough question. I’m not much into idolizing. But former European Champion in the privateer-cup Henrik Lundgaard is a person I admire quite a bit. Of course he being Danish and winning the European Championship in his Toyota Corolla WRC is quite a feat and calls for my admiration. He also seems to be a genuinely down to earth, nice guy.

Internationally I’m at awe by Sebastien Loeb – he’s just a rallying machine. Petter Solberg on the other hand seems much more “human”, and I can really relate to him. He’s passionate about the racing – but only human so makes mistakes both on stage and at press meetings, etc., but stands by those mistakes. I like that about him.

Do you have a local rally club?  Tell us about it!  (If not, why not?)
Yes – everyone does. That is due to the way the Danish sanctioning body (DASU) has organized itself. To get a license to rally, you have to be a member of a motor club, and only motor club’s can be organizers of any type of event, whether it’s rallying, circuit racing, or whatever. So here it’s a given.

I’m a member of one of the biggest rally-oriented clubs in Denmark – it’s called Viking Autosport, and is based quite close to me. This club is extremely focused on creating both for-club-members-only-events, as well as larger more open events. I think that is what has drawn so many people to be members of it.

Generally I get the feeling that nothing is impossible in that club. We’ll just do it, and I admire that from the guys that do all the organizing.

How often do you get together with other rallyistas to talk shop?
No very often – it’s mostly online.

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
Jens Villumsen was the guy who held the introductory course originally. He helped out when I needed a co-driver. He gave me firm, but good advice when building the car, etc. – just a very big help in the beginning. He’s the number one reason I got into it, and most importantly stuck at it. He made sure that I didn’t make decisions that led to dead ends, or at least made me aware of when I did so I knew. To those who know John Vanlandingham, Jens is much the same. No bullshit – a bit of tough love – but basically aimed at keeping you in the sport, to have as much fun as possible.

Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
It has to be Per Sørensen and Palle Bjørnsten from Viking Autosport. They do tremendous work in our club with organizing, helping out, etc. – and still find time to participate themselves.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
It takes time and dedication – you can’t give up. Be patient and it’ll come to you.

Is there anything else rally-related you’d like to talk about, but hasn’t been asked?
Most probably – but I think we’ll leave it at this.

Gearbox Magazine would like to thank Brian for taking the time to share some of his stories with us. Does any of this sound familiar to you? Leave a comment below! We’d love to hear about it.

What got you interested in rally?
I grew up in the back seat of a SAAB and learned early on about their competition heritage. In college I started working events and assisting some other teams that ran SAABs.

Tell us about your rally car/truck.  How long have you had it?
Our rally car is a 1975 SAAB 99, we started the build in 2003 and debuted the car at some events in 2004. At 35 years young, its almost always the oldest car at the event. The car is not exactly a historically correct specimen. For parts availability and performance we chose to replace the cars original 8V non turbo engine with a 16V turbo from a 1980′s SAAB 900. This engine is nearly bulletproof and provides a great usable torque curve for rally, especially with addition of a modern ball bearing turbocharger and programmable fuel injection.

Did you buy your rally car or build it?
What challenges did this cause?  What benefits did you realize as a result?
We built the car, I wouldn’t have done it any other way. I love the building aspect of rally and the fabrication. I love starting with a clean slate and not having to fix others’ mistakes. When I started building the car I thought I would do mostly rally-x for a  few years and then build up to “pro rally” as it was called at the time, but then the news that SCCA was dumping the stage rally program came out. I wasn’t even sure for a while if the car I built would meet rules in the near future, or what the future of rally was. Rally New York had some events close by (under fledgling NASA Rally Sport program) and I figured what the heck, I built the car for this, lets pull out the stops and do it NOW. I was totally hooked after the first event even though we didn’t finish because of bad fuel pump wiring and a way under built skidplate. The other competitors were so supportive and everyone loved the car.

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
We had a pretty heavy roll at STPR 08. We had just completed a pretty major rebuild of the car over that winter, new paint, new suspension, new shell (ok so technically it was pretty much a new car but for titling purposes it was the same one).

We transplanted the engine days before the event and we pushed the car onto the trailer and towed it up to STPR, the engine ran, but barely. We spent the whole day before the event in the service area troubleshooting the running issues and finding some electrical gremlins. We were pretty stressed but got the car though tech about 10 minutes before it closed.

I was also the first event for a new co-driver. Once we were on stage I relaxed a little, the new chassis setup was performing great, and we were setting some very fast times.

Midway though the 4th or 5th stage we came down into a dark valley out of a clearing, it had rained overnight but dried out in the sun mostly… the dense canopy of the forest had kept this section of road wet, and the STPR clay is like ice when its wet.  We came into an off camber 3 just a little too hot, tagged the bank but recovered, however in the midst of the moment and the minor off we got a little off the notes and missed an instruction for a !! R2 that came up WAY too quick – clipped the bank and executed a textbook roll.

The hit was not hard, we came all the way around and landed back on the wheels, in fact I don’t believe the car ever stopped!  But the windshield was shattered, every panel but the trunk was dented and we were pretty shaken up.  We pulled off to make sure everything was ok, used the lug wrench to gain some fender clearance, and transited 18 miles back to service where we handed in the time card. It was a sad day. I didn’t rally for the rest of season and took almost a year off.

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally?  The most challenging?
Finishing an event is always such a great feeling, regardless of how you did. There’s just so much work for a grassroots team to even get to the event, most people have no idea.

How many events did you enter last year?  Is that trending up or down?  Why?
Last year we ran 4 events. I had planned to run 4 again this year but West Virginia got canceled. We have run more than that’s but that’s about what is sustainable for me. Anything more than 4 and it seems to pretty much become a 2nd full time job just to keep up with maintenance and planning.

What kind of cash prize structure would entice you to enter more rallies or push the car harder?
The Max-Attack program is great. We’ve won some big money in both Max Attack events we’ve run.

How important are car classes?  What class/region do you race in?
How many competitors in your class at each event?
The classes aren’t that important. We are G5, because of the turbo, but with a newer car could easily make more power and be G2. I mostly just watch the other 2WD guys and try to have a good time.

What do you think about recce vs pacenotes vs blind rally?
If you mean recce vs Jemba, I like the Jemba notes. I’ve done recce before and it’s good for me because I have a very visual memory, and I can pretty much remember a stage after driving it once, but the time commitment becomes too great to do recce with the 2 day events most organizers are favoring now.

Spectators: Dream come true or worst nightmare?  Why?
I love seeing spectators out there. I was one too.

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
I ask them to crew for me. :) Really that’s one of the best ways to get into the scene and learn things, meet people, etc..

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
I used to think it was road access, but the recent economic conditions have actually helped that it seems. More towns are willing to deal with the rally organizers in order to bring some dollars into their local economies.

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
This is something I could probably do more with. I help a lot of people with prep questions and I even build some parts as a service to the community.

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be?  Why?
Hmm, Sweden would be great, a car similar to ours won that event overall in 1977 and 1979.

Your favorite Group B car?
Not such a fan of the group B car’s. I’d much prefer a Group 4 car from the 70′s.

We’ve all got a rally hero.  Who’s yours?
Its pretty cliche to say, but Stig Blomqvist is pretty much the man. I’ve met him a number of times, he’s so humble and gave us the thumbs up a couple times we he passed us on a transit at STPR.

Do you have a local rally club?  Tell us about it!  (If not, why not?)
Not really a formal club. I share a rented shop with 2 other like-minded gearheads. We all have day jobs and just use the shop at nights.

How often do you get together with other rallyistas to talk shop?
Everyday on the forums I started on my website, saabrally.com. The whole idea was to build a support network of people that had similar interests. We’ve organized some group buys and had new parts made that haven’t been available for 30 years.

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
My roommates and friends from college, Jordan Pagano, Max Palmer and Matt Weir have helped tremendously. Jordan is a web-design guy so he built the site, Max does graphic design so he’s helped with graphics and team media stuff. Matt is great at keeping up on time schedules and planning. Our combined skill set is really amazing, and we’ve all learned a lot from each other.

Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
The guy that works the finish control on a steep downhill every year at STPR. Every  year he tell us to not have our foot on the brake while exchanging the time card, because it will crack the rotors. Ok, but how are we supposed to keep the car from rolling down the hill while talking to him… we laugh every year.  No seriously, I am really thankful for all the help that workers provide.

Gearbox Magazine would like to thank Luke for taking the time to be interviewed. If you’ve got a Saab and you’d like to get the most out of it, head over to SaabRally.com and say hello. Luke will also be at NEFR this weekend (along with Mike White), so get your buddies together and head to New England to cheer for the Saabs!

What got you interested in rally?
Speed… and the ability to control where none should be possible.  I always dug car and mechanical stuff, but I really liked being able to be in control. Classic, huh?  And I don’t know when it was, but I read some Road &Track article about rally and they talked about rally drivers being the most talented because every corner, every surface, every stage was different and new.  I dug on that.

Tell us about your rally car/truck.  How long have you had it?
Current ride is a 1984 Saab 900.  It’s the second rally car I’ve built, and it’s brand new.  NEFR 2010 is my first event in it.  1st car was an ’80 Saab 99.

Did you buy your rally car or build it?
What challenges did this cause?  What benefits did you realize as a result?
I wanted to build this car instead of buy because I knew what I wanted. I knew what worked last time , and what didn’t.  I also derive some sick-assed pleasure from scraping tar from the bottom sides of vehicles.  Challenges?  Well, this time I have a family and house and real job.  The 1st car took 8 months to build, this one took 4 years.

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
I tend to stuff the car friggin’ around like a week before an event… however, we were in a Canadian winter event, at Perce-Neige, feeling the red mist on a long straight.  What I thought was damp gravel coming into a 90 left was actually polished ice.  We didn’t have a chance.  4th gear in a Saab is still pretty fast.  We went straight at T, so deep in, I thought it was going to be spring before we got out.  The crazy, awesome  Canadians drug some HUGE 15ft sections of trees out of the woods and pried us, foot, by foot up out of the hole we’d dug and back on the road.  Simply awesome!

Tell us about a time when you narrowly avoided a DNF and how you managed to press on.
Maine Forest in like 2000.  Wicked rough rally, very dry, super dusty, like 95 degrees.  We lost our tailpipe on the first long stage.  Then we broke it a little further forward, then we lost a wheel in transit, then we broke a shock, then our entire exhaust.  In the course of a 30min service my crew was somehow able to find a piece of pipe, and a welder, make a header collector and a pipe sticking out the side of the car.  Our best finish ever…in the loudest car in the entire field!

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally?  The most challenging?
Everyone says it, but it’s the people.  Most of my closest friends are from the rally community.  And they all get it. We all wax and wane, cars come and go, people phase out or phase in, but the friendships remain… that and all the hot chicks and sponsorship loot.

How many events did you enter last year?  Is that trending up or down?  Why?
No events last year, so I’m trending up!!!

What kind of cash prize structure would entice you to enter more rallies or push the car harder?
MaxAttack is as good as I’ve seen it…although with the kind of field they’ll have at NEFR, money deeper down in the finishing order would be nice.  True contingency and series sponsors would really help. Gotta say… getting 15% off of brake pads or some headphones isn’t going to help me make it to the next event.

How important are car classes?  What class/region do you race in?
How many competitors in your class at each event?
Well, you know what, I am racing the guys sitting before and after me on the road and the buddies I have in the field.  Classes are nice, but overall… bragging rights and free beer to the “winner” is what rally was built on… I’d like to keep it that way.

What do you think about recce vs pacenotes vs blind rally?
This will be my first event with notes… I’ll tell ya in a few weeks!

Spectators: Dream come true or worst nightmare?  Why?
This may not be a popular answer with everyone, but we suck (as an organization) at making rally cool for spectators.  We make them ride buses, stand on crappy corners, herd them, yell at them to get behind the super strong yellow tape.  Issue?  Our messed up legal system has removed the ability for spectators to self govern and be taught the right way to do it.  “Back in the day” you got a map, maybe an old route book, a tank full of gas, some sandwiches, beer and if you were lucky, a scanner and you made your own event following the rally.  You found the crossroads, you looked for the vantage points, you hiked through the woods..and you know what?  With very – and I mean VERY few exceptions… shocker here – nobody got hurt.  And people were responsible (to a point) for their own actions.

Not so now.

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
Take ‘em for a beat run… they’re hooked.

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
Organizers need help and support from the series in the way of an overall big $$ sponsor. I see the trials our local organizers go through – for what? So I can go play in the woods?  Smaller interest groups in our county lobby and advocate for more than we rallyists do.  Wut up wit dat?

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
I do like to work events… even though I’m usually grumpy that I’m not driving… but I do like giving back.

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be?  Why?
Sweden or Finland. Love snow and damn those Finnish roads look sweet.

Your favorite Group B car?
Lancia Delta S4… just super bad-ass.

We’ve all got a rally hero.  Who’s yours?
Got a few.
John Buffum, Colin McRae, Stig Blomqvist.

Do you have a local rally club?  Tell us about it!  (If not, why not?)
The New England rally community is one, big dysfunctional family… ’nuff said!

How often do you get together with other rallyistas to talk shop?
The interweb has made that a weekly, international occurrence.

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
My wife Suzanne, my family and my friends who put stupid drive time in so they can come work on my car.
Brett, John Groo, The Breck’s, Luke, Andrew, Ted, Carl, Hanh Nguyen…Thank you!

El Blano would also like to thank his generous sponsors for their help.
YachtingSolutions.com – An industry-leading yachting services provider.
MaineIndoorKarting.com – Maine’s safest, fastest, and most thrilling karting facility.
Sebago Brewing Company – Maine’s premier restaurant and brewery.

Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
Workers and organizers..  Ted Goddard, John Buffum, Greg Healy, Ted & Lise Mendham, Kathy Moody, Tim O’Neil, Anders Green, these are the people making it happen.  Hats off!

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
Beer…beer is good and is meant to be shared.

It’s a shame Aslousen Oberstierskin aka: El Blanco, aka: Michael White, aka: that guy with the bad ass Saab lives all the way up in Maine. We at Gearbox Magazine (based in Phoenix, Arizona) would really love to rally with this cat. If you’d like to get to know El Blanco – look him up on Facebook!

What about you? Agree with what Michael has to say about Max Attack prizes, spectators, or beer? Leave us a comment. Let us know! Thanks for reading!

What got you interested in rally?
Watching the Mazda Winter Rally in Bournemouth when I was 16.

Tell us about your rally car/truck.  How long have you had it?
The car is a Skoda Felicia.  I’ve had it since 2007; I bought it originally for £40 for the gearbox as it had a blown engine, and I needed a gearbox for my previous car (another Felicia).  Once I got it home and took the gearbox out I realised the shell was immaculate and decided to build an FIA-legal car to do Rally GB in that year (2007).

Did you buy your rally car or build it?
I built it, including welding in the roll cage and just about everything else.  A very hard six months, and in hindsight a character-building one.

What challenges did this cause?  What benefits did you realize as a result?
Fitting the cage was a real trial – every tube needed at least an hour’s dressing to get it to fit correctly, and then welding in place.  Then of course after that there were all the little things that every car needs to do that you dismiss before you do them, but then realise they’re at least 50% of the build time.  The car wasn’t really ready for Rally GB 2007, and as a result a failure of a minor part (throttle body) led to a DNF as the car wouldn’t restart due to the throttle being jammed open and the ECU going into “no fuel to clear a flood” mode – this was after a first day where we lost the tailpipe and had to harvest bits from the recce car to keep the rally car going. It took about half an hour to fix when I got home, sadly a week too late.

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
I’ve been really careful so only hit a few bushes and so on; a lot of the time I drove the car to events, so wanted to get home, and I know that if I bend the car badly I’ll probably not rally for years.  My first forest event was a baptism of fire though; I was all over the place and managed to avoid rolling very narrowly after slipping off the road and bouncing over some low-lying tree stumps – if we’d hit them, we’d have had a real nightmare.

Tell us about a time when you narrowly avoided a DNF. How did you press on regardless?
On the 2008 Rallye Sunseeker, the exhaust got taken off late in the afternoon – not just the tailpipe, but the middle too. The car sounded absolutely EPIC for a 1300, it was incredibly loud.  I’m amazed the organisers didn’t stop us at service (we crept in as quietly as we could), as the end of the event involved a town-centre finish ramp.  Other than that, losing the gear linkage steady and doing half an event with a choice of either second or fourth wasn’t ideal either, we ended up cable-tying it in place to get it working, but couldn’t do it until service as the sumpguard had to come off to do it.

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally?  The most challenging?
The most rewarding part is driving faster than I thought I would be able to on surfaces that I used to find really challenging – my first event on gravel was a complete disaster and I was ready to give up.  It was only because our local “rally guru” persuaded me to try again and helped me out that I had another go and it went a lot better.  So improving each time is good, and now I’m ready for a more powerful car (although my bank balance, unfortunately isn’t!).  The most challenging has got to be doing Rally GB; a lot of people here seem to think it’s a piece of cake, but they all seem never to have done it; doing that on a shoestring is not easy, as the car has 210 miles or so of punishing stages to complete and keeping it going isn’t easy, particularly when you realise that our entire entry costs less than just the tyre bill of a front-running team.

How many events did you enter last year?  Is that trending up or down?  Why?
Last year, only 1, my local event Rally Sunseeker.  We couldn’t afford to do Rally GB, and that was our main plan.  For the last few years we’ve only done Rallye Sunseeker and Rally GB as there’s no way that we can afford to do any more; I fix the car myself on weekends and don’t have a garage so if it rains it makes it very difficult to get the car fixed quickly, and it rains a LOT in England!  After 2010 the Felicia will no longer be homologated to compete in the WRC, so I’ll have to take stock then, hopefully after doing the last possible WRC event for the Felicia at the end of this year.  I’m hoping to also do Monte Carlo in 2012 as it’s part of the IRC and the car will still be legal, but that’s going to take a lot of dedication and probably 18 months savings!

What kind of cash prize structure would entice you to enter more rallies or push the car harder?
This is something that always surprises people when they ask about rallying – they can’t believe that it’s possible to win your class at WRC level (as we have done a couple of times), and not get a penny in prize money.  I would think that at a higher level seeing a proportion of your entry fee back would help out little guys like me, although the running costs of anything serious would mean that it really would just be a drop in the ocean.  Certainly it would help pay (say) the tyre bill, and having fresh rubber makes all the difference in how hard you can push the car, even in a little 1300.

How important are car classes?  What class/region do you race in?
How many competitors in your class at each event?
I think classes are important, and they should reflect not only CC, but also the car’s capabilities; the 1400 class in BTRDA events, for instance, is massively competitive, but there are some cars in there that are pushing out close to 200bhp, which is a world of difference from a standard 68bhp Skoda, for instance.  Some efforts have been made to help this (with 16v and 8v sub-classes), but ultimately any class will have serious competitors who will take their cars to the limit of potential, while there are others who are just out to enjoy themselves.  The Felicia competes in class A5 (Group A, under 1400cc), but there aren’t a lot of cars in that class, as most usually move up to N4/A8 4WD machinery.

What do you think about recce vs. pacenotes vs. blind rally?
Only the larger rallies in the UK (and of course Rally GB) have recce, and it’s a great experience; making your own notes is daunting at first, but with a bit of practice you can make really good notes that are meaningful to you which is the most important thing.  Also driving the stage a couple of times before the event is hugely helpful in terms of both speed and safety; it’s amazing how many little bits you remember with a bit of help from your notes.  Other people’s pacenotes tend to be geared to WRC-level and speed cars (as they are quite popular on UK national rallies) so in a 1400 they often seem over-done, and everyone calls things slightly differently anyway.  I think blind is the greatest test of a crew as you need to balance speed with the desire to finish/the unknown, but it seems to be unpopular with many as there’s less chance to go flat out.

Spectators: Dream come true or worst nightmare?  Why?
In most situations they are great; the traditional Friday-night opener for the Sunseeker rally is a drive through Bournemouth’s lower gardens, and it was a great time for spectators, with thousands packing the gardens to see the cars, and with them running at 30 second intervals in reverse seeding it made for a good time for them and the drivers.  On Rally GB we have been pretty popular with the crowds in the past (due to the rather unusual sight of an everyday bloke driving a little Skoda he’d built on a budget), and they’ve been great.  The only problems we’ve ever really had have been when spectators have caused stage delays or stoppages; I think that some could be better-informed or better behaved, but this is a tiny minority, most are great.

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
I think there needs to be more involvement with the kind of people who are currently spending huge amounts on cosmetic changes to their cars; a lot are young kids who think that rallying is beyond their budget, so promoting classes which involve cars they can afford to buy (and insure) would be a good start, then hopefully as they get older and have more money they can do something more serious.  Certainly I know quite a few people who have lost more money swapping “normal” cars than I have actually taking part in rallies in a year.

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
The decline in entries.  I think that rallying needs to take a long, hard look at what it wants to be; traditionally rallying was an endurance sport where if you went out, you were out, and survival was important.  While SuperRally means that you can keep going (and keep your sponsors happy while doing it) it does change the focus of the event massively.  In addition the cars that people compete in now bear no relation to the ones you can buy from a showroom, and that makes a difference – both in terms of the average punter, but also that to compete at the top level takes millions of pounds to do.  This means that the fastest and best drivers may never even get a start in the sport, and are doing something else.

Any championship which is only contested by two teams cannot be healthy, and the arms race that has happened in the WRC has led to that – two superpowers.  I’d make rallying more production-based, and ensure that cars have more power than grip, meaning that driver skill would be paramount, and it would be spectacular (not dangerous) in the process.

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
Marshalling – when you’re marshalling you not only get to see what’s going on (and help out when people have problems), but also you get to see how the other drivers go, and you can learn a lot from that.  Plus standing in a forest for the day isn’t the worst way to spend a day off.

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be?  Why?
Rally Finland.  It’s iconic, and is the WRC event I’d like to enter. We wanted to do it this year, but Paul’s having his first child right at the time that the rally is on, so naturally that takes priority.  Hopefully somehow I’ll manage to do it in the future, but I guess that would take the event going into the IRC for us to be able to do it.  Plus a LOT of saving up.

Your favorite Group B car?
Ford RS200.  An absolute beauty of a car – even 25 years on, it’s still on my wall in my bedroom, and one of the few cars I’d buy if I ever won the Lottery.

We’ve all got a rally hero.  Who’s yours?
Colin McRae.  Watching him drive was always special – he was always so committed and so capable.  Granted he made some crazy decisions in hindsight (his crash in the focus where he went a gear quicker than normal was probably the best example of that), but he just lived to drive like that.  If you watch the in-car of Rally GB 2001, it’s breathtaking some of the things he does with the car, and it seems so smooth.  A sad loss.

Do you have a local rally club?  Tell us about it!  (If not, why not?)
My local car club is Bournemouth and District Car Club, whose members’ (particularly Kathy and Steve) helped get me going in the first place.

How often do you get together with other rallyistas to talk shop?
Not that often, I don’t get a lot of spare time as I work fairly long hours plus have a lot on, between fixing things and making music!

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
Steve Colville – he was a local rally guru, an incredible driver and generous beyond belief.  He helped us out so much in the early days (he doesn’t compete any more), and was always ready with a joke, a friendly comment and some banter.  His help got me over my initial terror on gravel, and he was unusual in being so capable and competitive and yet so helpful and open – he’d always come and check the car over and make useful suggestions, some of which kept us in events later on.

Paul Burley – he’s my navigator, having been my friend for a few years before.  He started navigating after me being let down by a previous nav, him deciding to have a go in typical “How hard can it be?” fashion. He’s very capable, calm and collected (quite the opposite to me at times), and I don’t think I’d have even thought about doing Rally GB if we’d not worked so well together.  He’ll kill me for saying all that though.

My Mum – this might sound odd, but there aren’t that many people whose retired mother has helped prepare their rally car, surely?  Whenever I’ve been fitting an engine or changing a gearbox, my Mum has been there to put in a bolt, let down the engine crane or help engage a clutch.  If I’m pushed for time and out at work, I can leave her a list of things to get from local suppliers, and when I come home she’ll have got them for me.  And she makes a great garlic pitta with cheese and marmite.

Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
All of the above, plus Ian Bowler, who I met on the Plymouth-Dakar rally, and who serviced for us in 2008 on Rally GB.  We lost the tank guard, and I phoned him to ask if he could get hold of some metal.  When we got back to service, he didn’t have one sheet ready for us, he had three of varying sizes, one of which was perfect (and was actually part of an Army Land Rover!).  Fortunately that was about the biggest thing we had to do to the car (two wheel changes and fixing a strut top was the only other work), but he was always cheery and ready with lunch from the microwave when we got back.  Pure Class.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
That if you want to make a dream happen, you probably can.  OK, it may not be in the exact form you think (i.e. in a Skoda, not in a Focus WRC), but that may make it all the more special.  It’s amazing what you can achieve when you put your mind to it and work hard.

Is there anything else rally-related you’d like to talk about, but hasn’t been asked?
No, I think you’ve heard more than enough from me for one day/week/month!  Aside, of course, from wanting sponsors for Rally GB for 2010 – with the coverage that we usually generate I’d think we would be very good value for a potential sponsor as we get a lot more interest than a much-more-expensive-to-run midfield 4WD car that no-one will take a second look at!

How about that. A gearhead picks up a car with a blown engine for the cost of gas money and decides to turn it into a rally car to run in the local WRC event that very year. Darren’s working on the car himself in the driveway because he doesn’t have a garage, and he’s making his rally dream happen. When he’s not racing, he’s volunteering. We love stories like this. Proof that, if you put your mind to it, you CAN rally.

Editor’s note: Darren is always up to something rally-related. You could say he’s been bit good by the rally bug. If you’d like to know more about Darren and his efforts to campaign a first-rate, crowd-pleasing rally car, check out his blog, Skoda Rally Blog. He’s always up to something!

We know you had your sites set on besting Block in the championship. Now Block is out of contention and you’re engaged in a Mitsubishi dogfight for the final podium. It would seem this has been a monumental year for the championship. How has 2010 treated BMS?
2010 has been a great year for BMS.  We have had very good luck and everything has gone as planned throughout the season.  I would not say that we set out to beat Block, specifically, as much as we were hoping to be competing in that upper tier of competitors.  I feel that we have accomplished that.  The fact that we are actually in contention for the championship is amazing to me.  We have been able to put the car on the podium every event this year except for the Olympus Rally.  The truth be told we had the 3rd podium spot at Olympus as well, but penalty time was added for hitting a chicane and there was a minor timing error on our part.  Beyond those issues I know that we have been at a podium “pace” for the entire season.

With just one event left on the Rally America schedule, is it mathematically possible for BMS to overtake L’Estage in the points race and take home the trophy? What will it take to make that happen?
There is a possibility we could still win the championship.  Antoine would have to have an issue of some sort in order for that to happen.  Our team has actually become very close with the Rockstar Energy team this year and I would hate to see Antoine lose the championship due to some stupid issue.  If I had been faster all season I may have a different opinion.  Keep in mind though that the Rockstar Energy team has some significant financial support that we lack.  They are in the upper tier I was referring to earlier.  Money or not, Antoine has really earned his position this year, besting us at every event except Oregon Trail.

The pressure must be intense. What’s going through your mind as you go about your daily routines back home before NEFR?
At this point the pressure is off.  The long trips out west are over.  The short turn around between the west coast events and STPR is behind us and things are back to normal.  I have about a month to re-prep the car and its only 3hrs drive to NEFR.  We have already secured 2nd in the championship before NEFR even starts.  I think very few people really understand the time and money and time and time that have gone into this.  I have a slight feeling of satisfaction with these results.  I have always felt that, given the opportunity, I could run at the front.  This year with a sliver of the budget of the other teams, a less powerful and nearly five year old car, we have done just that.  I am proud.  Proud of myself and my efforts and of my family for sticking this out, especially my father who is working on the car at least as much as me.  My parents are probably never get to retire now either.  Thanks guys!

What’s the plan of attack for NEFR? Maximum attack? How hard are you going to make things for L’Estage?
I am going into NEFR hoping to have another good result and most importantly have fun.  Nothing I can do can win me the championship so its back to the roots of simply having fun rather than racing for points.  Naturally the spirit of competition is still there so we will go quickly, but we have to keep in mind that the X-Games are 2 weeks later in LA.  If we have a big off we will never make it in our own car.  By the way we do plan to attend this year for the first time!

Bill and Peter will be charging into the woods of Maine the weekend of July 16th and 17th for the final round of the 2010 Rally America national championship. Will L’Estage hold on to the lead or will Bacon fry him before the final control? Whatever happens, we wish both Mitsubishi drivers – and indeed, the entire field of competitors – the best runs of their careers.

May the cars and the stages be kind, and may you all trade times with your closest rivals the whole weekend long. Here’s wishing everyone at New England Forest Rally all the thrills of their first rally. Press on regardless.

All images (save L’Estage & Bacon on-stage) courtesy Mike Constable of FotosByMike.

What’s your name?  Where are you located? What do you do for a living?
Carl Jardevall, Live in Half Moon Bay, work in San Carlos CA. own and run Nordic Motors.

What got you interested in rally?
Everything with an engine got me hooked at young age. At around 15 a friend navigated in a beetle rally car. That got me going in the rally direction. Also growing up in Sweden in the sixties and seventies rally cars were all over.

Tell us about your rally car/truck.  How long have you had it?
Did you buy your rally car or build it?
My current rally car is a Mitsubishi Lancer 8. I picked up the car in 05 and pretty much 06 took time to build it. First event in 07.

What challenges did this cause?  What benefits did you realize as a result?
Time and of course late nights. One plus is you know how and where things are.

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
Knock on wood so far with the EVO 8 I’ve been lucky, I’ve had a few close calls, with the EVO 4 I had a few years back we did a nasty off in Colorado. Ended up on the nose in to the beautiful Colorado grasslands.

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally?  The most challenging?
Rewarding part is the nice people you meet and of course if you do well on stages. Travel and the time input.

How many events did you enter last year?  Is that trending up or down?  Why?
3 events last year, will probably stay the same or maybe one more depending on outcome.

What kind of cash prize structure would entice you to enter more rallies or push the car harder?
If cash got involved it has to be a fair amount to entice me. In general I try to do my best no matter what, but to push that last 5% you need a major carrot at the end of the day.

How important are car classes?  What class/region do you race in?
How many competitors in your class at each event?
I would say car classes are a must. You have so many different levels of competitors and financial  background. You need to have a introduction class for people that are new to the sport as well as the guy’s and girls who want’s to spend a lot. I’m currently converting the car over to the SP class. I’ve been running in open but to go all the way out is more than I’m ready to invest.

What do you think about recce vs pacenotes vs blind rally?
When I started rally back in ’75 we didn’t have any recce. All events were blind and to some degree I think the drivers back then had a better ability to read and understand changes in road surface. One major argument for the recce was to make it safer. Well the cars are still going off and roll and you have added time off from work as well. I think the champion ship events may be justified but on club level I’m not sure.

Spectators: Dream come true or worst nightmare?  Why?
The more you make a sport popular you will have spectators. The draw back in this country to some degree is the legal system with lawsuits left and right. It also puts a bigger burden on organizers as well.

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
You probably will have to get events closer to metropolitan areas. It doesn’t have to be major events, just a short rally sprint of some sort with rally cars. Right now if you are not into rallying you have no idea when and where there is an event.

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
How would you address that issue if you were in charge?
I would like to see a governing body that worked for the teams/rally drivers instead of running it as a business. You probably have to have two groups of PR people, one that works on attract funding to the sport and a second one to gain reassurance from landowners and the public.

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
Unfortunately not.

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be?  Why?
New Zealand. Just looking at the pictures and videos from that event says it all.

Your favorite Group B car?
Audi Quattro. The raw power that came out.

We’ve all got a rally hero.  Who’s yours?
It has to be Ari Vatanen, a close second would be Michelle Mouton.

Thank a volunteer (or group of them) here.
I have to say anybody that is a volunteer have to receive a big thank you. Most of the events I’ve done has been in the North West. I would assume even a bigger thank you to all of those people.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
There is a lot of enthusiastic people out there. I think the key is to do it with moderation unless you have the funds.

Carl has been rally racing for better than 30 years. We sincerely thank him for taking the time from his busy schedule to share his thoughts on our interview. To see more pictures from the last 30 years of rally, jump over to the Team Jardevall Rally Sport website.

What’s your name?  Where are you located? What do you do for a living?
My Name is John Patrick-Alexander Rademacher.  I go by Alex which seems to confuse people. Usually when I show my drivers license or sign a check I get asked who John is.

I grew up in Midland, Michigan, but I moved to Stateline, NV about 12 years ago.  Stateline is the Nevada side of South Lake Tahoe. I do web & database programming for an insurance company.   My job is enjoyable but very tame, which leaves me needing to fill my desire for adrenaline rushes.

What got you interested in rally?
Snowboarding. No really!  I moved to Lake Tahoe in ’98. When I saw the mountains I just knew I had to find a way to stay to do some snowboarding.   I quickly learned that 2wd cars have a harder time in the snow, and the California transportation authorities will force you to put snow chains on your car if there’s even a few snow flakes in the air.

This lead me to get my first Subaru – a 96 1.8L AWD – which did great in the snow, but I couldn’t pass all the SUVs who would pass me on the uphill and then proceed to drive 15 mph around the corners.   So I thought I’d solve the problem by getting a WRX,  which  I bought about a month after the STi came out in the USA.  Shortly after paying off my WRX, I started seeing an STi in the same parking lot where I worked at the time and this dove me crazy so eventually I had to buy one [an STi] myself.  Shortly after that, I found the car was scary fast and I did some Google searching for a driving school.   I found an autocross school and a CRS (California Rally Series) rally school.

I thought, “What the heck is rally?” Their school ad show some pictures of Subarus sliding around and I thought it looked similar to goofing off in the ski resort parking lots, which looked very fun.   Michel Hoche-Mong, Peter Soper , Mike Gibeault, Mike Malsed  and others were teaching us at this school.  After learning about rally and hearing some of their stories I was hooked instantly!  I had brought a snowboard buddy with me who took the navigator classes.   We made a deal that I would pay for his class and, if by some chance we ended up doing rally, he would pay for his safety gear, seat and belts, and navigate for me.  Getting into full stage [rally] became my goal in 2006.

Tell us about your rally car.
Betsy is a 1993 front wheel drive Subaru Impreza.  It’s the same green color as my first Impreza, but it has 4 doors.   I was looking at the 07 Rally-America rules and novice licenses and determined that if I wanted to start off in an Impreza, a FWD 1.8L was my only option so that’s what I bought.

How long have you had it?
I bought Betsy in the summer of 2007, cost me $780 and a lot of gas to tow it from San Francisco back to Tahoe.  The clutch was toast along with the flywheel, pressure plate, and the power steering pump.  For a salvage title, and a rare find, it was in good shape.

Did you buy your rally car or build it?
Built it, even while I was starting to get it running.  I rent an apartment so a friend of mine was nice enough to let me use his garage for about 4 months as I tried to do a simple clutch replacement.

What benefits did you realize as a result?
Well, at the time, the only wrenching I had ever done in my life was an oil change, so I really needed to gain some mechanical experience to have any chance of doing a transit fix, or even being able to tell crew what issues I was having on stage.

Every time I got frustrated with the needed repairs, I would switch gears and start removing interior, sound deadening tar, hood release latches, you name it.  I actually had the car fairly well prepared for a cage before the transmission was ever taken out.  Now I can actually change brake pads, shoes, struts, top hats, adjust my alignment, take off exhaust.

Now I have a basic level of car understanding and maintenance know how, not to mention I got familiar with problem areas for my car – fuel pumps seem to die on it, steering racks end up leaking.    It also let me slowly finance my build.  I bought all of the roll cage metal and then waited for my welder friend to have some free time. Shortly after I got my tax refund, my friend was told by his boss he had to take 2 weeks off unpaid as their shop wasn’t doing well, but he was allowed to use the shop for personal projects, and so I paid him to make my cage – a win-win for both of us.   Many months after that I bought my seats and belts, then later yet for the last bits of safety gear.

Tell us about a time when you stuffed the rally car (or maybe had a nasty off).
My worst off so far has been at Gorman in ’09.  I was catching a competitor who was in front of me and I got really excited.  We were about a 1/2 mile from the timing control and for some reason I really wanted to be on the same minute as him so I started pushing harder.

The last corner was a L3<>2+   I had caught up enough to be blinded by the dust and failed to interpret the note correctly.  All of a sudden the dust cleared and I saw there was no way I was making the rest of the turn!

I went off straight and over a small berm, made a bit of a turn to get back on the road, and drove up to the timing control dragging something. I didn’t think it was anything major. I had a peek at what it was. It was my skid plate.   The impact was too much for the rear bolts holding it in and they got torn out.   I was able to take some bolts holding on the trunk lid, but my skid plate went back to the dragging position halfway through the next stage, which was distracting.

I had two minor offs after that (plowing into a berm and grabbing reverse)  I then took off my skid plate and ran the rest of Gorman with out it. Considering I had used metal tape and glue to stop an oil plan leak, I really wasn’t thinking I would finish that rally, but somehow Betsy kept moving forward!

Do you really drive to events?
Yes. After doing two rallies and looking at a lengthy Visa bill from towing fuel costs, I started calling up U-haul and doing some math. Turns out if I drove to events and assumed I would need to be towed home every third rally I would still save a little bit of money driving to events.  My rally car gets 30-35 mpg depending on cargo and elevation.

The first event I tried this was High Desert Trails in Ridgecrest.  I had driven down there for a rallycross a few months earlier so I didn’t see an issue with it.  I figured even if I broke on stage there would be a chance I could fix my car to be drivable for the trip home.   Everything ended up fine though!

With that having worked out for me and wanting to do Idaho, I decided to try driving to a rally again.  I couldn’t find any friends who could afford the time off of work and I don’t own a tow vehicle or trailer, so my options seemed to be drive to the event or don’t go.   Who skips an event when they have time off of work and the entry fee?  Not ME!  So I drove out there I asked another team to carry my spare tire (singular) and gas cans for me.   Worked out great as I bent a rim horribly but used the one spare they carried for me!  It seemed like we had the largest applause at the awards ceremony, winning production class and coming in 16th overall!

Before Gorman, I had secured a tow vehicle, but I couldn’t find a trailer to use, so I decided “Why rent a trailer in Tahoe when I can drive down and rent one on the way back [if I needed]?” The car was drive able so I never had to.

Skip forward to High Desert Trails 2010!  Now that I’ve driven to a few rallies and to Ridgecrest and back about four or five times it doesn’t seem like a big deal.  Tom was willing to tow me down, but I had to work Friday. We wouldn’t be able to load up until 3pm if he waited for me and I didn’t want to load it up in the parking lot where I work.

If I keep driving to events, eventually I’ll have to rent a U-haul, but I’ve already saved over $800 not towing, so the U-haul rental is basically paid for.

What’s the most rewarding part of being involved in rally?
The thrill of being on stage is amazing!  Driving flat out on fun twisty roads you’ve never seen before is quite the rush.  I often catch myself with a big smile on my face as I’m applying the throttle in a corner!

The most challenging?
Affording the next event, and doing proper upkeep.   The entry fees themselves are very reasonable, but the cost of towing your rally car to the event, getting hotel, food for crew, and then buying replacement parts you broke and maybe paying for a mechanic to fix it really adds up. This has caused me to take some extreme measures to keep rallying. I’ve driven to four events so far and I drove home from five.

[Editor's Note: We don't even know how that's possible, but it sounds damn impressive!]

How many events did you enter last year?
Last year I was able to attend four – High Desert Trails, Idaho Rally, Gorman Ridge Rally, and Prescott Rally!

Is that trending up or down?
Moving on up for the 2010!  I’m planning on doing six this season.

Desert Storm and High Desert Trails are already in the books!  Up next is the North Nevada Rally, then Idaho, Gorman, and Prescott with the chance of a seventh if my boss lets me take some unpaid days off in December to travel up to Canada for the Big White Winter Rally!

What kind of cash prize structure would entice you to enter more rallies or push the car harder?
A start fund would be the most enticing. I think a start fund is way more enticing for the lower budget/mid- to back-pack teams. The Max Attack and Clone Attack prize structures drive me to push harder.  I had the Storm Attack prize in my head during parts of the Desert Storm Rally, especially on Day 2, where I was not as concerned about the points for the championship.  I kept thinking how an extra $100 would really help out, so I tried to balance pushing hard with not breaking anything and finishing.

Should rallies be run as for-profit corporations?
I think as non-profit corporations.  Rally right now is a hobby in the USA and I think running events as a group of privateers getting together to race makes a lot of sense.   I’d love for TV coverage, no entry fees, and cash prizes going deep into the field!  We would need a lot of sponsorship dollars or revenue from viewers [for that].  It could happen, but not overnight.  If running rallies for profit in the end gives the competitor a better product, I’m keen on things going that route instead.

How important are car classes?
Classes are always an important part of racing. Racers want to feel they have a chance to win, and it makes for better spectating if there are groups of cars with about the same speed. The low traction of dirt and gravel roads helps to equalize cars of different capabilities to some degree, but only so much.  When the traction is low enough drive train layout is a good separator! As grip levels increase car differences start to become a bigger factor.  Also how twisty the roads are, and how hilly. Getting a class win and a trophy can help a lot getting sponsors, and it helps you to get crew members too.

What class/region do you race in?
USRC Production, CRS P-stock!  I’m in the southwest region.

How many competitors in your class at each event?
It varies but about three to five.

Spectators: Dream come true or worst nightmare?  Why?
Both. They were part of my rally fantasy, until I saw a group hanging around on the outside of a high speed turn.
I was concerned about where they were and slowed down a little bit, partly due to lack of experience.  I definitely don’t want to ever slide into a spectator.

How do you get local gearheads involved in rally?
Driving my rally car around town, and talking to them when they come up to me.  I get asked a lot if I actually race “that thing” and quickly followed up by what is rally.  Some of the people you talk to get really excited when they learn what rally is and what we do!

I met my Crew Chief through a co-worker.  As he learned about rally he wanted to come out and help crew at a race!  Shortly after that he was hooked.  Also using the regional sections internet forums is a good way to find gearheads to get involved!

What do you see is the most critical issue needing addressed by the rally community today?
In the southwest keeping our roads open!  There’s always something going on that seems to threaten a road from staying open.  Getting permits can be difficult too in some areas.

Turn out is also an issue probably just due to the downswing in the economy. Some new safety requirements came into affect at the exact same time and probably served as a double whammy.

How do you help out at rallies when you aren’t racing?
At the end of last year I lost my job and wasn’t able to sign up for Seed 9, but I was able to drive down and volunteer.  I knew I was helping my fellow rally drivers have some fun.  It was a real eye opening experience as to just how much work there is getting an event to run!

If you could enter any WRC event, which rally would that be?
I’d go for Rally Norway because I LOVE snow driving!  After that would be Mexico because it’s a doable rally for us living in the USA!

Your favorite Group B car?
Quattro S4, it really has it all.  High HP, low weight, AWD and it sounds just so cool!

We’ve all got a rally hero.  Who’s yours?
Petter Solberg. WRC Champion, but no one will sponsor him this year?  Think he was privateer last year. I love how he just HAS to rally and somehow funds it all himself! Simply amazing, and looking at WRC Mexico, he has the talent
to win it all.  It’s actually upsetting to think about too long, how could he be soo good, and not be offered a ride?

Do you have a local rally club?  Tell us about it!  (If not, why not?) Rally Club?
Yes. Tahoe Motor Sports is a car club for me and about a dozen of my friends in Tahoe. We all like rally and cars in general.  We do a lot of dirt drives in the summer and a few snow drives in the winter.

Also Dirty Impreza is a nationwide (worldwide) rally club, but its so large that it takes time to get to know the members and even longer to eventually meet them.  I love to see how enthusiastic they are.

Tell us about some people who have made your rally dream a reality.
I have a lot of GREAT friends in the Tahoe area who enabled me to get started!  Chris Black (who used to be a sponsored late model driver) took me down to pick up my rally car with his truck and trailer.  Well his truck died on the way up so he called his wife to use her truck to finish the tow.  From there my car sat in Gabe’s garage for several months.

He would come out and give me some advice on what to do next.  And about when I was ready to give up he and Ansel yanked out the transmission in about 20 minutes.  Ansel White helped me with a full brake service, steering rack replacement, made my cage for me and helped me out with late repairs/upgrades on a few occasions.  Like about two days before we left for Prescott in 2008 I realized I would need driving lights.  I went down to Summit Racing and bought the cheapest KCs they had and Ansel made me a light bar literally 6 hours before he had to wake up to tow to Prescott using his dad’s truck!

Since then Tom has taken over the repairs of Betsy and as chief of crew. Both Tom and Ansel have trailers and trucks with out them I’d be driving to 100% of my events instead of 50%. Nick has created all the graphics for me , usually on horribly short notice. I’ve bought him sushi once or twice, but he’s basically working for free.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from your time in the rally community?
My first rally was North Nevada Rally in 2008. Chrissie Beavis had a heater core give out, dumping hot coolant into the cabin, but she pressed on and made it back to service where she was able to get it fixed up.  Then she lost a rear wheel and had to put her navigator on the hood to get weight off the rear of the car.   But she managed to pull into the final MTC!

So press on regardless!

UPDATE! Speaking of pressing on regardless, we came across a post Alex made on Rally Anarchy today (9 June 2010) where he talks about his outing at North Nevada Rally. EPIC.

We came into !! 4L/Crest o.c. into 3R+ n.c

Well I never lifted or braked for the 4 left (this is where I ran out of talent). I just tried throwing it in. As I passed the apex, I could tell I was in serious trouble. My car was tracking out much too fast and this is where I ran out of road. I turned the wheel back to the right so we wouldn’t roll down the hill side.

We crashed back onto the roadway right where the “no cut” feature of the 3 right was. We slid across the roadway and hit hard into the hillside that the road has been cut into. 45 to Zero in a blink of an eye. Somehow we ended up on our side…

They got the car back on all fours, changed a tire, and ended up setting 3rd fastest time on the following stage! (We bet he drove the car home, too.)

When we first heard about Bill Bacon and team, we heard they were a self-funded, privateer outfit gunning for Ken Block. Today, we find they’ve passed Block and are now just 7 points behind L’Estage in the Rally America National Championship in their well-sorted Mitsubishi Evo. With New England Forest Rally approaching fast, it’s still anyone’s game, but in the interest of transparency, as much as we’d love to see a Mitsubishi 1-2 at the end of the year, we’ve got our fingers crossed for Bacon Motorsport taking home the gold.

BMS was kind enough to share a couple very nice photos with us from Oregon Trail. Thought we’d share with you. We’ve got an email in to our contact at BMS and will be trying to get a quick word in with Bill on their plan of attack for the next few weeks before NEFR.

Gearbox Magazine had a photog on-stage at STPR this weekend. Look for more pictures from that event soon!

A YouTube commenter was kind enough to share a rough translation of the in-car..

-Trampolin jump right 8 – 70… OH, F*CK!
-(Still going) Looks like we lost something…
-Don’t care, we’ll reach the finish

We’ve got a proper driver interview on-deck for Tuesday of this week. Until then, press on regardless.

A clip of Ross and Jason demonstrating what R. Sout means at Gallangowan 2009.

The bloke calling the shots from the silly seat in the R. Sout Galant VR4 is, more often than not, Jason Page. Jason hails from Albury/Wodonga in New South Wales and is an instrument technician by trade. He rides a motorbike to work and Ross tell us that, for fun, Jason goes mountain biking with his mates.

Conveniently enough, Jason happens to live and work close to Ross, which makes getting together to sort out pre-rally paperwork a drama free experience. An integral part of the team, Jason often wears the go-fer hat when there’s work to be done on the rally car.

Image: Mat Jones Photos

Ross tell us, “We are starting to gel and I find, on pace-note events, I trust his timing and description and am better able to concentrate on driving.” Jason and Ross have been a team since 2008,  an ordinary year, in which they experienced a broken wheel hub at one event and a blown engine at another putting paid to their year.

2009 was better, as the boys shared the P6 Class win with Alan and Gavin in a Mazda Familia 4wd (GLC, Protege).

In-car with Ross and Jason on Kandanga in 2008.

We’ll let Ross share the recent Benarkin story in his own words…

2010, event wise, was off to a crook start with wet weather meaning the first event, the first round of the KCF Short Course Rally Series, was cancelled. Eventually, the KCF was run on the weekend of the 17^th April and as luck would have it, Jason had gone to Turkey to commemorate the worst loss of a battle in Australia’s wartime history, ANZAC Day, the landing at Gallipoli.

An old friend Barrie stepped in the ‘silly seat’ and we went to Benarkin for the first event of the season. The weather had again stepped in and the event, previously two stages run three times was changed to a single 23km stage.

There was a fair bit of carnage and a number of cars had suspension failure, flat tyres and/or broken wheels. Barrie and I drove to the conditions with a 16.27, 16.25 and 16.28 for the three runs.

At the end of the event we had finished outright third!!!And first in P6 Class. Woo Hoo. We followed a Subaru STI first and an EVO 1 in  second. Great result for the 21 year old car.

A slippery corner at KCF Short Stages at Benarkin 2009.

Ross is looking forward to the next couple events. He’ll run one without Jason as he will be out of state working, but he’ll be back for the pinnacle event, a round of the Asia-Pacific Championship being held in  South-East Queensland on the 30^th July-2^nd August. It is a two day rally, tough on cars and all crew but a hoot just the same.

Gearbox Magazine would like to thank Ross for keeping in touch with us after the original interview. Though we may not meet many of the people we interview, in going through the process, we find ourselves becoming big fans.

Main image courtesy: Kristian Hayes