Rallycross
How you can start racing rallycross
Want to compete in the muddy mayhem of rallycross? Our guide will explain how you can get on the start line.
The high-action sport of rallycross has grown exponentially since it became an FIA World Championship in 2014, with stars like Petter Solberg, Mattias Ekström and Sébastien Loeb racing door-to-door in 600 horsepower hatchbacks.
But despite the increase in headline drivers and manufacturer entries at the highest echelons of the discipline, rallycross remains one of the easier motorsports to compete in as a beginner. Here’s how you can get started…
1. Get to know the sport
After you’ve watched the world’s rallycross stars in action on television or at events and have decided you want to have a go, visit some national or club-level events to see what it’s all about. You can learn a lot from not only watching the action on track but also from seeing how the teams operate in the paddock between races, where the drivers go for administration check-in and so on.
Attending events will help you understand the sport
© FIA World Rallycross Championship
2. Get involved with a team
Rallycross is renowned for its open paddocks and friendly atmosphere, so why not volunteer yourself to a team to help out on events? “Get stuck in, in any way possible, whether it’s making the tea, washing wheels or cleaning spanners,” says former WRC driver and World RX finalist Guy Wilks. “There are plenty of teams at all levels who would love someone to volunteer to help with little jobs and there’s plenty of time on events to see, hear, watch and learn about every aspect.”
3. Sample the driving for yourself
Before you agonise over which car to buy or hire, have a go yourself first. A number of single-make championships offer driving experiences and test days so you can decide if racing rallycross is for you. In the UK, the Swift Sport Rallycross Championship, BMW Mini Rallycross Championship and RX150 Buggy Championship offer such experiences, while there are categories offering similar taster days around the world.
Sample a rallycross car before you buy one
© British Rallycross Championship
4. Get yourself a licence and join a club
To compete in any ASN-sanctioned competition event – ASN being the national sporting association for any country, which in the UK is the MSA – you need a competition licence. In the UK, it’s very simple for rallycross: you don’t need to take a test and you can apply for a Non-Race National B licence on the MSA website.
You will also need to join a club. Being part of your local motor club is a great way to get to know like-minded people, but for national rallycross you can join a club when you enter your first event.
5. Choose your car carefully
You can either rent or buy a car. There are a number of single-make categories, for which spares and knowledge of running the cars will be readily available from the organisers, or alternatively you can build your own car. Categories for production-based and more modified two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive vehicles are prevalent throughout Europe. In Scandinavia, the entry-level rallycross discipline is known as folkrace.
“Take part in a local or national championship, in a low category car,” says 2016 European Champion, Kevin Hansen. “There you will learn all the basics, the first corner action and the starts. Don’t drive a car that’s too fast too quickly, let yourself grow into sport. If you enjoy it, you can progress into the bigger classes.”
Hansen mastered the 310bhp Lites car before moving on to a 600bhp Supercar
© Tony Welam Bildproduktion / Red Bull Content Pool
In most countries, the minimum age for senior rallycross is 16 years old. Generally, drivers aged between 14 and 16 compete in Junior categories. In Finland and Sweden, the RX Academy has been set up to give young drivers the opportunity to race in identical Renault Clios, with mentoring on all aspects of becoming a professional rallycross driver.
“I think crosskart [or off-road buggies] is the way to get into rallycross,” says DTM and World RX Champion, Mattias Ekström. “You can start at an early age. Very similar to karting being the way to go to Formula One, crosskart is the way to go to World RX.”
Watch Carlos Sainz Senior and Junior racing each other in crosskarts…
2 min
Sainz vs Sainz
Since karting Carlos (F1) was told not to do drifting but it’s in his DNA to drift and to do this really fast. We used the rally track at his place close to Madrid and designed two special Car Cross.
6. Get the correct safety equipment
You will need a helmet, overalls, HANS (head and neck safety) device, gloves, boots and underwear that comply with the ASN and championship regulations. In the UK, details of those requirements can be obtained from the MSA’s website.
“Safety in motorsport is absolutely paramount,” says Wilks. “Having the right equipment is fundamental to you remaining safe in competition, and being able to continue doing it even if you’re involved in an accident.”
7. Get plenty of time behind the wheel
Seat time is limited in rallycross, with races run over just four or six laps. Find out about official test days where you can do more laps than you would at an event. Or, budget permitting, rent a test venue for yourself. Karting, even rental karting with friends, is another good way to perfect your skills.
“You don’t get a huge amount of track time in rallycross, but there are several championships you can do as a beginner with the same car. Doing lots of racing means you can learn out on track, come in and have a think, then go again,” says 2013 BTCC champion Andrew Jordan, who began his career in rallycross. “To get extra seat time, testing and track days are really good, and karting is a great way to learn race craft and to be smooth in a car.”
8. Be dedicated
Once you have learnt the basics in the lower formulas, and if you can secure the all-important funding, you can progress up the ladder. Rallycross has a solid path from the lowest club level to the World Championship, through national and European series. “The best advice I can give is that it’s 5% talent and 95% hard work to reach the top,” says 2017 World RX Champion Johan Kristoffersson. “Make a good plan and work very hard to reach your goals. That’s the same in anything – just work as hard as you can.”
So remember, if you want to start racing in rallycross:
- Get to know the sport
- Get involved with a team
- Sample the driving for yourself
- Get yourself a licence and join a club
- Choose your car carefully
- Get the correct safety equipment
- Get plenty of time behind the wheel
- Be dedicated