Performance Car Reviews, News and Parts for the Car Enthusiast

by alexkess

Experience the Unique Thrill of Rally Car Driving

Even if you don’t consider yourself a fan of motor sports you are probably at least somewhat familiar with rally car driving. You’ve seen rally car driving in movies or on TV and you may even know that this is one of the oldest motor sports, having begun in the early 1900s in Monte Carlo. The sport of rally driving is somewhat different today than it was in the early days, mainly because it is more mature–the cars are faster, the roads are better, and rally driving equipment is now designed for safety. But rally car driving retains its allure because it still means fast cars, thrilling turns, and brave drivers.

If you think that rally car driving is a sport reserved only for professionals you are wrong. With the help of the many professional rally driving schools that are located throughout the world, anyone can suit up, strap down and experience the thrill of taking hairpin turns at break neck speeds and screeching sideways while kicking up a cloud of dust. There is no experience exactly like rally car driving and you certainly owe it to yourself to experience it first hand.

Rally car driving is different than conventional auto racing. Rally driving competitions are not held on specially designed and built tracks. Instead, rally driving races are conducted on regular roads. Drivers navigate a series of stages, or predetermined points, while racing against the clock. For amateurs, rally car driving schools are the perfect place to experience the thrill of this unique brand of auto racing.

Your day at rally car driving school will start out with an introduction to safety as well as some of the driving techniques that you will encounter. This session will be taught by a professional rally school instructor who had been trained in how to teach you exactly what you need to know. Next, you’ll be outfitted with the rally driving gear you will wear during your experience. This is typically the very same gear that the professionals used.

Once you receive your introduction to the sport and some of rally driving intricacies you will move to the car. Of course, this is the part you’ve been waiting for. If this is your first exposure to rally car driving you will probably be sit in the co-pilot’s seat and be driven by an instructor. Your rally school instructor will introduce you to the actual driving a little gently by taking you around the stages once or twice before opening it up and taking the car to more dramatic speeds. Once your rally driving instructor has gotten you accustomed to the car, your real experience will begin. Before you know it your rally car driving instructor will be flying toward the stages and introducing you to the thrill of maneuvers such as hand braking, power sliding, and hard cornering. If you are a little more experienced at rally car driving you may take to the wheel yourself. Some rally schools will offer you the choice of whether you want to pilot or co-pilot.

Regardless of your experience with rally car driving and your appetite for adventure, you can find a rally school that suits your tastes. Once you have made the commitment to dive into the rally car driving experience you will be glad you did. The chances are once will not be enough and you keep returning for more. As anyone who has been through rally school will tell you, rally car driving is a sport that can be very addictive.