Once again I have been looking at my options for tarmac rallies and love the look of Targa High Country and the Classic Adelaide. It seems that to even come close to being able to enter I need to have at least some experience, not to mention a CAMS license.
Where should I start? what should I start competing in to get the experience needed?

i say this to every single person who i get this sort of question from--->

get into motorkhanas first,,, then do some autocrosses & hilllimbs,,, & then some circuit & street sprints.......&,,, after all that,-->,, that`s when you should get onto the tarmac at speed

Soooo many people (Mick Doohan inc) get into tarmac rallys "Thinking" that they`re pretty fast drivers, but crash out early,,, this is also the wrong thing to do (Obviously)

get the back-ground-ing first,,, learn slow & controlled first (Most important in my books),,, then build that up to controlled speed through the tight stuff in hillclimbs & autocrosses

then you will have a very good "FEEL" & a big pile of "quality" experience

& "That`s" when you`re ready for the fast tarmac stuff,,, because you will have already had plenty of fairly fast road experience to blend it all with yeah?

tip here,,, get a good navigator

edit--> oh & when the CAMS mob want to see your previous driving history you can actually then have something quite substantial to show & they will be very pleased with your method of gaining experience.... then getting your rally licence will simply be a matter of filling out the forms & sitting a rally seminar & answering a few questions... probly won`t even need an Observed licence test (OLT)... maybe.

another tip,,, check & re-pack your wheel-bearings & change brake pads half way though a week-long rally

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Have a bucket load of money too, Tarmac rallying is a rich mans sport, have a look at the entry fee's for a start, all you safety equipment such as seats,harnesses,driving suits etc all have to be FIA spec, and if your not in a flash fast car at the head of the feild your treated like garbage.

Doogie

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I won Hay once, here's the pic to prove it..


Hay, it's not about the car, it's not about the venue, it's about the people that come here. Peter Dwyer, Mayor of Hay NSW.

Thanks guys, the motorkhanas definitely seem to be the place to start but I hate to admit that I think Doogie is right, I simply cant afford it. I can't just turn up and expect to rip up some mountain roads then go home.

I guess its just something that will remain a dream for a very long time!

no no no,,, don`t give up,,, all this stuff comes with time & persistence... it`s not really that hard at all

don`t listen to the negative,,, just go for it,,, what will happen is you will have an absolute ball doin motorkhanas,,, then you`ll stumble into a hillclimb or 2 & some autocross meetings,,, maybe find a couple of bitumen sprint meetings to tie up a few loose ends & the next thing you know you`re into a tarmac rally stage

it all happens slowly at first,,, but then the ball starts rolling

all the stuff you need will come as you go along, it`s really a "Bit-by-bit" thing,,, you don`t need all that hard-core expensive stuff in one hit

if you want something, whatever it is--> go for it !!!!!!!

if it doesn`t happen,,, then you never really wanted to do it hey?

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Hey zombie kombi bloke what was it like to do targa tas? Mentally, physically and financially?

I agree with the Zombie - go for it. If its in the blood there are ways. Perhaps aiming at the Targa is not the way to start and while motorsport is more like learning a technique its a fairly steep learning curve.

Starting lower in the curve than a Targa is less expensive but not less rewarding. Motorsport is exciting no matter what vehicle your bum is sitting in. You also learn the skills you need by listening to other people and by simply competing.

Some forms of motor sport are much less expensive than others. Speedway is an example and a lot of fun that teaches you a lot in a hurry. The costs rise as you get better and want to be closer to the front.

Go karts is more about learning finess and very smooth fast driving and with your bum mere inches from the ground at 100 km/h is also exciting. But again as you get faster skills and want to move closer to the pack leaders, the costs rise as you need the better tyres, the range of tuned exhausts etc etc.

Like the Zombie said - pick your entry level motorsport and just do it. My only further advice would be buy a motorsport vehicle suited to the purpose. Dont build your own to start with. You waste so much time and money either repairing it or sorting it. Buy something that is a proven runner and capable of sitting about half way towards the front.

Mike

I don't know the process as others do.
But my best bet would be to join a car club, one that has sporting cars as its basis.
The one I am in is crying out for younger people, under 30 to join as most of us are two and more times that.
We have had driving days at tracks where younger people are taught how to handle a car on a track under supervision.
Also there is always a demand for those willing to act as marshalls.
Perhaps starting off at the bottom like most of us really is a good way to get into motorsport.
My old girl needs a motor rebuild and they were not the car most thought of, but I am thinking of going along and doing some of that work.
There are members who compete in regularity who don't have the same make.
Make some enquiries and try it.

Mike and TheMiniMan, you are to be congratulated. It is great to see some words of encouragement towards people who are interested but have no idea where to start. Your positive outlook will inspire younger people to have a go and keep these minis out on the track. I think what you have said is terrific.

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Flute - 68 MK I Cooper S
Member: VMCI #2474
Member: International Mini Model Collectors Club

Carter,,, it was an absolute ball, the whole thing

it was a little dawnting at first & after thinking that i really didnt know what i was getting myself into,,, it became easy-peasy & was just plain & simple fun

the phsical side was easy for me as im quite fit (or was) & i also went to the gym for 6 mths prior to the event just to make sure,,, but yes it was a very tiring event,,, fell asleep at the dinner table twice that week true

financially,,, well i just took out a $15,000 master-card,,, took 2 years to pay it off , but it was worth every second & every penny & id do it again in a "heart-beat" heart-beat--> get it??? heart-beat ha ha,,, im funny today

& thanks Flute,,, you-re soooooooooooooo right man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kids should be getting into cars at the age of 7 or 8 & learning how to drive properly, in a controled & safe environment like a race track or motorkhana ground

that way they-re quite safe driving when they-re trying to get away from the cops

just kidding

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

I think Mike is on the right track , go check out a kart meeting somewhere , talk to some people there about the different classes that they run, you should find a class that suits and there are no shortage of second hand karts for sale . Karts can be a low cost entry into motorsport , and you can cart them around in the back of a ute or a box trailer .

I don't race karts at all , b ut i've mucked around with them with my brother who used to race them on a fun level , and let me tell you , once you have a run in one you will be addicted .After a few years out of them , he has just purchased a second hand Rotax engined kart to go racing with , so i'm looking forward to having a squirt in it .

goodie,,, you-re right,,, they are VERY adictive,,, bulk fun too,,, VERY FUN!!!!

beware tho,,, there "used" to be a bit of a """silence system""" in the guts of go-kart racing scene,,, i-m not sure if it-s still there these days, but not many people would help out if you were new in the sport back in the good ol days,,, maybe they were frightened that if they helped you that you may end up quicker than them there was a bit of a secret war inside the scene back then,,, it was a sheepstations thing

maybe not these days tho

however,,, becareful that go-karts can consume your whole life,,, not a bad thing,,, just be warned,,,they really are "THat" much fun trust me,,,i know this... they very nearly got me out of minis& full-on into go-karts true---> but not quite --> only " Nearly"

EDIT--> damn i miss those damn go-karts

now where-s my buggy, why isn-t the wiring loom finished???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Lol, another couple of great posts Matt!!
Merry Christmas!!!

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"Beware the lollipop of mediocrity: lick it once and you'll suck forever" Brian Wilson

Very good advice.
My brother in-law, years ago decided to get into speedway sidecar racing.
He had no experience whatsoever in any form of racing.
He did just that.....bought a known front runner but also an easy handler.
In a very short period he was winning handicaps. Sold that bike and bought another known more powerful front runner and began winning against the champs and then built his own bike on which he came oh! so close to taking out the Australian championship.

My choice when getting into motor sport was rallying as I felt there were a number of benefits compared to some other forms, especially circuit racing. The cost to set-up a basic reliable car was less, the competitive distance covered per event was more (more bang for your buck), and there were fewer people watching you make a fool of yourself as you were usually in the middle of a forest late at night. The enjoyment of drifting a Cooper S on wide dirt roads is unforgettable and really helped with car control in daily driving. Being awarded the wooden spoon as last finisher on the 1977 Alpine Rally (Australian championship - George Fury, Colin Bond, Greg Carr, Ross Dunkerton, etc.) felt better than a middling finish on a club event.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43