Junior Rallying launches to train the UK’s future rally champions
A brand-new scheme aimed at developing British rallying talent, Junior Rallying, will be launched at next year’s Autosport International show at the NEC, 10-13 January 2008. The scheme is the brainchild of FIA World Rally Championship co-driver Gemma Price and has attracted former British Rally Champion Gwyndaf Evans as its patron and chief instructor. The guiding principles of Junior Rallying are to give 14 year-old British teenagers interested in a career in rallying a head-start in the sport. At the centre of Junior Rallying lies a three-year program for participants, which sees formal coaching of theoretical and practical skills backed-up with actual competition in Latvia, where drivers can compete from 15 years of age.
The concept for the scheme was born when Price began co-driving for young British star Tom Cave in the Latvian Rally Championship, at the wheel of an M3Motorsport-prepared MG ZR. Cave, aged 15 at the time, proved exceptionally skilled and competitive and Latvia was the only option for him to develop his skills through actual competition.
The Junior Rallying program comprises three distinct phases, run concurrently in any calendar year but treated as separate activities and the full program will see participants progress through all three phases over a three-year period, one phase in each calendar year.
Phase 1 is based in the UK and sees candidates undergo a series of formal training programs, carried out during school holidays so as not to interfere with their education. Overseen by Price and Evans, the 14 year-old trainees will begin to learn car control skills at the Sweet Lamb Motorsport Complex, driving vehicles including the range of Kia cars.
They will also undergo physical and mental training to begin to prepare them for the demands of a career in professional motorsport, while fitness and diet will also be covered to build an awareness of well-being, not simply for motorsport but for their general health.
Phase 2, which takes place in the calendar year following Phase 1, will see the graduates take part in the Latvian RallySprint championship. This series is made up of seven, one-day events with a recce in the morning and approximately 50 stage kilometres of actual competition in the afternoon. This will not only be their first taste of driving under competitive conditions but also, making their own pace notes, under the guidance of experienced co-driver Price.
The third phase of the programme will see the drivers compete in the Latvian Rally Championship. Again, a seven-event series, this features genuine multi-venue rallies with a recce and two days of competition on the three surfaces which make up the WRC: Snow and ice, gravel and asphalt.
By the time they graduate from Junior Rallying at 16 or 17, the drivers will have three years of invaluable experience, gained progressively and first-hand, from a range of professional motorsport experts. At this stage, they will be ready to continue their rally career but with three-year head-start on their competition. Alternatively, they will be in a perfect position to potentially join one of the existing schemes in the UK to further their experience.
Patron of the scheme and Chief Instructor, Gwyndaf Evans, said: “I am delighted to have been asked to join Junior Rallying. This scheme is a fantastic idea, to begin developing the next generation of British rallying talent through a formalised approach, combining theory and practical learning with actual competition itself.
“As I have found with my son Elfyn, there is no better way of developing the skills required to succeed than actual competition and at present, that’s simply not possible anywhere other than in Latvia. With the support of the Latvian Automobile Federation and Gemma and M3Motorsport’s experiences with Tom over the last season, I am confident that the scheme will be a great success. I’m also sure that some of the names we see joining us next year will eventually become far more familiar, in either the British or ideally, the World Rally Championship.”
Price is also confident that Junior Rallying will provide a much-needed route into the sport for the next generation; “I have been particularly impressed with Tom’s approach to rallying, as well as his ability and ultimately, his competitiveness. The fact that we can compete with a 15 year-old driver and gain the kind of experience that isn’t possible until at least 17 in the UK means that young drivers have a unique opportunity with Junior Rallying. The Latvian Automobile Federation is behind the scheme completely and has pledged its support to us to ensure that the UK’s up-and-coming drivers can compete their with their full blessing, through Junior Rallying.”
Junior Rallying has secured the support of a range of world-class blue-chip organizations, all of whom see the potential for the scheme for developing future champions. Principal partner to the project is the innovative IT company, Red Vista. Director Russell Bartley said: “When Gemma came to us with the idea, I immediately thought this could give us the opportunity to find a new world rally champion. I couldn’t resist that thought and that is the reason that Red Vista is backing Junior Rallying.” In addition, the UK distributor for Korean automotive manufacturer Kia Motors is behind the scheme, providing cars for training purposes for the phase 1 intake. The scheme has also secured automotive lighting specialists PIAA and safety experts Lifeline as key partners, with more partners expected to be announced soon.
The scheme will launch officially at next month’s Autosport International show, where potential candidates for the first round of qualifying test days will be able to register at the Junior Rallying stand, number 8100 in Hall 8.
For more information, go to juniorrallying.co.uk or email info@juniorrallying.co.uk .
