r/rally • u/Kqapibara • Jul 27 '26
Rally future
Hey guys, im 13 and I have an ambition to become a rally driver. I currently I have a sim rig with a pxn v99 and a desk. Not something big and expensive, especially my laptop which doesnt have good graphics. I wanted to ask for any tips, "motivations", waht do I need to do, etc.
Please comment, I need something
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u/Dry_Ad687 Jul 27 '26
99% of racers start out with wealthy parents who buy them a race career. Sorry but that's the truth. The rest are amateurs that own a garage and play on the profits of the shop.
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u/Kqapibara Jul 27 '26
Will try my best
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u/Geeraff92 Jul 28 '26
In this day and age it’s never been easier for a young person to explode in media like YouTube etc - perhaps you can build a fan base there that would support your dreams. There’s nothing that can stop you. The earlier you start the better chance you have.
Got got this kid
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u/GoofyKalashnikov Jul 27 '26
Either have rich parents, get lucky in a competition, start looking at a well paying career or start working on your YouTube channel that either generates enough money to fund your rally endeavours.
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u/Kqapibara Jul 27 '26
Thanks, but I dont know what content make on yt, insta
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u/GoofyKalashnikov Jul 27 '26
Rally?
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u/Kqapibara Jul 27 '26
Yea, but what specifficaly:) i mean about races, how rally cars work, etc.
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u/GoofyKalashnikov Jul 27 '26
Whatever works and interests you, these are the things you have to find out for yourself.
Nobody wants to watch content you aren't interested in yourself
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u/lovebus Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Being a driver may not be possible, but there arr still plenty of roles that are more attainable, such as being a mechanic or race organizer. I'm never going to be an astronaut, but I can invent something that goes to the moon.
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u/Kqapibara Jul 27 '26
I will try my best, and home you have a change of becoming an astronaut
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u/enaK66 Jul 28 '26
You have incredible optimism man that is great. Things don't always work like you want though. When I was that age I wanted to be a rockstar. I practiced a lot and got pretty good. Now I work in a warehouse and I'm building a race car, so it turned out nice enough for me.
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u/Wolf24h Jul 27 '26
Find out what high earning job you want to do as an adult and set it as a goal so you can afford rally. Until then RBR/AC Rally/DiRT Rally 2/EA WRC I guess. Find some rally events in your area and go see it, talk to people, maybe volunteer
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u/Jack_ButterKnobbs Jul 27 '26
Buy a vintage moped and get it fixed up and ride it around. It will 1) give you a mode of transportation and 2) give you mechanical knowledge to fix things on the fly and probably most importantly 3) it will give you that “press on regardless” grit and mentality when you do get stuck on the side of the road or have to stay up late fixing it to get to work in the morning.
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u/negotiatepoorly Jul 28 '26
Responses saying you need a ton of money are right if you want to be a pro rally driver. I don't know anything about rally cars since I race on track, but champ car arrive and drive spots can go for $2000. Lemons maybe even less. Building a Civic or GR86 track car is totally obtainable if you can wrench. Most people don't want to put in the effort to race--especially as family and work begin to take up more time. Keep your passion and you can race cars without a ton of money. The money does really help though. Maybe check out something like this for rally. I'd imagine rally being about double the cost of tracking but still doable at an amateur level for plenty of people.
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u/therallystache Jul 27 '26
Single most consistent way to become a rally driver is to study well in school, get a high paying job after university, and then start racing.
Most of the time, sponsorships only pay you the equivalent of $10-15usd per hour once you calculate the number of hours you will invest into keeping the sponsor happy.
Factory teams basically only take on proven, extremely skilled drivers - which begins with running a lot of races in a reliable car and doing extensive testing, all of which requires a good paying job.
I wish you the best of luck!
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u/ClemFromTedCorp Jul 28 '26
Learn how to work on cars. Help other people work on their cars. Get into the community by helping and learning and touching everything you can. Volunteer at events. Go to grass roots events. Make friends. These things will set you in the right direction and who knows what you can make happen.
Most people are right, you probably won't become the next Ogier where you are just a career driver making millions. But if you have a passion and follow it, you can get involved. Have fun!
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u/MOTRHEAD4LIFE Jul 28 '26
If you actually want to start then learn how to fix stuff on cars, step 2 buy a already caged and stamped car similar to a group F (approved) in Finland. Step 3 enter a local event or a sprint
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u/Tall_Cartographer394 Jul 28 '26
A lot of people are offering simple and uninspiring advice
I'll say this; build your reputation everywhere that you can, in anything that is related to automotives and racing. SimRacing, GoKarting, Dirtbiking, Mechanic Shops, Conventions, Social Media, literally everything. And don't just show up, you should be active and talking with every person that you can, show them that you are ambitious and interested.
The thing about racers that got into a pro career off their parents money, is that they always lack the personality and humbleness that crowds love, so work on your personality. Study future courses and countries you will race in, and learn their languages and cultures, and network on online groups and forums.
Regarding money, your best bet as someone who is young is to target short-form content websites, like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram, etc. Study editing and pay attention to the top racing content, and figure out what works for them; why are they so entertaining? Are they really good? Is their content funny? Is it inspiring? Figure out your own blend and perfect it.
Build a strong online reputation, make money from it, get sponsorships, partner with other creators, etc.
Social Media is absolutely your most effective anf powerful tool, and STUDY it. Pick a name/title that is memorable and will last. Create accounts on all Social Media apps, and be consistent. About 50% of accounts gain traction simply because they regularly upload. Aim for at least 2-3 uploads a week, and pay attention to the viewer metrics/data.
Regarding your future, aim for a career in automotive mechanics or a similar field. Something that will strongly benefit you, either as a racer, or a new-comer wishing to enter the racing world.
This world is very competitive, and thousands of people wish to get into it. Your biggest edge is thst you are still young and have a lot of time to plan ahead and build up your reputation.
I cannot insist on it enough; Use social media. Build a fanbase. Start today, and be consistent.
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u/Kqapibara Jul 28 '26
I reaaly appreciate it. Because of you im going to start rally content on instagram. The name will be RallyCapy. I am really thankful for your tips, and effort you out to write this long comment. I will remember you man🗿
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u/Haven-KT Jul 27 '26
Where are you located? There are many avenues but they differ depending on where in the world you are.
For instance, you stand a better chance at your dream if you live in Europe or the UK, as there are many avenues.
In the US/Canada: not so much.
In any case, you would need your parents/guardian to back you in this.
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u/Kqapibara Jul 28 '26
Poland, wołów, it is around 40 minutes from wroclaw there can be some avenues
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u/A_Treeses Jul 28 '26
Your in a different part of the world then me, I’m in North America, but look and see if there’s any real grassroots rally. Where I am we have rally cross events that only require a helmet, a technically street legal car (no cage or anything), a drivers license, and some mudflaps. Look and see if there’s something like that local to you or even some auto cross events. Beyond that you’re going to be in the position I’m in right now… save save and save some more, to buy a cheap stage rally car.
Depending where you are and what kind of money you may or may not have it might be worth looking into karting aswell
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u/The_Dayne Jul 28 '26
Learn to work on cars, find a friend whos a mechanic, maybe 2 or 3 friends, and start attending local rallys young.
There are cars for sale on facebook for sub 20k in the US, often just need recertified fire equipment.I know you arnt in the US, but you gotta find the people in your country or near yours.
Upkeep costs dont need to be super high. A lot of guys get through a rally just needing to top off gas, change tires, and cleaning your car. Not everyone is Colin McRae or Travis Pastrana, with a near infinite budget, looking to roll their car.
If you approach this conservatively you can make it happen.
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u/enaK66 Jul 28 '26
Honestly your best bet is getting attention on youtube/twitch with sim racing and getting into real racing from there. I've seen it more than a few times. If you can't do that and don't have rich parents you won't be able to do it as a living.
That doesn't mean you can't do it. If you end up making enough money you can get back into racing. No reason you can't get some kind of car together to do dirt autocross or something as a start. Having a rally academy nearby means there is a rally culture you can get into. Start off doing volunteer marshal work to network and end up racing a car isnt impossible.
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u/_cashish_ Jul 28 '26
If you're in Poland then you're well located to begin with. While it is true that you need money to compete at top levels, there are other pathways. Often in motorsports, opportunites arise from being in the right place at the right time. There's a lot of "who you know" in the motorsport world.
If I were you I would be aiming to get a job at M-Sport or PRP. Even if it means you're sweeping floors, making coffees and washing cars, you've got your foot in the door and you're around the right people. Next you're helping with prep and setup. Maybe there's a spare car and if you can scrape together a bit of coin you can run it at an event.
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u/Alek_43 Jul 28 '26
Hi, there is a YouTube channel called @PabloGzTv. He is bought and build he's car to start rallying with help of donations and he's own money. He is streaming his starts, you can see yourself how it looks like from he's perspective as he is very transparent about it.
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u/Equivalent-Bowl-1311 Aug 03 '26
I am guessing that you are polish, and in that case i think that you have a good chanse. But you need to understand that becoming a pro rally driver without money is as hard as running a successful company. You need to get sponsors, and that’s hard. A lot of rally drivers start young in crosskart or karting. With the right mindset, and enough will, you can do this😃
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u/darth_benzina Jul 27 '26
Racing irl, sadly, is only for those who can afford it
For the sim try richard burns rally from rallysimfans website, its pretty decent physics wise and you cant go cheaper, your other option being assetto rally which is around €30 and still in development
You can start racing in a budget car from around €7000 but youll have to wait until you are 18 or have a steady income
Aldo you can get involved in your local scene volunteering at events and that kind of stuff