Everyone wants to be a race car driver, but co-drivers have it made. Here are some reasons why co-driving is better than driving in stage rally.
1. You Don't Need A Race Car
Think about it, building a race car is a lot of time and money. Hours upon hours of work goes in to building a rally car. If you can't dedicate time to building a car and don't have the cash to have someone build it for you, then driving in a rally may not be an option. Even if you do, think about all of the maintenance you'd have to do after every event. You can get a decent rally car for $10-15K, suspension can run you $5000, and a set of tires with spares can run you $1200. If you want to participate in a rally, but you're not ready to spend that kind of time or money, then co-driving is a pretty good option.
2. Very Inexpensive
As a co-driver, the amount you have to chip in for the entry fee for the event and the lodging will vary up to 50%. But with experience, this amount will go down. Total entry fees are $1000 per event on average, and the cost is lower if you pay earlier. Some very experienced co-drivers get flown out and never pay a dime. You're avoiding a lot of costs that the driver has to deal with such as towing the car, gas, and a majority of the lodging costs.
3. Easy To Get Into
All you really need is a helmet, head and neck restraint, race suit, and a lot of confidence! That will probably run you about $1000 total, but confidence is priceless. It would also help to talk to an experienced co-driver to help show you the ropes.
4. Easier To Participate In More Rallies
Since you don't need to prepare and maintain a car before every event, you never have to worry about missing an event because your car isn't ready. There are always drivers out there looking for someone to co-drive for them, and you could be that person! Make a list of rallies that you want to attend and ask around. NASA Rally Sport even has a matchmaker service for drivers looking for co-drivers. Be sure to put yourself on that list!
5. Almost As Fulfilling As Driving
Being a co-driver is an important duty, and it becomes even more important for faster drivers. The safety and performance of the driver lies in your hands. In a way, you are somewhat driving the car. If you tell the driver to speed up and slow down, they will listen since you know what's coming around every corner. It's an exhilarating experience, and it gets even more exciting with faster drivers and complex stages. If anyone says otherwise, then they probably never co-drove before.