A brand-new scheme aimed at developing British rallying talent, 'Junior Rallying', will be launched at the Autosport International show next month.
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," read a statement from the founders of the scheme. "At the centre of 'Junior Rallying' lies a three-year programme 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' programme comprises three distinct phases, run concurrently in any calendar year but treated as separate activities and the full programme 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 programmes, 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.
