I’ve rallying worldwide for 20 years and have had the same budget minded format which over the years has not dented my bank balance too much and CR is the cheepest so far. Good stages, good people, good fans, good times!!!
So what did 4 events in CR cost me? Remember I’m talking about N1 and just being out there. If you want to win then a small budget you can forget….jajajaja
Initial purchase of the car and the work needed to make it competitive was approximately $5900 which also I use to go to work.
Per rally costs were entry $190, Fuel/oil $75 , Tyres $269 (2), Hotel (if needed) $100, Food $30 minus the sponsor money I received $300 The out of pocket cost per rally was $364
To start rallying you will need at least $1200 for your suit, Helmet, gloves, neck support, shoes and underwear. Plus the yearly fee for licenses which is around $150.
Checking CRautos.com you could get a Suzuki Swift GTI or similar for around $2500 but has to be under 20 years old. Add another $2500 for the cage and safety stuff and you will be getting close to a competitive low budget rally car. Or better still buy a rally car already built and improve it. The front suspension cost me $220. I use modified STI road struts which are almost unbreakable. The rear struts were on the car and work well. The engine, gearbox and brakes are stock only needing upgraded clutch and pads.
So for around $6000 you can be out there rallying with the best teams in CR. Sponsors you can find. The fee does not have to be much. Just ask for something to cover costs. Also I drive to the events and back (I hope) and do my own service which saves on the expenses. I do all my own preparation so this also saves. I even know of multi-owned cars where the owners take it in turn to drive.
If you have the passion for rally like we do you can make it happen.
For next season it would be fantastic to see more lower budget N1 cars out there. Just because it’s N1 does not mean it is not fun……we had a great time and will be back for more next season.
