You want to be a ProRally star? Bur you're not named Simo, Per, Timo or Erik. Hm. Then you need a plan.

Plan A: Call the SCCA, get the rules and start building a car. When the car is finished, go practice. Learn from your mistakes, think about what happened while you rebuild the car and do not make the same mistake twice. Repeat. Start entering ClubRally events.

Plan B: Call the Team O'Neal Rally School. Learn form Tim's mistakes and ProRally experience. Learn how to left foot break, do a pendulum turn, read roads and gain enough confidence in your car control to go over a blind crest flat out ( in second gear anyway, you just started, remember). Ask questions about building a car properly, get the rules and build a car right the first time. Start entering ClubRally events.Veteran Pro Rallyist and driving instructor Tim O'Neil has built what has to be the finest rally training facility in North America (and possibly the world). Located in northern New Hampshire, the site features a 200-ft skid pad, an 80-ft wide slalom and avoidance exercise area and three miles (ever expanding) of stage roads. "Junction City," site of the day three final exam has fifteen different types of corners. All of the roads and practice areas are groomed gravel and, while it is unlikely you will ever outgrow this facility, Team O'Neil has access to several other private gravel roads.

Team O'Neal offers one- and two-day advanced car control schools, a three-day rally school and advanced rally training year round. If you are serious about rallying, start with the three-day rally school. Day one starts with a classroom discussion about the five types of skids and how to correct them, the 10 reasons for left foot braking, vehicle dynamics and weight transfer and what to expect over the next three days. Driving sessions start on the skid pad, move to braking and avoidance exercises and finish with the slalom course. The demonstration runs will amaze you, but much of our time will be spent breaking old habits and learning to trust in the new techniques.

Day two continues on the slalom, the brake begins to steer the vehicle and you are introduced to pendulum turns. Things that seemed impossible on day one begin to make sense, the slalom runs become much faster and nearly every student does the "chicken walk". Do a perfect pendulum turn, stop to let it sink in and it is impossible not to stand up straighter - maybe even strut a little - as you get out of the car.

The first part of day three is spent back at the exercises, perfecting timing, anticipation and compensation. The slalom is up to third gear, the steering wheel barely moves as left foot braking becomes second nature and the pendulum turns take up less and less road. The classroom discussion focuses on how to use the techniques you have learned in the real world. The afternoon is spent putting everything together as you challenge yourself around the many blind turns of "Junction City".
Take my advice, take your significant other and do what I did. Sign up for a three-day rally school and be amazed as you watch your wife do a perfect pendulum turn.

Team O'Neil can be reached by calling (603) 823-55588 or on the internet at www.teamoneil.com.