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Getting Started Co-Driving Tips

53K views 41 replies 36 participants last post by  Rallykitten 
#1 ·
Hi everyone,my name is Vartan Davtian,I'm new in the forum and in co-driving too. I'll be co-driving in CRS this year..I'm looking anyone to give me any tips or any help please. I did attend Ridgcrest school in february, but I need more help from some well experienced co-drivers or drivers. Please feel free to contact me: My e-mail is natanwrx@yahoo.com
Thanks
Go Rally
 
#37 ·
As a co-driver, you will have to worry about your equipment. Namely, suit and helmet. The tricky part with the helmet is different drivers use different intercoms, and of course the plugs are different. If you are looking to car hop, most helmet manufactures will have adapter plugs. Stock up on these. Don't worry about gloves, or boots, as most sanctioning bodies do not require co-drivers to have them. But, check with your rule books to make sure.

Unfortunately, the best way to learn notes is to actually do them. The actual stage notes (you used Jemba as an example) can be practiced on really any road, at any speed. Each driver prefers different note, delivered at different times, so you will have to get used to that. The tulips are actually very easy to learn, but again only with practice. If possible, see if you can "borrow" someone's previous route book, so you can at least see them before hand.
 
#39 ·
To learn tulips - do a few TSD Rallies. This is by far the easiest, most effective way to get used to them. Also, drivers these days have a terrible habit of not equipping the co-drivers side with a rally computer, so even if you don't have one for the event, it's still useful.

To learn notes - you know, no one has ever given good advice around this other than "do events." However, most drivers don't like a co-driver getting lost and giving wrong notes all the time while "you figure things out," so I'll give two non-conventional methods that have helped me (feel free to blast away).

First, go here and get acclimated with the short hand you'll be experiencing for Jemba notes - http://www.jemba.se/notesUSA.htm

Second, search YouTube for some in-car with audio. Ideally from a driver/car combination similar to what you'll be experiencing and from an event you're likely to do. Or just subscribe to Chris Greenhouse's YouTube channel :)

Get a notebook, play the video, and transcribe what the co-driver is saying in pace note shorthand. This will make reading the shorthand as well as making you're own notes second nature.

Play the video on mute and read the notes yourself. If you're confident the co-driver in the video is good (you can bounce this off an experienced co-driver) you can try to read the notes with the audio and see how your timing compares.

For an extra challenge, download the video using a YouTube or Flash downloader, speed up the footage (approx. 20-50%..I use FreeSmith), and learn to keep up. I would liken this to a baseball player swinging two bats at once before stepping up to the plate. *For me* doing this makes the pace of the car seem underwhelming when I start the stage and causes me to watch the road more so that I wait to call the note at the ideal time. It's taught me to start calling the note while watching the road, then finish reading off the page. I found being able to rely on my eyes as well as my butt has helped immensely with my timing, but that might be past co-driving 101 ;). I still do this with every event now, and once I finish my prep work and understand which stages are similar to previous years, I probably run through the each stage at least two full times on video before I arrive.

My second way of prepping to do notes before rallies was going to a RallyX with a longer course, riding along with a driver, and making notes. Then, you can go back over the same course until the timing was down. I had the fortunate situation before I started co-driving of having a RallyX that was more like a RallySprint (RallyPark Northeast if anyone remembers...). If you can find one like that, or attend an event such as Hyperfest, this would be a great way to get some experience with minimal consequences.

Hope this helps,
Alex
 
#40 ·
Completed my first rally this weekend at Empire state. Previously had done a few stages at a rally sprint. Things I'd add as a novice while it's still fresh in my mind.

Time cards- These can be confusing as hell at first look if you have no frame of reference. They also tend to vary by event. Long story short, get to know the co-drivers around you. You have to calculate your "minute" to check in. Calculate yours, then ask the co-drivers before and after you if they'd mind sharing what there minutes are. The one in front of you should be a minute sooner, and the one after you should be a minute later.

With halo seats, head and neck restraints, tight seats/fat butts, harnesses, intercom connection, you have lots to deal with, so getting ready to go can take some time. Before getting out of the car for whatever reason, leave everything ready for you to hop in and get ready quickly. You don't want to be rushed figuring out where all this stuff is. Get in the habit of leaving it spots you can get at. Besides, nobody wants to get in and sit on a harness buckle.

Transits, when you do recce make sure you are checking the notes for the transit. It's easy to have a misstep that will get you lost. Occasionally the notes could have an error, causing confusion.

Bring a drink. Calling notes dries out your mouth.

Pee when you can, you may not get another chance. It's embarrassing to ask your driver to pull over on transit on the highway, cause your bladder is about to burst.

Your personal safety is your call, but so far, my experience says that a full face helmet stinks for co-driver duty. With head and neck restraints, it's tough to look down, you have to use your eyes instead of your neck, and the closed face helmet prevents you from seeing down. It's helpful to see down for many reasons to see your work, but helps with getting harnesses and other safety equipment latched and adjusted. As a result, my helmet was the last thing on, then neck restraint connected.
 
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