Kyle Kosir switches to Canadian Rally Championship for 2011 season

[kylekosir]

Kyle Kosir has announced this will be his last season racing for the Canadian Formula 1200 series. Kyle joined the team in 2008 and keeping in the final two races that season. His best finish was 8th. By the 2009 season Kyle found him self a handful of corporate sponsors. Home Depot being his main sponsor. Kyle traveled to around fifteen Home Depot stores across Ontario with the car and signed a number of autographs and explained on the cars performance.

Kyle has been driving open wheel and the switch to closed wheel rally will be a new challenge and experience. “ This was probably the hardest decision I have had to make, with a job transfer and leaving a team I have been with for three years. This will be a new challenge and new chapter in my racing career” Kyle said.

Kyle will be running the Home Depot Formula 1200 race car for the last time this season. Nothing has been announced on the rally car, co- driver or sponsors for next season. “ I still have a whole year to find all that stuff. I have already been talking to a few people if they would try it out to be my co-driver. I still would have to get a whole new budget and sponsors ready.”


Gary Sutherland and Andrew Kowalski have been running and 2003 Ford Focus and Kyle has been in touch with them. Kyle and Gary both attended Fanshawe College “I think being roommates with Gary, he got the racing bug from me. After they said they were doing Nav Rallies and so on I have always wanted to try it. Now its happening for next season.”

[Matra et Alpine]

WOW !
What rally experience have you had Kyle ?
Will you carry over your sponsors as it's gonig to be expensive if you want to win
Is the series a navigational or pace notes ??

What car(s) you looking at to use ?

If you've good sponsors lined up I know an excellent co-driver willing to come out of "retirement" for flights, accomodation and aged malt whisky

[kylekosir]

Aha I have had none in rallying. But I have been racing since I was 8. We won't know anything until July/ August. I understand it will be expensive. We have targeted ourself for the season budget and marketing we will be doing for this season.

The Cars we will be looking at are the four choices:
1. 2004 Subaru Impreza something. Trying to look for the older 2 door that Richard Burns Drove of that style.
2. Mitsubishi Lancer Within the same year or older 2004
3. Ford Focus 2006 or older
4. VW Golf R32- Im trying to get VW Backing at the moment.

If there are any other cars i should consider that is in North America as we dont have Peugeot, Citroen, or Renault Please let me know.
Kyle

[Matra et Alpine]

Advices get a LOT of practise in.
Rallying is nothing like racing.
You only get one chance to get a corner right and the fastest, unlike track where you can work the setup in practise and the line in race.
Setup is MUCH MORE difficult as much more movement to plan for and usually HUGE variation in surface in a stage.
Tyre selection ( and affording them ) is another level beyond track

.. oh and you've got a nav who may at the last minute decide to call a corner differently

I wish you all the best, but I strongly recommend before buying and setting up a team you should hire a car from a reputable company and hire some of the stages and find out how your limits and times compare. ( We're lucky here, you can hire a 10 mile forest stage for £500 and run it as many times as you want in the day )

What class you want to run in ?
2 door impreza will likely be WRC spec, 4 door are GroupN ( used to be A ) spec.
This will limit the class and events you can run in ( or at least it does in Europe )
In GroupN the 4 door cars are typically stronger/stiffer than the 2 door equivalents.

Will it be tarmac, forest or mixed stages ?
If lots of tarmac the older Lancer is a winner. Bring in some forest and I'd prefer the slightly twitchier Scooby.

Considering cars in 2WD class, more of a level playing field amongst teams/drivers and much lower cost ??

Finaly, look long and hard at the competition.
Will be very difficult to continue sponsorship if the drivers and teams you are up against are very strong.
So pick the car and class to compete in to increase the chance of success for you and your sponsors.
Lots depends on the type of events - see Q above.

Sorry if this is sounding too negative, but I've competed with, followed ( and supported ) many drivers who think the transition will bring success. Sadly even those who DO all the homework and testing before leaping don't necessarily succeed.

Happy to help in the forum if you want to ask any questions, but remember I'm UK based and experience is in European national events and international rallies of 15 years ago. Driver, nav and team support. SO may be ZERO use in Canada in 2011