My Passion with Joe Taylor

Every young boy dreams of getting the chance to race a fast, powerful car, but not everyone has the opportunity to actually get behind the wheel.

From a young age, motorsport has been in my blood. My dad used to race rally cars, and when he wasn’t participating we’d often spend our weekends together watching the RAC Rally.

I didn’t just enjoy the speed of the race though. I was fascinated with the mechanics of the cars too so when the opportunity arose to build a rally car, my dad and I jumped at the chance.

It took us 12 months to construct the 1994 1.01 16v Nissan Micra, which we built to the Formula 1000 specification for tarmac rallying. We lightened it to save as much weight as possible and fitted it with fully-adjustable suspension and up-rated brakes. When I passed my driving test at the age of 17, I joined my local motor clubs – David Brown MC and Huddersfield MC – and took part in production car trials and auto test where I learned car characteristics and handling. I knew the first time I took the car to one of these events that I wanted to be a rally driver.

I attended club practice days in a bid to improve my times, and track days to adjust my suspension set-ups and try new parts on the car. Then in 2008 I got my competition licence and started rallying for real.

The annual Formula 1000 1.01 Rally Championship comprises a series of 10 tarmac rallies, from which your six best results make up the final standings.

Although you race against the clock, speed is nothing without control. As a driver you need to know your car and its handling capabilities inside out, and you also need to trust your co-driver implicitly because you’re relying on their every instruction. This can be quite nerve-racking when you’re a rally rookie – it takes a while to get used to the fact that they know what’s coming up on the track and you don’t.

I had my first victory in April 2009, and by 2010 I was the Formula 1000 tarmac champion.

Once I’d got the champion-ship under my belt I also wanted to experience what it was like to be the person in charge of the map not the wheel, so I put myself forward to be a co-driver. The skills I showed during my first ever navigating attempt were noted by a fellow rally driver, and as a result he’s just asked me to be his co-driver for the Rally GB – the biggest event in the British calendar. I can’t wait.

Ultimately, I want to progress to driving larger, faster cars so I can be noticed and respected as a rally driver. It’s not the cheapest hobby though, so I largely rely on corporate sponsorship and the support of my employer at the moment. My absolute dream would be to race for a living, or to build and maintain rally cars for as long as my fingers and my brain will allow me to do so.