Rally 101

RALLY 101

things you need to know about rally racing that you didn’t think to ask.

With Jonah Street held captive in the back seat on our way to California’s Dumont Dunes for the accompanying story and photo shoot, we took the opportunity to ask Street all the stupid questions about rally racing that don’t typically get asked. Here are the top five.

1 With early starts and all-day stages, when and where do you, uh, poop?

—I / really try not to during a stage, but in Mongolia last year, I had to. Sometimes you just have to, but before the rally each year, I try to change my body’s schedule so that I can go early in the morning before the stage.

2 What Is a waterboy?

Well, it started out as a guy on your team who would carry water for you. But now it has evolved into a guy who is on similar machinery and there to help you. If you’re lost or if you have a motorcycle problem, he can cannibalize his bike to fix yours and get you to the finish. It would be a huge help to have one next year!

3 Is preparation the most important aspect of a rally?

Honestly, to do this race professionally, you have to prepare for a year. We’ve proven that we can finish, so now we need to quit screwing around and throwing things together at the last minute. The other teams and riders are just too prepared; they aren’t showing up at the race and then riding their bikes for the first time without testing, like we did.

4 What is a long-mileage day in the saddle?

A pretty average day is 300 miles, but a long day can be as high as 550 miles. Most of the special sections [timed] are around 200 miles. But usually leading up to the rest day and then for a few after, you’ll do specials that are closer to 300 miles.

5 How much money is required for a privateer to do the race?

Well, I don’t know this for sure, but reliable sources have said that the KTM factory team has a one-million-euro budget for each of its riders at Dakar. The entry fee for the bike and rider alone is $20,000, covering food, medical and fuel for special tests. Last year, we spent about $100,000. But a doable budget to try to win solo would be $400,000. Ideally, for a factorylevel effort including a waterboy, it would take $1 million.