Local Rally School

[Chris101]

Hey Guys,

Odd topic for a forum post, but maybe you can help me out.

There is an employee at my office (Bob), involved in the rally racing scene. The story is that Bob raced when he was younger, and then at some point around 18 had to decide if he wanted to race professionally or not. He opted to not race professionally, and decided to start a school to teach up-and-coming rally drivers. IIRC the school is somewhere 2 hours north-west of Calgary.

Fast forward a few years (Bob is now mid-twenties), and his rally school brings him 2.5 million personally, teaches the best racers in the world, and is expanding into Europe. He works at our office during the day "to keep himself grounded", and teaches at night.

My reaction upon hearing the story when I started here was that it sounded suspicious. The details didn't add up (at least in my mind), something in his non-verbals always seemed strange when he told his stories, and he seemed to brag a lot more than your average uber-successful mid-twenties dude; but maybe he's just a strange guy. Either way I really, really didn't care. I come to work, do my job, and have very little interest in whether a co-worker is embellishing the details of his life.

Unfortunately, I'm now working in very close quarters with Bob, and am bombarded with various stories on the daily. Knowing absolutely nothing about the rally scene, I can't tell if I'm getting truths, half-truths, or just outstandingly blatant lies.

I'm hoping someone here is connected to the local/national/global rally scene well enough to know this guy, or know that a guy like this does not exist. If not, maybe you guys can help educate me on the rally scene so that I have a better sense of whether I'm being fed BS or not.

[Cos]

I have never heard of a 2.5 mil a year rally school and not sure where he would train. Also 99% of rally drivers come out of Finland so unless he trains them there I dont know. Also most instructors seem to be rally champions after they retire.

Any idea of a website?

[Chris101]

No website.
No results when you search his name + rally.
No name for the company, just a business number.

The story behind the lack of marketing is that all the business comes from established relationships with car manufacturers, and their rally teams.

[Cos]

Personally? He is full of it. There are only two 'schools' that operated in Calgary that I know of. Skip Barber and BGRP (motorcycle) and that was out of race city. I know that Brad either barely made a living or didnt at all and I think Skip Barber does okay.

The only way he could get recognition like that is to be in the minor or kart leagues. He would be really well known. Then a team would pick him up either as a backup driver or a car tester. That is the only thing really he could do to get in with those guys with no real marketing. He should still have smaller records to his name though.

I dont KNOW if he is full of it but the lack of proof is disturbing. Does he drive like a dick on the street? I find 99.999% of people who track their cars are super chill on the street. Especially professional race drivers.

[Chris101]

Thanks for the info man. I agree with you, but as you mention it's tough to KNOW someone is full of shit. I suppose I could just tell him that I think he's full of shit and to not involve me in story time.

Had he of been a legitimate talent from say 16-22, what sort of leagues or circuits would he have raced in?

[4WARNED]

unless his name if Jorge Drascolas (AB) or Pat Richard (BC), someone is blowing smoke.........there's no one local getting rich teaching rally.....

[Disoblige]

I'm sure someone of his "passion" for the sport would have plenty of pics.

Ask him if he has any pictures.

[Tomaz]

Tell him i am interested in signing up for lessons. Let's see what that digs up.

[GT4rally]

It is COMPLETE BS!! He's full of shit!

I've been involved in rally since '97 and there is no way in hell that anyone makes a sustainable living, let alone millions, running a rally school in North America. If you started a year round school in Alberta, you'd be bankrupt in months. The only "rally school" available in Alberta is put on by the Calgary Sports Car Club in the gravel parking lot at Race City ... hardly a money maker! Actually, they have lost money doing it in the past.

Comparing the top European rally drivers to best N.A. drivers is much like comparing midget hockey players to NHL players. There have only been a couple driver's from this continent that have ever been competitive (John Buffum, Pat Richard, Ken Block) but ALL of them spent hundreds of thousands of their own money to go over there and race.

It sounds too me like this "Bill" guy chose to lie about rally racing for the simple fact that he knew is was a relatively obscure sport in Canada, thus reducing his chances of getting caught in a ridiculous lie!

Wow, I wish that douche worked with me, I'd make him look like a fool pretty quickly... but I think he's managed to do that already.

[Chris101]

Disoblige - I've done this. I've asked to see his track on Google maps, I've asked to see pics of the cars he talks about, etc. There's always an excuse for why he can't provide anything. He's very slippery when I challenge things he says.

Tomaz - I've asked him to take me up the track and give me lessons. He went on about only qualified racers beings allowed up to the track for insurance reasons.

4WARNED - Thanks for the info.

GT4rally - Unfortunately, the majority of the people I work with believe the stories. I've discreetly asked a couple of them if he may be embellishing/exaggerating/lying, and the response is always "why would anybody lie about that?". That logic alone makes me want to punch a wall.

[GT4rally]

Well Chris, you can rest assured that every thing he is telling you about his "rally career" is a bold faced lie, and actually is not even possible. I'd stay clear of this dude!

[BlackArcher101]

:rofl: What a load of BS.

I haven't been involved in the rally scene for longer than 5 years, but I can tell you no one with that name or situation has appeared in talks.

I used to work with someone who would continually lie and make up stories about their life to get attention. Man it annoyed the hell out of me.

[Chris101]

BlackArcher101 - Not that it matters, but his name isn't actually Bob. I don't know the legalities around posting about someone in a public forum, so I went with Bob. I can PM you his real name if you want.

[Disoblige]

It's too obvious this guy is a joke.

Too bad you work with him because he totally deserves to be called out on it.

[chkolny541]

ive known a few people like this too, always full of excuses. If i was making 2.5 mill in a rally school id have boat loads of pictures bragging

[ExtraSlow]

I knew a guy once who claimed to be a Conservation Officer for the Alberta Government, as well as a rap attack wildland firefighter. He ran a moderately successful side business teaching people Search and Rescue courses.

In the end, he had no certifications for any of that, and his entire life was a lie. He had some menial job in the city.

Guys like this exist, and they are mentally ill, just stay away.

[se7en]

Fat white guy? Misshapen head? Maybe a mustache? Hilarious.

[flipstah]

What if you say I haz monies for rally school training?

If the price is right and the snow's out, I might be game. :burnout:

Otherwise, I'll just wait when VEX has another one (http://forums.beyond.ca/st/344483/vex-rallycross-school-2011/)

[89s1]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow

Guys like this exist, and they are mentally ill, just stay away.

:werd:
I went to school with one.



No, not rally school.