Contrary to popular belief, all professional race drivers are cloned from a tube of pure genetic stock, have kryptonite running through their veins and come from a faraway galaxy where the rivers run golden with C114 race gas. Or maybe not. It could be that they started out just like anyone else who loves cars, going fast and spinning wrenches. There are many paths to the top, but they all have two things in common: years of training and a willingness to work their way up from the bottom.

At the turn of the 20th century, the auto racing scene was a Wild West of unregulated events with no particular schedule, safety measures or requirement for driver training. Literally anyone who showed up with a car and money could buy their way into a race. The Sports Car Club of America was formed in 1944 with the sole intent of sanctioning and regulating road racing, rally and autocross in the U.S. The SCCA sanctions almost all forms of racing (except for NASCAR) in the U.S., so before considering road competition, you’ll have to obtain an SCCA license.

Road rallies are races that take place on standard roads rather than a closed track, where a navigator and a driver plot the fastest course and compete as a team against other teams. Rally navigation has become somewhat specialized to allow the navigator to communicate quickly and precisely the information needed by the driver. Navigators have developed a shorthand for describing the rally route and with a little explanation you can read a rally map too.

Orient yourself to the map. Most rally maps will be highly detailed with a 1:50,000 ratio, where one unit of measure on the map is equivalent to 50,000 on the ground. One centimeter on the map would be 500 meters on the ground.

Rally racing is one of the oldest types of auto racing, dating back to the first Paris rally in 1911. It differs from other types of car racing in that it is held on public or private roads, as opposed to a circuit. Rally races also involve different stages of the race, during which drivers are required to reach checkpoints at specified times. When you learn to rally race, you will need to stress driving precision over pure acceleration.

Choose a competent co-driver. Both you and your co-driver should not only possess excellent driving skills, but also a keen sense of time and direction, not to mention the ability to read a map.