Pro Diaries: Leo Forster Rallycross Champion

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     Leo Forster, Rage Buggy, Rally Driving, Rallycross

Here at Extreme Element we pride ourselves in brining you the greatest experiences from top notch suppliers, so for this feature we thought we’d take the time to find out why our suppliers are among the best in the business… This month we’ve interviewed Leo Forster, founder of the Forster Racing School – ex National Rally Cross Champion now offering Rally Cross experiences in the South East!

Hi Leo, thanks for taking the time to talk to us today. So, how did you first get into motor racing?

I first got into racing aged of 5 when I was fortunate enough to be taken Karting by my Dad in a local field, I remember racing my older brother… and actually beating him at something!

I was racing by the age of 11, and had won my first ever race and championship in my first year. I moved into Juniors which was a bit more difficult, racing 16 year olds, but I managed to win the British F6 Karting Championship at 13. Motor racing was put on the back burner for a few years after that, until after my A Levels – but I soon took it back up and went on to place second in the National BRDC Formula Ford Championship.

Unable to secure the funds to race the following season, I went to University and gained a degree. I worked at almost every race and rally school in the country, but was still unable to secure a drive until 2008 when I was introduced to Rage at Goodwood – and started racing Rallycross at the end of the 2008 season. I was thrown in at the deep end racing against the likes of Chris Meeke (IRC world Rally Champion) and Ollie O’Donnovan (previous British Rallycross Champion). I didn’t get into my stride until 2009 though, when I took the British Rallycross RX150 Championship, also winning in 2010 – but just missed out in 2011 due to mechanical problems.

Do you have any advice for someone looking to get into motor racing?

Find your nearest school or Kart circuit and go have a go. If you find you really enjoy it then get a licence and start racing. There are so many championships in the UK that it’s hard to choose the one that’s right for you, but one that is within budget and has a level playing field is a good start. I’m always looking for talent at the school and always take time to talk to people about what their next steps in racing should be. There are championships out there which don’t require licences, are extremely competitive and cost just £300 for a season!

What is the most fun form or racing you have competed in?

Fun and competitive has to be Rallycross, you just can’t beat sliding sideways at over 90mph with a bunch of drivers in equal equipment all looking to take your place. Circuit racing is quick – but Rallycross is fun!

What is your proudest moment or greatest achievement so far?

I think taking the 2009 British Rallycross Championship was the proudest moment. It had been 7 years out of the driving seat so to come back in that fashion was great. I had to come 5th or above to win, and my qualifying heats had been really bad – the pressure was enormous. I almost lost my voice shouting in the car when I realised I had won the race and the championship. I remember giving an interview after the race live on TV and the grin on my face must have made me look like a Cheshire cat!

Have you had any bad crashes or injuries during your racing career?

I’ve had a few bad crashes, but fortunately no bad injuries. I put a car in the tyre wall backwards at over 90mph once, broke the rear axle and my race helmet with the impact as it hit the roll bar. I had concussion for a few days after that one, but it was a lucky escape. The car was a Lotus 7 Kit car with the engine at the front, so had I gone in to the barrier head first I may have lost my legs!

Have you raced in any exotic locations? Which is your favourite?

Exotic? Maybe not… Belgium, America, Ireland I think that’s it other than the UK. My favourite has to be Ireland Rallycross tracks – both Nutts Corner and Mondello are great-fun, long and technical tracks. You really have to think about what you’re doing at those circuits.

Do you have a favourite stunt to perform when behind the wheel?

Stunts are surprisingly easy to do, I’m thinking of teaching them at the school soon; J Turns, one handed drifts, doughnuts etc… I do like to finish my passenger rides sometimes with a 360 spin then drift between two cars to stop!

Awesome! What have you got planned for 2012?

2012 is unsecured at the moment; I just haven’t got the budget to take the next step. I’d love to compete at the X Games, or do the off road championships but it’s difficult without a major sponsor. I’d really like to get into endurance racing in the long term – maybe share a drive with someone.

How did you make the jump from driver to instructor?

Instructing in the UK has two parts to it. The first is to get your racing up to spec and take the exam, the second is to network like crazy! I really enjoy instructing but I felt that almost every school didn’t allow their customers to experience raw racing. Driving with the car twitching, having to feed the power on or ‘lose the back end’ was not in the script. Something I wanted to change with Forster Racing School…

When did you set up your Rally School?

Originally I set the school up to teach racing drivers and Rally drivers how to get the most from their driving and decrease lap times. However, in January 2011 I decided to open the opportunity to everyone and change the way we do business. We still go fast and we still monitor time laps to see the improvement, but unless requested; its more about experiencing your potential than looking for a ‘tenth of a second here’ and ‘five metres later on the brakes’ there. We still offer that course and like to get heavily involved with training individuals but it’s also open to anyone who wants to experience it.

What differentiates your experiences from all the others?

• Powerful and highly manoeuvrable machines accelerating from 0-60mph in under 4 seconds
• We will not hold you back, we expect to see what your potential is.
• Large run off areas to allow for error in a safe environment.
• Small groups to allow for a personal feel
• The fastest Rally X Experience in the UK
• The best Instructors, all our instructors must be quick drivers and great communicators.

Fantastic Leo, thanks again for talking to us today – and good luck with the racing this year!

Forster Racing driving experiences:

Forster Racing Taster Special

Get a great introduction to Rallycross as you drive the awesome Rage Buggy under the supervision of an expert instructor throughout the two hour experience. Finish with a white knuckle passenger ride driven by a pro!
Price: £79


Forster Racing Rage Buggy – Half Day

Learn some of the basics of Rallycross driving such as racing lines and ‘Scandinavian Flicks’ from professional drivers. The awesome Rage Buggy’s are capable of reaching 60mph in just 4 seconds ensuring ear to ear smiles!
Price: £149


Forster Racing Rage Buggy – Full Day

With a full day of expert tuition, this is the ultimate Rallycross experience as you get to grips with the incredible Rage Buggy! Your skills will be tested at the end of the experience with timed laps of the purpose built Rallycross track.
Price: £290

Pro Diaries: Anthony Dunn – Radical Champion

Aaron    The Professional's Arena    

We caught up with Anthony Dunn, one of the country’s best Performance Track Driving Instructors and an accomplished Racing Driver. In his 20 years of experience in the motorsport industry, Anthony has achieved many race victories including those in the Radical, which you can enjoy an experience for yourself with Anthony right here at Extreme Element.

Hi Anthony, thanks for talking to us today. So what makes the Radical so awesome, and what do the competitions consist of?

The great things about Radical Sports Cars are the aerodynamic grip, nimbleness and balance. It’s a terrific car to drive – easy to pick up, but hard to master. But mainly it’s just great fun! Racing in one depends on the level you compete in; either Club, National or European. Invariably each race or stint will be around 20 minutes – so if 2 drivers are sharing we would each do 20 mins of a 40 minute race.

How did you get into Racing?

Like many racing drivers, I started with Karting. But I was a bit older than the average, as I started when I was 18. Most racers nowadays start at 6…or even younger!
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Pro Diaries: Greg Minnaar – Downhill Mountain Bike World Champion

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     Greg Minnaar, Interview, Mountain Biking

We caught up with this year’s runner up and former UCI World Champion Downhill Mountain Biker – Greg Minnaar to see what he’s been up to this season, his journey so far and what a typical week is like for a Downhill Mountain Bike Champion!

Hi Greg, thanks for talking to us today. Firstly, congratulations on finishing the 2011 season on the podium! How did this race season compare to previous years?

You know, I’m happy with finishing 2nd in the World Cup, but it wasn’t really an exciting season for me. I felt I rode in ‘no man’s land’, I wasn’t able to catch Aaron Gwin and Gee Atherton was quite a bit behind me, so I felt like I was racing myself. Even though I lost the overall title to Gee last season, I had way more fun then as it was a much closer contest.
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Pro Diaries: Paul Swift – Stunt Driver

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     extreme sports, Paul Swift, Stunt Driving

To celebrate the launch of three new Paul Swift Driving Experiences, we caught up with the man himself to discuss his journey in the Stunt Driving World so far, including Guinness World Records, driving for Top Gear and filming THAT advert in the Audi R8 Spyder.

Hi Paul, Thanks for talking to us today. So what exactly is Stunt Driving, and what sort of things do you normally do for a show?

Stunt driving is taking driving to extremes. We are often asked to perform stunts in a car which could be perceived too dangerous or risky for an actor or member of the public to perform.

Most of our work includes performing manoeuvres such as J-turn’s, handbrake parking, donuts and balancing cars on two wheels.
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Pro Diaries: Chloe Bruce – Martial Arts Expert

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     Guinness World Record, Martial Arts

We caught up with Martial Arts expert and Guinness World Record Holder Chloe Bruce to see what she’s up to, and to talk all things Martial Arts – including starring on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent!

Hi Chloe, thanks for talking to us today. Tell us a bit about yourself…

Hi, well my name is Chloe Bruce and I am 27 years old. I have been involved in Martial Arts for most of my life, and having trained for over 20 years – I love it and consider it a way of life. I have won various British, European & World Titles and I also hold the Guinness World Record for most amount of kicks in 1 minute. This stands at 212 kicks.
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Pro Diaries: Pal Virik Nilsen Powerboating

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     power boating, powerboating

An interview with Chris Parsonage Racing & Maritimo Australia Powerboat driver Pal Virik Nilsen, talking about his journey so far and all things Powerboating!

Hi Pål,

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule and talking to us today. So, what have you been up to this year?

Hi guys, no problem it’s a pleasure. Well, this year has been very busy for me so far! I’m in the very privileged position of having 2x Class-1 contracts this season, with two fantastic teams: Maritimo Australia & Chris Parsonage Racing GBR. Having these commitments means I get to travel a lot between races in both the Australian Superboat series and the World Series as well. I try to keep myself fit as well with a bit of Mountain Biking and Squash – as this is important for the racing. I tend to do a lot of promotional work for the sponsors as well…so I’m always busy!
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Pro Diaries: Street Bike Freestyle Stunt Rider Mattie Griffin

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     driving, motorbikes, stunt driver, stunt riding

An interview with BMW’s new Factory Sponsored Rider Mattie Griffin, talking all things Motorbike Stunt Riding!

Hi Mattie, thanks for talking to us today. So, how long have you been Stunt Riding and how did you get into it?

Hi, no problem it’s a pleasure! I have been stuntriding street bikes since 2004, but I have always been riding off road since I was a kid, with a particular interest in trials riding.

What have you been up to this year? Have you been in many competitions?

This year… so far I have been booked for shows most weekends so my weekdays have been taken up with training and organising ferries etc.…
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Pro Diaries: Electric Car Breaks World Record! An Interview With the Creator & Driver of ‘Black Current’

Aaron    The Professional's Arena    

Continuing our love affair with crazy World Records… this week we take a look across the park to Santa Pod for another ultra-impressive driving record. After Tanner Faust’s 332ft Jump at the Indy 500 last week, brothers Sam & Olly Young set a fantastic new World Record on 4 wheels – for electric car drag racing!

Having converted a 1965 VW Beetle to an electric power source, the brothers have created a monster by the name of ‘Black Current’ and raced their way into the record books.

Here, we caught up with the guys to see how it feels to be in the limelight, how they did it – and what’s next for them & the future of electric transport…
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Pro Diaries: UK & European Kite Buggying Champion – Craig Sparkes

Aaron    The Professional's Arena     Bournemouth, Devon, Kite Buggy, Kite Buggying, Power Kiting

An interview with UK & European Kite Buggying champion Craig Sparkes, discussing his journey in the sport, the development of Kite Buggying and great tips for how and where you can get started!

Hi Craig, thanks for talking to us today. So what exactly is Kite buggying and what do the competitions consist of?

Kite buggying involves flying a large power kite and sitting in a 3 wheeled buggy, using the kite’s power to propel yourself along a surface, like hard sand or a grass field. For the freestyle side we strap ourselves into the buggy to allow for aerial tricks.

In the competitions, riders compete in rounds by performing a range of tricks that are judged on height, technical ability & the overall smoothness of the trick. As you win the heat, you advance onto the next level and so forth.

How did you get into the sport?

I got into it by flying small kites when I was still at high school, which then progressed on to power kiting where I’d go to the beach and spend hours getting dragged around and jumping around with the kite.
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Pro Diaries: Parkour & Free-Running with 3RUN

Aaron    The Professional's Arena    

To celebrate the newly launched Parkour experiences here at Extreme Element, we caught up with Sam Parham of the 3RUN team to talk about the development of Parkour & Free-Running, what you could be doing during the sessions and to hear more about a year in the life of the Guinness World Record holders.

Hi Sam, thanks for talking to us today. So what exactly is Parkour, and in which area do you specialise?

Parkour is the ‘art of movement’ – There is no direct translation, but loosely speaking it is about utilising your environment as an obstacle course – tackling any objects that come in your way, both physical and psychological. From Parkour; Free-Running has developed, which most consider to be more somersault related and displays further creative flair.

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