My interview today is with rally driver Dmitriy Martynov.
(photo courtesy of Dmitriy)
Berry Favorite Things: Tell us a little about yourself, Dmitriy.
Dmitriy Martynov: "I've always been into cars, and started racing when I bought my 2000 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS about 10 years ago. At the time I didn't know anyone who did any sort of racing, not family, not friends, so I just went online, and stumbled onto SCCA... so I bought a helmet and went to my first AutoX. I was instantly addicted, and AutoXed for a couple of years, claiming a couple Detroit Regional titles. Then, one winter, when AutoX was sleeping, I tried RallyX and was hooked. I have now been through a number of different cars and have tried all sorts of off and on-road racing. I seem to always come back to rally because I find it has the greatest element of adventure, and a very closely knit community. Right now I race a Group 2 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS in the very competitive NASA RallySport and Rally America 2WD championships."
Berry Favorite Things: Who, or what was your biggest inspiration in motorsports?
Dmitriy Martinov: "I don't think I have a single person, but every time I get on Facebook and see someone doing something awesome (cars, motorcycles, bikes, hiking...etc.) I get inspired and do it myself."
BFT: What is your favorite thing about rally?
DM: "The close knit community and adventure it provides. You get to see all sorts of interesting new places, experience new things, and overcome challenges. I think I've faced more challenges on some of my rally weekends than most normal people face in a decade."
BFT: What is one thing you wish you could change about rally?
DM: "Definitely the cost. Sure, it's awesome that you're out there running in the same event as Ken Block, but having to pay the same entry fees and get beaten because you can't put new tires on at every service kind of sucks. It would be great if there were more smaller, local events with more reasonable entry fees that would attract a less celebrity crowd. Most other motorsports have this, but US rally doesn't seem to. For example, compare a national level autocross- where people show up with two story trailers and $20,000 suspensions; to a regional one- where teenagers run their parents Honda Accords. NASA RallySport is trying, and the field is a bit more amateur... but it's still not quite there due to the $1000 entry fees."
BFT: What advice would you offer to someone who was interested in getting started in rally? Maybe something you wish you had known earlier.
DM: "Something I wish I would have known earlier and done: Start autocrossing as soon as you have any car. Don't wait until you buy a car that you think is sporty enough to race, or until you modify your car to be "race-worthy". Take your parents Taurus and go racing! Some good rally specific advice: *For the youngsters out there, get a good job, and focus on your career. It's a lot more fun if you have a good career to support your hobby and you're not stressed over funding or trying to find sponsors. *Buy, don't build your first rally car. You can buy a very competitive ready to go car for under $10k. No matter what kind of hookups you have, you will spend at least $10k building your own and probably 500+ hours of labor if you work on it yourself. The benefit of building your own is that you get to set it up exactly how you want it, but if you don't have a bunch of rally experience, you have no idea how you want it. *Don't limit yourself to rally. I honestly don't think it's the best place to learn to be a good driver, definitely not the most cost effective. You're never going to become an amazing driver if you only race 3-4 times per year. Try autocross, track, go-carts, dirt bikes, mountain biking...etc. *If you're building a car, leave the drivetrain stock (i.e. reliable). Spend good money on cage/seats, suspension, wheels, and tires. Those are the bits that keep you safe and make you go fast."
BFT: With Rally America teaming up with NBC Sports, GRC (Global Rallycross) growing in popularity, and big names like Travis Pastrana back in stage rally, do you think more attention will be beneficial to the sport in America? Or do you think it could have adverse effects?
DM: "I think more attention is good. Considering that the current events are already close to filling up every time, I'm hoping it will mean there will be more events. Hopefully there will be series that appear to cater to more of a grassroots crowd. More people in the sport also means more vendor support, which means more volume of parts/tires and cheaper prices for all."
BFT: Name 5 items on your motorsport bucket list.
DM: "*Run a Baja event. *Build a retardedly fast pavement car, BMW or Porsche or something similar. Then troll it around track days. *Run a rally on a motorcycle. *Alcan 5000, have been wanting to do this for a while. *Win a NASA or RA (Rally America) championship of some sort...not really a must do, but would be nice."
DM: "*Run a Baja event. *Build a retardedly fast pavement car, BMW or Porsche or something similar. Then troll it around track days. *Run a rally on a motorcycle. *Alcan 5000, have been wanting to do this for a while. *Win a NASA or RA (Rally America) championship of some sort...not really a must do, but would be nice."
BFT: What is your favorite rally event you've done and why?
DM: "Probably Rally Idaho. Amazing AMAZING roads and super friendly people."
BFT: If you had to describe rally in 3 words, what would they be?
BFT: If you had to describe rally in 3 words, what would they be?
DM: "Super epic adventure."
BFT: What is your proudest auto related moment?
DM: "I don't have a single moment, but I'd say that I'm proud of how far I've come by virtue of basically my work alone. I've never really had people encourage me, push me along, or give me free stuff/rides. Not to say that I don't have supportive friends, and haven't had a bit of luck, but I've definitely got to where I am by working hard through the entire process."
Berry Favorite Things: What is your most embarrassing/funny auto related moment?
Dmitriy Martynov: "I've had many... but the one that sticks out is having to back up past the start at Sno*Drift two years ago in order to make it up the icy hill that the start was on... while waving to a line of competitors behind us."
Big thanks to Dmitriy for taking the time to answer my questions. Keep an eye out for Mr. Martynov at upcoming rally events, and give him lots of support and big cheers! He's a great guy, and a lot of fun to watch.
**Update: After a substantial off at Magnum Opus 2014, Dmitriy was forced to retire his car.
He is currently in the process of finishing a new build, to debut this year. He has also started a new team, with girlfriend (and first time codriver) Molly Disend. To follow their adventures, check them out at Tachyon Racing.
No comments:
Post a Comment