Driver Spotlight
JC Besing
What car do you drive? Year-make- model-class-modifications - future plans for the car.
I drive a 1995 Honda Civic Si, aka the "Jarm". The Jarm is a fully caged car built for ARA Stage Rally and RallyX. Besides safety equipment required for the ARA series, the car is somewhat stock, with the exception of some Bilstein shocks, Integra brakes, exhaust, some chassis reinforcement/underbody protection and lots of Sharpie drawings. Some future modifications include a double cam engine with a complementary gearbox with LSD, gravel rally suspension, pin stands, better light bar/pod setups and a custom wiring harness for the whole chassis.
How long have you been competing in RallyCross, or other motorsports/ sports?
I have been competing in RallyCross for about 7 years, and last year we completed our first Stage Rallies. Prior to that, I have grown up doing various Motorsports, including Motocross, Shifter Karts, Mini Sprint Cars and spending lots of time out at the sand dunes as well as my own canyon carving shenanigans.
What are some things you enjoy doing outside of cars/ RallyCross?
I love anything to do with the outdoors. Camping, hiking, road trips etc. I play the piano, guitar and ukulele, and I have 3 cats that all hate each other and love each other at the same time. I dabble in some video games, but most of the time if I'm home, I'm probably in the garage
What is one personal motorsport highlight? RallyCross or otherwise. Similarly, do you have any negative moments?
Our goal when we started building this car was to compete in Stage Rally. Many Motorsports have a high barrier to entry due to cost limitations, but we wanted to prove that it was possible to race on a budget. We started out RallyCrossing the car and slowly building the car up over the course of 6 years until it was ready for Rally. September of last year marked our first stage rally entry, completion and podium at Prescott Rally. The journey to reach that goal had its ups and downs, but through it I've met some awesome people. The people in this sport are what really make it special. I can't really speak too much towards negatives... Crashes happen, things break, relationships are strained, car stuff is expensive, etc. Its hard work, but the end results are so worth it.
Do you have anything else you would like to share with the group, and what plans and aspirations do you have for the future?
Personally I would like to start a race shop of sorts and be able to help guide others in their builds for RallyCross, stage rally, drift, circuit racing etc. I want to continue using the knowledge from my professional and motorsport career to continue pushing our little project car along too.