12 Best Rally Co Driver Accessories

Miss a split, lose a time card, or fumble a torch on a wet night section and the problem is rarely dramatic - it is just costly. The best rally co driver accessories are the ones that keep the cockpit calm, the paperwork under control, and the information easy to read when the car, road and weather are all working against you.

For clubman road rallies, Targa events and stage use, accessory choice is less about filling the car with kit and more about removing friction. A good co-driver setup lets you read, write, time, navigate and communicate without wasted movement. That matters just as much as speed. Below are the accessories that genuinely improve the job, along with where spending more makes sense and where simple kit is often enough.

What makes the best rally co driver accessories?

The short answer is usability under pressure. If an item only works nicely on the driveway, it is not rally kit. Co-driver equipment needs to be secure when the car is moving around, readable in poor light, easy to reach in harnesses, and durable enough to survive repeated events.

It also needs to suit the format. A stage co-driver may prioritise pace note handling, map lights and intercom-friendly storage. A road rally or Targa crew may put more value on timing equipment, map tools, document organisation and quick access to controls. There is overlap, but there is no single shopping list that suits every car and every event.

The best rally co driver accessories worth buying

1. A proper map light

Lighting is one of the first things crews compromise on and one of the first things they regret. A decent map light should put light exactly where you need it without flooding the whole cockpit or reflecting badly off notes and screens.

Brightness control matters. Too dim and you strain to read. Too bright and you ruin night vision or create glare on laminated paperwork. Flexible mounting and a stable beam are just as important, particularly in rougher cars where vibration can make cheaper lights irritating to use.

2. Clipboard or note board with secure retention

A loose sheet in a rally car becomes a distraction almost instantly. Whether you run pace notes, time cards, maps or route information, you need a board that keeps paperwork fixed in place and still lets you turn or reposition pages quickly.

This is one of those areas where the best rally co driver accessories are not always the most complicated. A well-made board with a strong clip and sensible size often beats a bulky multi-function solution. The key is whether it works with gloves, low light and limited elbow room.

3. Stopwatch or rally timer

Timing kit still matters, even with modern event formats and electronic systems becoming more common. On regularity sections, road events and older-school navigation-heavy rallies, an accurate and easy-to-read stopwatch or timer is core equipment.

Large buttons, a display you can read at a glance, and reliable mounting are more important than extra features you will never use. If you need to operate it while braced in the seat, simplicity wins. If your event type barely uses manual timing, you can keep this basic. If timing is central to your day, it is worth choosing a purpose-made unit.

4. Pen holders and secure storage for small items

Pens, pencils, highlighters and markers have a habit of disappearing at exactly the wrong moment. Dedicated holders sound minor until you are trying to write at a control while searching the footwell.

The same applies to small-item storage for spare batteries, cable ties, glasses, ear plugs or a backup torch. Co-driver accessories that keep the cockpit organised save more time than many crews expect. A tidy cabin is not about appearances. It is about reducing avoidable errors.

5. Flexible mounting hardware

The accessory often overlooked is the one that makes all the others usable. Good mounting hardware for lights, timers, boards and other cockpit items is what stops equipment rotating, sagging or coming loose over a rough section.

There is a trade-off here. Permanent mounts can feel more secure and professional, but they are less adaptable if the car is used for different events or drivers. Adjustable mounting systems are useful if the cockpit serves multiple crews, though they need to be properly tightened and tested before an event.

6. A reliable torch

Even if you have a map light, you still need a torch. Time controls, service in poor light, checking paperwork, reading under the dash, or dealing with a stop on a night event all make a handheld torch worth carrying.

Compact is usually better than oversized. You need something easy to grab with one hand and easy to stow securely. Battery life matters, but not at the expense of size and weight. A torch that is technically powerful but awkward to keep in the cockpit is unlikely to stay where you need it.

7. Intercom-friendly headset accessories

For stage crews especially, comfort over a full event matters more than it does in the workshop. Headset accessories, replacement pads and practical cable management can make a real difference on longer days.

This is not the most glamorous part of a co-driver kit bag, but small improvements in comfort help concentration. If your current setup rubs, pulls or tangles around harnesses and HANS use, it is worth sorting properly rather than tolerating it all season.

8. Document wallet or organiser

Scrutineering sheets, road books, entry documents, route amendments, maps and time cards need a system. Once paperwork gets damp, folded into pockets or mixed together, small mistakes start creeping in.

A slim organiser that separates event documents from used paperwork is usually enough. You do not need an office filing system in the car, but you do need something better than stuffing everything into a helmet bag. For road rallies and Targa events, this can be one of the most useful accessories you buy.

9. Harness cutter and emergency essentials

Some accessories earn their place without being used often. A harness cutter falls firmly into that category. It is part of being prepared, not part of being optimistic.

The same logic applies to a few carefully chosen emergency items kept within reach of the crew. They should be secure, easy to identify and mounted sensibly. Safety kit only helps if it can be accessed quickly in a bad position or poor light.

10. A spill-proof drinks solution

Long events and hot cars catch crews out. Hydration matters, but so does not emptying liquid into the notes, timer or electrical panel. A secure bottle or drink holder that actually works in competition use is worth fitting.

This is very much an it-depends purchase. In some cockpits there is nowhere sensible to mount one, and carrying a bottle in service may be enough. In others, especially endurance-style days or hotter events, it is a simple upgrade that reduces fatigue.

11. Seat-side storage or cockpit bags

Accessible storage beside the seat can transform how the co-driver works, provided it does not interfere with belts, extinguisher pulls or general egress. A small cockpit bag or organiser is ideal for the items you genuinely need during a section, not everything you own.

The mistake is overfilling it. If the bag becomes a dumping ground, you are back where you started. The best setups are selective - torch, pens, documents, spare glasses, maybe batteries, all in fixed positions.

12. Backup navigation tools

Even if your event relies mainly on one system, a backup is good practice. That might mean spare pens, a second timing device, a basic torch, or duplicate note handling kit. It does not need to be expensive.

Rallying punishes single points of failure. If one cheap item failing can spoil your day, carrying a spare is usually smarter than hoping it survives.

How to choose the best rally co driver accessories for your event

Start with the event format, then work backwards from the tasks you need to do in the car. If you are competing on road rallies or Targas, prioritise timing, document handling, lighting and map-friendly organisation. If you are stage rallying, note management, secure mounting, communication comfort and quick-access storage move higher up the list.

Cockpit size matters as well. A compact historic or clubman car may not tolerate bulky accessories, no matter how good they look on paper. In tighter interiors, low-profile mounting and compact storage are usually more valuable than all-in-one systems.

You also need to think about how permanent the setup should be. If the car is shared, used on trackdays between rallies, or still being developed, modular accessories often make more sense than heavily fixed installations. If the car is a dedicated rally build, a more integrated layout can be neater and easier to live with.

Common mistakes when buying co-driver kit

The usual mistake is buying for catalogue appeal rather than actual use. Many crews end up with accessories that look clever but do not fit their car, their seating position or their event type. Before buying anything, ask one simple question - what problem does this solve on an event?

The second mistake is ignoring mounting. A quality timer or light fitted badly becomes poor equipment very quickly. The third is forgetting that co-driver accessories need to work with gloves, belts tight, and limited movement. Bench testing is not enough. If possible, sit in the car properly strapped in and check reach, sightlines and cable routing.

For grassroots competitors, practicality is usually worth more than novelty. That is why specialist suppliers such as Midnight Motorsport focus on proven event-ready kit rather than generic in-car accessories dressed up as motorsport parts.

Best rally co driver accessories are the ones you trust

The best rally co driver accessories are not necessarily the most expensive or the most technical. They are the pieces of kit that become invisible because they work every time, stay where they should, and make the job easier when the pressure goes up.

If you are building or refining a co-driver setup, buy with the stage, lane or test in mind rather than the workshop bench. The right accessory should earn its place on the first event, then keep doing so all season.