All photos courtesy of Chris Allen/Chris Creation Machine.
 

How can a correlation be made between playing the guitar at the highest level in a world-renowned rock band and driving a rally car? Vivian Campbell has found a way to work it out. Both require absolute commitment to perform on each stage, plus finesse and skills beyond normal comprehension that can deliver euphoria.  

Veteran rock guitarist Campbell has excelled as a guitarist in one of the world's most famous bands for more than 30 years. He also played in Dio on the band's first three albums, was a member of Whitesnake during the band's big-hair heyday in the latter 1980s, and was an original member of Northern Ireland's Sweet Savage. 

While Campbell has earned his reputation as an exceptional guitarist and made a career by playing music, that wasn't enough. Now, he is fulfilling his childhood dreams of racing lore and feeding that passion as an adult in rally racing. Campbell competes in the American Rally Association (ARA) and will bring his rally car to the 2025 PRI Show, December 11-13 in downtown Indianapolis, where you can see it on display in the Green Lobby of the Indiana Convention Center (ICC) in Aisle 7100 in between Hammertown and the PAC Lounge. You can't miss it. It will be covered with Def Leppard logos and the logos from other bands he's played in over the years. 

In addition, he will be interviewed live at the PRI Paddock, located in the Yellow Hall at the Capitol Avenue entrance of the ICC, on Saturday, December 13, at 10:30 a.m. ET.

All I Want Is Everything 

But why rally, and why now at age 63? 

"I got into rally after I moved to New Hampshire from Los Angeles in the summer of 2019," Campbell explained. "Normally, I'm touring every summer with Def Leppard. In 2020, when COVID-19 hit, all of a sudden we weren't going anywhere." 

As an owner of several sports cars, Campbell had joined Club Motorsports in Tamworth, New Hampshire, which is described as "a premier country club for enthusiasts of vintage and performance cars." However, due to its location, the track is seasonal and closes for the winter. "I was looking around for an alternative to pass my time because I wasn't traveling for work, and I just wanted to play with cars and indulge my motorsports passions. I realized that the Team O'Neil rally school was a couple of hours up the road from me. In December 2020, I went up, and I did their five-day rally course." 

From there, Campbell returned each of the following four months until the staff recommended that he try an actual rally instead of just attending the rally school. 

"They organize a biannual rally sprint on their property, and they had one in June of 2021. That was my first competitive rally experience." 

Campbell rented a four-wheel-drive 2003 Subaru and won his class the first time out. "Then I did my first national in July of 2021 when I entered the New England Forest Rally. And not only was it my first national rally, but it ended up being my first rollover crash. It didn't end so well. But experience is a great teacher." 

Thankfully, the damage from the single roll wasn't too severe. Ryan Thompson and his team from Thompson Racing Fabrication (TRF) in Cedar, Michigan, put the car back together.  

Campbell went on to compete in the Lake Superior Performance Rally (LSPR) in October of that year in the car, which was his first national finish. He has conquered numerous stages since, competing in the Sno Drift Rally, 100 Acre Wood Rally, Oregon Trail Rally, Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally (STPR), and the Olympus Rally. For 2025, his newly built car by TRF is a 2022 Mitsubishi Mirage R4, which is affectionately known as "miRAGE," and competes in the ARA's RC2 classification. He took it to the Overmountain Rally in September, where he and co-driver Michael Hordijk finished 11th overall of 51 entries, and first in the O4WD class. 

Skill Honing 

Campbell's fascination with rally and fast cars began when he was a child, and the family spent their summers in Buncrana, located in County Donegal in Ireland.  

"Every summer I'd be watching flying Ford Escorts all over the place as part of the Donegal International Rally, and Roger Clark and all these great old rally drivers. It was always my favorite form—in fact, it was the only form of motorsport I was really passionately interested in and really, really wanted to try." 
 

After learning his skills at Team O'Neil, Campbell attributes his success to the teaching of Tim O'Neil and Canadian championship driver Antoine L'Estage." I've been trying to pick the brains of people like Antoine and Tim O'Neil and the more experienced drivers. I'm realizing that I still have a lot to learn because I'm a hell of a guitar player, but I'm still a newbie rally driver." 

Campbell plans to visit the PRI Show to expand his knowledge of the racing industry and, at the same time, bring more attention to rally racing in America. "It amazes me that it is such a great, great motorsport, and the people who do follow it are so passionate about it. It's such a great community and a very, very helpful and inclusive community. But it's really a little bit under the radar here in North America, where it's such a massive sport in WRC in Europe and the rest of the world." 

In addition to showcasing his rally car at the Show, he will promote his rally involvement on his social media channels. "I want to use my clout with Def Leppard and my music career to bring some more attention to the American Rally Association to get more people to it and get more excitement—just more eyeballs to it." Hence, wrapping the car with the iconic Def Leppard logo. 

Future Plans 

Looking ahead, Campbell explained that 2026 affords him the opportunity to "actually get a good run at a bunch of nationals. I'm hoping to do between four and six next year, starting with 100 Acre Wood." However, work is calling, and he will have to miss starting his season at the Sno Drift Rally in February due to Def Leppard's residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Campbell's goal for next season is to push himself as a driver, and "to improve in the science of notes and rally and the whole overall package and just the sense of fulfillment. I have reached the top of my trade as a guitar player, and that was a huge passion for me and the biggest passion of my life. Ironically, because of the convergence of my moving to New Hampshire and a year later COVID happening, I happened to, at such a late stage, get to actually live out my rally passion. So now I just want to take it as far as I can, comfortably and naturally."

PRI Show

Don't miss your chance to be part of the world's largest gathering of motorsports professionals. For more information on the 2025 PRI Show, visit here.