Categories of rallies
Encyclopedia
Rallying makes up the majority of the "grassroots" of amateur motorsport
, especially in the United Kingdom
. Motor Club
s will usually run one or more rallies each year. Rallies fall into many categories each with different rules and aimed at different skill levels. The two basic categories are special stage rallies and road rallies.
. Stage rallies are the basis for WRC and professional rallying. The emphasis of stage rallies is on speed
and driving ability. Navigation
of such events is based heavily on pacenotes
.
Many Stage rallies also include super special stages where two cars compete head to head on mirrored courses with a crossover. Although the cars are on separate courses, the crossover allows them to drive each side of the course once and travel the same distance. Such stages are usually held in stadiums so both spectators and press can see the entire stage unfold and emulate the excitement of wheel to wheel racing.
Stage rallies evolved from Road Rallies - motor rallies in the early days were all road rallies, but gradually they started to incorporate the idea of a "special stage
", which would consist of a competitive section off the public road or with some other unique quality. More and more of these special stages were added to get around the increasing number of restrictions about what could be allowed on the public road, and eventually the entire sport evolved into the two separate forms that exist today.
, competitive driving takes place (in part or whole) on the open public highway. Road rallies were historically the basis of all rallies, and stage rallying evolved from them. However, these days they are strictly reserved for the amateur, due to the obvious danger that could arise to the public. The emphasis of road rallies is on navigational accuracy and teamwork. Indeed, the navigator is often seen as someone playing a minor role when in fact he or she is actually the key member of the crew.
There are other types of rally which are popular at club level:
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
, especially in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Motor Club
Motor club
Motor clubs are organizations, either for-profit or non-profit, which motorists can join to enjoy certain benefits provided by the club relating to driving a vehicle. There is typically an annual membership fee to join...
s will usually run one or more rallies each year. Rallies fall into many categories each with different rules and aimed at different skill levels. The two basic categories are special stage rallies and road rallies.
Special stage rallies
In a stage rally, competitive driving takes place on closed roads or off the public highwayHighway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
. Stage rallies are the basis for WRC and professional rallying. The emphasis of stage rallies is on speed
Speed
In kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
and driving ability. Navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
of such events is based heavily on pacenotes
Pacenotes
In rallying, pacenotes are a commonly used method of accurately describing the route to be driven in extreme detail. As well as dictating the general route to be taken, in terms of turnings, junctions, etc, all notable features of the route which might affect the way it is driven at speed are...
.
Many Stage rallies also include super special stages where two cars compete head to head on mirrored courses with a crossover. Although the cars are on separate courses, the crossover allows them to drive each side of the course once and travel the same distance. Such stages are usually held in stadiums so both spectators and press can see the entire stage unfold and emulate the excitement of wheel to wheel racing.
Stage rallies evolved from Road Rallies - motor rallies in the early days were all road rallies, but gradually they started to incorporate the idea of a "special stage
Special stage (rallying)
Special stages are the competitive sections of a stage rally event where the goal is to cover a stretch of closed road in the shortest time. On a special stage cars are set off individually at set intervals to reduce the chances of being impeded by other competitors. Each special stage is a...
", which would consist of a competitive section off the public road or with some other unique quality. More and more of these special stages were added to get around the increasing number of restrictions about what could be allowed on the public road, and eventually the entire sport evolved into the two separate forms that exist today.
Road rallies
In a road rallyRoad rally
A road rally is a car rally that takes place on the public road. It is a popular sport in the United Kingdom, especially Wales, and has traditionally been the core of the "grass roots" of club-based amateur motorsport. However it has declined in popularity since the 1980s and now stage rallies are...
, competitive driving takes place (in part or whole) on the open public highway. Road rallies were historically the basis of all rallies, and stage rallying evolved from them. However, these days they are strictly reserved for the amateur, due to the obvious danger that could arise to the public. The emphasis of road rallies is on navigational accuracy and teamwork. Indeed, the navigator is often seen as someone playing a minor role when in fact he or she is actually the key member of the crew.
There are other types of rally which are popular at club level:
- Regularity ralliesRegularity rallyRegularity rallying, also known as TSD rallying , is a form of motor sport usually conducted on public roads but sometimes including off-road and track sections. The object of these rallies is to maintain precise times and precise average speeds on various segments of a predefined route...
- Navigational exercises
- 12-car rallies12-car rallyA 12-car rally is a type of car rally, often run by motor clubs as a simple and strictly amateur form of the sport.12-car rallies are run to Navigational Rally rules, which are based on navigational skills rather than speed, and with usually a notable social element too...
- Treasure huntTreasure huntA treasure hunt is one of many different types of games which can have one or more players who try to find hidden articles, locations or places by using a series of clues. This is a fictional activity; treasure hunting can also be a real life activity. Treasure hunt games may be an indoor or...
s - Gimmick rallies