Finding an automotive-based activity that keeps everyone–participants, spectators and workers–socially distant can sometimes be tricky. That's why the SCCA will is reviving one of its oldest activities, RoadRally. The best part? Virtually any street-legal car can participate, and all rallies will be done on public roads. As part of the program revitalization, three different rallies are going to be being offered: Touring Rallies, …
First rule of road rally: DO NOT GET LOST.
Once you're off-course, you're boned.
Love the idea. Hopefully they expand it to more locations
My wife and I did one of these in my P71 about 20 years ago in Venice, FL.
The roads for a multi square mile residential development had been laid out years before, and then the development never happened. Navigation was extremely difficult. We didn't get totally lost, but we weren't real close to the target time.
Great fun, I would do it again.
In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
My parents live around that area, and yeah, there's a lot of pavement out that way that pretty much leads to nothing.
Kind of spooky, kind of cool. Must have made for a fun rally.
Man I really hope this gets active in my area, or at least closer. SWMBO and I really enjoyed the rally to the Mitty we did with GRM several years back and we've talked about doing more. In fact, I've bought stuff to upgrade the passenger seat controls in my Mustang so she can be comfortable enough to consider doing these. Better get on that.
The GTA rally sounds like a fun format. Kind of like bar trivia for cars.
Ooh, this looks kinda fun. I'm in.
In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
We did one in another sorta unfinished Florida residential neighborhood called Rocket City. Go in, get lost, hopefully come out. We've run with a few clubs, but it's been a while.
Our local Rally club (KWRC.on.ca) is very active in organizing these up here in Ontario, they run a beginner friendly series called SNATR (Saturday Night at the Rally) which sometimes coincide with regional or provincial events with extra legs added to them. This year these haven't happened yet (there are plans) with Covid restrictions. I did one the other year, it didn't go well and we missed the first checkpoint, it felt a bit like driving slowly over really great roads (CAS's have to be lower than the speed limits by a certain percentage for these events to take place on open public roads). I can understand the appeal though for navigators that are in to that sort of thing and the challenges it brings.
The Polar Bear Rally runs under the same rules but overnight, in late January using most of the roads from the Rally of the Tall Pines (Performance Rally) around Bancroft, ON. Those roads plus winter conditions means that keeping on time becomes a real challenge for the drivers and a taste of performance rallying, many teams have ended their nights stuck in ditches or snow banks, lots of fun! I ran as a navigator last year for the first time and am planning to drive this year provided the event can go ahead.
Did a few in New Jersey and Pennsylvania back in the 70s with my MGB.
I was just thinking about TSD rallies the other day and how the currently situation is really a great time for them to make a big comeback. It's a great way to get out of the house and go on a nice drive.
Revived? the local regions run one or two a year.
Looks like I need to actually join SCCA and keep an eye out. This would be a hoot.
I've always wondered how these work out IRL. Let's say they tell you A to B should take 10:00. You bust ass and commit all sorts of automotive atrocities, and get close to the finish within 9:00, and then just lollygag your way to a perfect finish? What stops that from happening? (Besides the cops, and a sound mind)
Vajingo said:I've always wondered how these work out IRL. Let's say they tell you A to B should take 10:00. You bust ass and commit all sorts of automotive atrocities, and get close to the finish within 9:00, and then just lollygag your way to a perfect finish? What stops that from happening? (Besides the cops, and a sound mind)
This is what I am also wondering.
Vajingo said:I've always wondered how these work out IRL. Let's say they tell you A to B should take 10:00. You bust ass and commit all sorts of automotive atrocities, and get close to the finish within 9:00, and then just lollygag your way to a perfect finish? What stops that from happening? (Besides the cops, and a sound mind)
They don't necessarily tell you where the time control is. And it's been a while, but I recall something about not being allowed to stop/significantly slow in sight of a control. So somewhere on one of the legs, you'll be trundling along at 29mph looking for the next instruction when you crest a hill and surprise! Time control!
I have also been on rallies where the CAST instruction was ridiculously high. Like 45mph average at night on a SE Ohio gravel road. Yeah, the real intent is "who can go the fastest gets the lowest score".
My club AMEC, ran TSD rally,s back in the '60 an '70,s on the good supply of interesting roads in the southern Adirondacks
Then they got distracted by ice racing.
Our last rally was in 2004 to celebrate our 50th anniversary It was fun rally and asked questions about sights along the way.
Time to dig the Curta out.
Sat in the back seat for a ride along in one during college as an alternative to the bar scene.
I think these used to be the gateway drug to stage rally in the UK.
It even got to be a little too fast at one point. Mostly held at night too.
I hope these catch on here.
Pete. (l33t FS) said:Vajingo said:I've always wondered how these work out IRL. Let's say they tell you A to B should take 10:00. You bust ass and commit all sorts of automotive atrocities, and get close to the finish within 9:00, and then just lollygag your way to a perfect finish? What stops that from happening? (Besides the cops, and a sound mind)
They don't necessarily tell you where the time control is. And it's been a while, but I recall something about not being allowed to stop/significantly slow in sight of a control. So somewhere on one of the legs, you'll be trundling along at 29mph looking for the next instruction when you crest a hill and surprise! Time control!
I have also been on rallies where the CAST instruction was ridiculously high. Like 45mph average at night on a SE Ohio gravel road. Yeah, the real intent is "who can go the fastest gets the lowest score".
Yep, that's how I have seen them done, too. Once you see the control station, it's too late. Now if you're lost, then your speed no longer matters. (Ask me how we learned that lesson.)
In reply to David S. Wallens :
One of your regular contributors - one Paul Eklund may be able to comment as he won the 2020 Thunderbird Rally.
edit: he in place of we
David S. Wallens said:Pete. (l33t FS) said:Vajingo said:I've always wondered how these work out IRL. Let's say they tell you A to B should take 10:00. You bust ass and commit all sorts of automotive atrocities, and get close to the finish within 9:00, and then just lollygag your way to a perfect finish? What stops that from happening? (Besides the cops, and a sound mind)
They don't necessarily tell you where the time control is. And it's been a while, but I recall something about not being allowed to stop/significantly slow in sight of a control. So somewhere on one of the legs, you'll be trundling along at 29mph looking for the next instruction when you crest a hill and surprise! Time control!
I have also been on rallies where the CAST instruction was ridiculously high. Like 45mph average at night on a SE Ohio gravel road. Yeah, the real intent is "who can go the fastest gets the lowest score".
Yep, that's how I have seen them done, too. Once you see the control station, it's too late. Now if you're lost, then your speed no longer matters. (Ask me how we learned that lesson.)
That's why you have a navigator who can do time based math with ridiculous skill, who will go into the notes and write out what second you should be passing each instruction....
I used to LOVE doing TSD rallies. Our local region used to put on the Sunsetter Endurance Rally. Run mostly after dark, frequently in the rain, mostly on dirt roads.
They called the speeds 'brisk'. While technically under the speed limit, the 'average' speed would require some pretty creative driving to maintain. Make a mistake and YEE-HAW suddenly you had to do Dukes of Hazzard driving to make up the lost time.
Sometimes the roads were public roads that local residents viewed as private. That made for some good stories.
We never used rally computers. We'd just add 10% to the CAS number. After awhile you would get a feel for if you were running early or late. I got one third place and one first place in the unequipped category running the Sunsetter.
A year or so ago someone tried to hold one in our area but no one turned up and the guy got all ticked off and made a nasty post on Facebook. The problem was, it said right in the instructions that they would be traversing non-paved roads and that immediately made all the autocross people not want to go because they didn't want to beat their cars up, and the guy never consulted with the rallycross guys, who were interested, and scheduled it on the same weekend as one of their events.
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