Time-Speed-Distance Rally. I run one so you don't have to.

It actually can be fun - but instead of explaining how to actually do it well, our rallymasters just try to dumb it down. If it becomes a "drive to here and then wait until the clock runs out" or "here are the mileages so you can calculate the exact time you're supposed to pass the checkpoint" exercise, then it becomes a pleasant country drive ruined by a bunch of pointless math.

Some of our rallymasters offer 2 sets of instructions - TSD, and a "tour" rally, which typically has no CAS to follow, but requires you to answer trivia questions based on the route. That's good. But even on the TSD version they make it possible to get a perfect score via calculator rather than driving / navigation skill. I want to learn how to do it right, but that is virtually impossible.

Back when I was doing TSD I bought government topographic maps so I could find obscure roads to incorporate in the route. I can show you lots of roads (all gravel) in west Quebec where you would be hard pressed to hit the bogie time in a street car.It can be a lot of fun with the right selection of roads.

Local club/SCCA chapter has one once in a while here. TSD or Gimmick. A lot better organized than OP experience and a lot of fun. Did a TSD with my Opel GT. Oldest car and oldest technology in the even and came in mid-pack. My co-driver was a good friend that is a hot rodder. He had a blast and wants to do more.

Duke wrote: One thing I have noticed in common with ALL rally programs - **THEY understand how it works, but they don't understand why YOU don't understand how it works.** Seriously, even looking online, resources that explain exactly how to participate in a TSD rally are almost nonexistent. It's like a freaking secret society or something. I've given up asking them to explain at the drivers' meetings. I've figured out the basics, but I'm still very very unsure of myself.

I've done three TSDs, and this statement is absolutely true. One of those events was very similar to the OP's (not fun), but the other two were ok. Sorta fun, but I was not at all interested in learning all the secrets for the purpose of gloating over the noobs. No thanks.

I used to set up TSD rallies in PA while I was in college and then later here in MD. Directions were never difficult to follow, but someone was usually mad at me at the end of each one.

Why? Every rally I set up had at least two sets of directions and some as many as 4. So you were guaranteed to pass the car before you and/or the car after you going the opposite direction once or twice in each rally.

Best one was when if everyone was on time when you pulled up to the stop at the square in a small SW PA town there would be another rally participant at the stop on all 3 of the other directions. And you all would turn right and go on your merry way.

I remember when we couldn't do a rally on gravel roads because of the Healy's.

Keith Tanner wrote: It was not enjoyable. It was mind-numbing. All the speeds were set at 2 mph below the speed limit, and the speed limits were all conservative. There aren't many intersections on mountain roads. There wasn't a lot of foolishness with obscure instructions, just pretty roads in a pretty area driven at slow speeds.

I like TSD rallies. I can't imagine doing one in/around Glenwood Springs. Every speed limit is 20mph lower than it should be to begin with. That plus the limited intersections for the mountains limits the route creativity options. Seems like it would be watching paint dry. Scratch that. It's quite pretty. Seems like it would be like watching a painting dry.

Do the speed limits get better by you? I tried to get over to your Summer Camp this year since we were in Glenwood Springs the week before. I just got my exocet donor and have questions (a brake related one is headed your way via email according to Tami) and figured that would be a fun time to go ask, but failed to get things coordinated sufficiently. More than once while driving in Glenwood I found myself thinking 'boy I hope the roads by the Flyin Miata guys are faster, or the cops are more understanding...'

I was driving the M3. I think there were several issues that made it less fun than it could be.

Lack of instructions or any kind of rulebook would be the first one. If there is one we couldn't find it. Supposedly as novices we weren't supposed to use the M3's average speed computer. Which makes no sense to me, novices have a hard enough time as it is. But nothing about this event made sense to me, really. Except the pizza at the end which was actually pretty good.

Making us drive in big circles was another. Finding yourself back at an earlier checkpoint after you've been driving a mountain road, in the dark, at dangerous (too slow) speeds while staring at your gauges for half an hour is infuriating. Especially on a Friday night when I should be busy getting drunk instead of pointlessly contributing to global warming. I was, frankly, offended by this. It's irresponsible.

It would have been better in a really slow car. The solenoid actuated throttle plates in the e46 tend to stick slightly when it's just cracked open and driving 39 in a 40 is just plain hard, and not very fun. I would pull over from time to time to let people by. I didn't want to be 'that guy'.

I actually had a nightmare that night where something awful would happen to me if I went faster than a certain speed. I'm not kidding.

Bring a clipboard, a pen, and your AARP card. You'll need them.

keethrax wrote:

Keith Tanner wrote: It was not enjoyable. It was mind-numbing. All the speeds were set at 2 mph below the speed limit, and the speed limits were all conservative. There aren't many intersections on mountain roads. There wasn't a lot of foolishness with obscure instructions, just pretty roads in a pretty area driven at slow speeds.

I like TSD rallies. I can't imagine doing one in/around Glenwood Springs. Every speed limit is 20mph lower than it should be to begin with. That plus the limited intersections for the mountains limits the route creativity options. Seems like it would be watching paint dry. Scratch that. It's quite pretty. Seems like it would be like watching a painting dry. Do the speed limits get better by you? I tried to get over to your Summer Camp this year since we were in Glenwood Springs the week before. I just got my exocet donor and have questions (a brake related one is headed your way via email according to Tami) and figured that would be a fun time to go ask, but failed to get things coordinated sufficiently. More than once while driving in Glenwood I found myself thinking 'boy I hope the roads by the Flyin Miata guys are faster, or the cops are more understanding...'

The MG Rallye has been going on for aeons. Just checked, looks like the 2016 running was number 64. So maybe the roads were more challenging in 1952, especially with the vehicles available at the time. Imagine the excitement on the 10th annual event when the new MG-B showed up!

Things are better our way. We have roads with far more corners, much more unruly pavement and a lot less law enforcement. And yes, the limits can be pretty entertaining. We also have a track

Wife and I just did our first as a part of the SCCA "Targa Southland". I drove and she navigated (of course!) I wasn't born with a sense of direction...,

We were given plenty of instruction, but it was still stressful. The rallymaster really held back on the difficulty, but some of the "tricks" still felt a little mean. The route was scenic and we all met up at a country store for ice cream and talk about our experience. We ended up winning the event by answering the most questions correctly. I can't complain too much, as our score for the rally is what put us over the top to win our class for the Targa.

Wow, that's like a polar opposite of my first TSD, it was well organized with a driver's meeting and everything. An afternoon/evening rally, in the winter. I was navigator in a Subaru without snow tires, trying to average 35mph through iced over dirt roads with lots of tight turns and large elevation changes is, uh, rather exciting. We only got lost twice and finished something like 3rd to last. There were several actual stage rally cars running that night. 8.5/10 would attempt again in better prepped car.