Rallying

The rally [ rali; Switzerland. the rally ] is a competition in motorsport, the partially over several days (Stages) distributed will take place on normal roads or on field and forest paths. Instead of " always in a circle" how to drive in races on a circuit and to fight positions, the rally participants wear special stages (WP) on a closed course (from point A to point B ), where they individually usually start at one minute intervals. The rating is based on the sum of the travel time WP. The WPs provide participants via connecting stages on public roads. There are therefore only street-legal cars used.

Rally (English and Rally ) is the in the German and international inherited from the English term that is best translated as meeting (to rally ). The Duden defines rally but also as a car rally. This long-outdated term probably derives from the historic Monte Carlo Rally, which was launched in 1911 as a meeting of motorists from different countries to life. The participants started in their home country, for example in Germany in Bad Homburg, in a manner known as Monte Carlo to the Casino city. The common driving tests began in France but even before Monte Carlo was reached. Here, the character of a tourist orientation tour developed a reliability test of the vehicles up to the usual competition today with the aim to achieve the shortest possible travel times on the WPs.

Rally structure and role of the passenger

A rally organized in conjunction stages on public roads, where all participants must strictly adhere to the traffic rules ( eg, control over predetermined target times and also by the police ), as well as the special stages (WP). On these specially closed roads and (asphalted or otherwise track surface, usually gravel, in winter on snow and ice ) Because each vehicle is individually against the clock go. In more rare cases, the fore-running competitor be obtained, but this is usually due to a defect in his car or on a mistake committed by him. Normally, the fastest start first, being ordered by vehicle classes so that participants of each class find the same conditions as possible.

Strict time limits also determine the course of a rally. This must be followed exactly to the minute. There are time penalties for late or early arrival at a time control ( CC), before the start of stages as well as at the entrance and exit of service parks.

Some rallies included on the actual stages, an additional Super Special Stage. Here come two riders against each other, but the cars are not on the same route, but on two parallel courses. The courses are relatively short in the rule. These tests are mainly spread over a day or a whole weekend, because all drivers must start the event.

Characteristic of a rally co-driver ( passenger ) associated with a previously dictated to the WPs with sightseeing tours by the driver and the co-pilot held Aufschrieb is (the " Prayer Book " ) announces the driver distances and turning radii and jump hills, covering bills and other special features of the roadway ( " vorbetet "). This is an important contribution to the success of any team and requires a high level of mental and physical performance by the copilot. In addition, the front passenger cares about the exact adherence to the specified segment times and leaves at the beginning and end of a section to the time stamp checks the boarding pass ( = control card of the rally organizers ).

In rallies usually service times (eg every 20 minutes) provided during which the participants their vehicles (sometimes three times) have to go twice in fixed service park. There, repairs of mechanics can be made. At the end of the day this service time is eg 45 minutes before the vehicles are locked in a guarded area, the Parc fermé overnight. Outside of a service park only the driver and passenger may carry out repairs, and for this they must use only carried on board spare parts and tools.

A global series of rallies is currently 13 together with their varied stages in the FIA ​​World Rally Championship.

Rally 200

As a grassroots event for amateurs in Germany there are a variety of so-called Rallye 200, in which a total distance of about 200 km is covered. Maximum 35 km of this route consist of the special stages ( WPs ), where it is blocked off roads ( mostly dirt roads, some industrial areas and military training areas, but sometimes normal roads and even through towns ), which will need to be traversed in the shortest possible time. The remaining up to 165 km is liaison stages from the end of a WP for the start of the next WP. In this connection stages are public (ie not locked ) roads, which must be run in compliance with the Highway Code. In addition, the team is determined by the organizer, how long they have to do for each road section, in particular, a fall below this requirement leads to significant time penalties.

The necessary approvals for WPs are usually difficult to obtain, because, inter alia, nature conservation issues and concerns to be considered by local residents.

In addition, the Rally 200 Regulations specifies the maximum length of a WP and also requires that the same WP only allowed to drive a maximum of three times. Through this framework it has become very common that rally 200 events to make do with three different WP routes that are each run twice. However, there are also 200 rally events, which offer six or even seven different WP- routes (such as the ADAC Rallye grave field ).

At a rally 200 is open to anyone who is in possession of a driver's license, and as a rule (also called day license ) is also organizing a license can be obtained ( this is only valid for an event ). However, can not be taken with a normal car, as this would have to be equipped at least with a roll cage and a portable fire extinguisher. Apart from this, further technical requirements must be met, which require, for example, the nature of the permitted conversions and last but not least the maximum engine power, as with all other rallies, limit to 300 hp. Compliance with these rules is checked before the start of the event of so-called scrutineers. Since a 200 rally takes place on public roads, the driver must also be in possession of a (valid) to be driving, and the vehicle must comply with the Road Traffic Act (in particular, so all tags must be entered in the vehicle documents ).

However, there is a "normal" standard vehicle hardly the opportunity to be very successful, there must be commenced against specially converted for rallies cars. Thanks to a subdivision into different groups (eg for production cars or for improved mileage ), which in turn are divided according to engine capacity or power to weight ratio in different classes, it is nevertheless ensured that each participant actually a rally 200 runs for victory - and was it is "only " for class victory.

Vintage and classic cars rallies

In some rallies, vehicles are moved, which are no longer built for many years. A distinction is generally between classic cars that are older than 30 years old, and the so-called youngtimers that include younger model years from the age of 20 years. There are rallies in which to stay the whole classic cars among themselves, about the scoring for classic cars Championship Rally Köln- Ahrweiler.

The sporting claim the contests for vintage vehicles varies greatly. In the majority of events, the sporting aspect is limited only to the awarding of trophies to the top point of a particular rating ( pejorative term " coffee trip "). However, there are also classic car rallies that have in store for driver and front passenger difficulties (eg orientation tasks or regularity tests with hidden time controls ) and in which only fast riders can achieve good rankings with expert passengers. Such events but more often in the UK, Belgium or France than in Germany.

Rally offshoot

No Rally in the modern sense is the Desert endurance racing infamous Dakar Rally, not even the similar type of competitions such as the Baja races in Mexico and California (USA). In the "Dakar " and some other desert trips in North Africa or the Middle East, it is rather called Rally Raids, in which, in contrast to a normal rally not momentarily closed roads and country lanes, but mainly in open terrain (or off road or cross country ) is being driven. Moreover, in a rally-raid drive various fellow in separate rating with - mostly SUVs or buggies, also motorcycles, trucks or trucks and quads.

Rallycross

The rallying is also the root of the Rallycross. On February 4, 1967, was on the specially prepared racetrack Lydden Circuit ( between Dover and Canterbury in Kent, England) compete invited rally drivers the first time in groups of four at short sprint race for a TV production of the ITV compared directly against each other ( The winner was the later formula 1 pilot and winner Vic Elford Monte ). Thus, the organizers picked an entirely new sport called Rallycross car from the baptism, in which, however soon after the rally works drivers have been replaced by now fast growing real RX specialists. The most successful ex- Crosser Rally Rally scene is the World Rally Champion in 2003, the Norwegian Petter Solberg. Today's " Mister Hollywood" was for some years almost unbeatable until he then finally in 1997 moved to rallying in the early 1990s in the National Norwegian Rallycross Championship.

Rally Sprint

The birth of all rally sprint was, according to current knowledge, the so-called Mini Monte Brands Hatch (Kent) in southern England. In February 1963, leaving Raymond Baxter, who worked for the Sports Department of the BBC, stake out the parking lot of a race track located south of London Series Mini Stages Rally (German mini- stages ). A single car then fought at a pretty foggy day Gaudi hundreds of thousands of television viewers against both of slush and mud badly deformed terrain and against the stopwatch timer. At the end the victory went to the Finn Timo Mäkinen, who had his rally car factory, an Austin Healey 3000, moved the fastest time on the slippery slopes. Only a few years later such rallies were compressed to a whole new car sport discipline under the name Rally Sprint.

The British organized rally sprints will continue to try to entertain the TV audience, for example, in the 1970s and 1980s at the Donington Park Circuit. Here are some World Rally Championship driver and Formula 1 drivers with equivalent vehicles competed against each other and had to prove themselves parking both on the asphalt track as well on gravel roads in Donington, with particularly British rally driver Tony Pond with equal several overall victories put in scene.

In other countries, this rally sprints developed a completely unique racing sport. Frequently, only one rally special stage is equal to completed several times and traveled optionally in the opposite direction on the second pass. In most cases, the lap times are then added together to determine as the overall winner.

Formula Rally and Formula Rally Germany

As part of the Bologna Motor Show in Italy, the organizers held in December 1985, the first show of rally drivers race under the term Formula Rally. It was to commemorate the few months before fatally injured Attilio Bettega rally drivers in its home country as Memorial Bettega to a presently continuing success. In one occupied by around 50,000 spectators Arena had a " Mickey Mouse course" applied on the two actors (from different starting positions on the grid as possible ) by a knock-out system through preliminary rounds, quarter and semi-finals in the final of the overall victory quarreled. The reigning world champion Timo Salonen from Finland proved his dominance and his Peugeot 205 T16 E2 and grabbed his compatriot Markku Alén in the Lancia Delta S4 (and thus the landlord Italian Lancia ) then the first victory from under the nose.

As Formula Rally Germany this rally Sprout came in September 1987 after Germany and has established itself for some years on the Gründautalring of Gruendau - Loveless near Frankfurt am Main.

Race of Champions

As a mixture or intersection of three rally offshoot Rallycross, Rally Sprint and Formula Rally can also witnessed the launching of the previous rally factory driver Michèle Mouton from France and her Swedish stage of life companions Fredrik Johnsson in 1988 lucrative stadium and media spectacle called look at the Race of Champions.

Ice racing

Last but not least, at least in France very popular so-called Andros Trophy ice racing has its roots in rally racing. As early as the 1970s ( 24 sur Glace de Chamonix ) and Serre Chevalier car ice racing were contested with then relatively tame rally cars in the French Maritime Alps in the winter resorts Chamonix. The participants for much more efficient vehicles later developed; for the Andros Trophy almost exclusively very potent prototype with all-wheel drive and a synchronous steering of the front and rear wheels.