ROAD RALLY
Road Rally is a competition that takes place on public roads within the legal speed limit. The challenge is to drive on time, arriving at points along the route neither early nor late (it’s NOT a race) or finding items or landmarks along the way. Two people (a driver and a navigator) in ordinary cars make up a rally team.
You will find 3 different types of Road Rally in the SCCA: Touring, Course, and GTA. Touring and course rallies rely on precisely arriving at specific control areas on time and with the correct mileage traveled while GTA rallies could take several other factors into account.
A Touring rally is a time-speed-distance contest with straight-forward course following. There is never a deliberate attempt to lead the contestant off course, and typically redundant/confirming instructions are provided if there is an apparent opportunity to get lost. Since there is less challenge in staying on course, the competition usually either tests the driver with challenging roads, and/or tests the navigator with precise calculations.
A Course rally is also a time-speed-distance event, but requires logic to determine where the course goes, as well as the skills to remain at the assigned average speed. These contests emphasize mental agility as much as on the road skills. The ability to think quickly is necessary, often described as “Chess on wheels.” If you are a “puzzle” person, then Course rallying is for you. Scores are generally higher as navigating the course correctly by solving the “traps” laid by the rallymaster plays a much bigger role in final scores than very accurate timekeeping.
A GTA rally is not a time-speed-distance event, but following the course may be as challenging as a Course rally. Or it may be simple, but finding certain signs and landmarks may be the challenge. From knowing Santa’s reindeer on a Christmas rally to finding the oldest gravestone in an old cemetery at night on a Halloween rally, GTA rallies have a wide range of formats and challenges. The open rules of GTA rallying make this one of Philly regions favorite formats.
2024 Road Rally Schedule
We are looking for additional volunteers
to lead the road rally program
contact: RE@phillyscca.com
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO ROAD RALLY?
You’ll want to bring along a simple watch which can be synchronized to match official time (if you are attending a timed rally), as well as something to write on and with. Interior lighting (map lights, a flashlight, etc) is also a good idea for night rallies. You and your teammate will meet up at the starting point about an hour before the first car is scheduled to go out and register with the crew.
After receiving and browsing the route instructions, cars typically start at one minute intervals. The first section, a short 10-15 mile route, is called the “Odometer Calibration Zone,” and is used to calibrate the rally car’s odometer to the official mileage used to measure the course by the rallymaster. After this section, the competition really begins as you must follow the course using the instructions in the route book, as well as the general instructions that govern the rally. Meanwhile, you must also stay on time based on the average speeds given in the instructions at various points through the routes or keep an eye out for any landmarks or items along the way.
