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Those that rally classic cars
love it and are doing it with a lot of determination.
Those that don't know about it, have wrong ideas or think
that it is boring. I have to say when I try to explain
it, it somehow sounds boring as well (you have to respect
the maximum speed, you are reading a map and that's
it....). On this page I will explain what Classic
rallying is all about and will even try to make it sound
exciting... |
| First of all the word 'rally'
makes people think it is all about speed. One remembers
the pictures of WRC (World Rally Car) and makes the
connection with the monsterous factory rally cars that
are going at absurd high speeds over closed roads. Forget
this picture, it is nothing like that! At the other hand
it has nothing to do with the simple puzzle-ride for
families. It is a tactic game in combination with good
car driving, where the winners will be the team that are
at the right moment at the right location and have driven
the right route. |
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To drive the correct route,
you have to follow the directions of the organizers very
carefully. A mistake is made very easily and even the
experienced rally-drivers can't do it without penalties.
The fact that the routes cover narrow and challenging
roads and that you don't have much time to complete the
route makes it exciting. The route is in many ways
challenging for driver, navigator and car. |
| The word 'classic' refers to the cars
that are used. Cars have to be at least 25 years old, but
at most rallies even older. The cars that are used are
mostly cars that are used for rallying or racing at the
time of production, but this is not obligated. The old
cars make it extra challenging for both car and driver,
but most of all give the rallies an extra character. It
is good to see the classic cars being used for what they
were made for and it is good to meet other people that
love classic cars. |
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Types of rallies
There are a lot of different types of rallies. In general
there is difference in duration and difficulty. For example there
are one-day rallies without any time-limits and there also
rallies of a week, going through Europe with a tight
time-schedule. Also within a rally there can be different kind of
stages. Here are some common used types of rallies:
| Sphere - Arrow |
The organization delivers a map with drawn spheres
and arrows. The sphere stands for the location where you
are and you have to drive towards the arrow in the
direction the arrow points. The map can contain extra
information like distances and roadnames. |
| Points |
You get a map with several points in it. You have to
call at each point. Sometimes in a fixed order, but
always in the shortest possible way. |
| Arrows |
The delivered map contains arrows, which have to be
called at and have to be driven over the drawn line of
the arrow in the direction the arrow points. There can be
a fixed order and again this should be driven in the
shortest possible way. |
| Border approximation |
The map contains a drawn line or shows a natural
border. The surface between the line and the driven way,
should be as small as possible. So the choosen way should
be as close as possible to the line, but the line may
never be crossed! |
| Line with barricades |
At the map a line is drawn with one or several
barricades. These barricades may never be crossed, but
the line should be followed as close as possible. This
means that the line should be left at the last junction
before the barricade and should be followed again at the
first junction after the barricade. Between the junction
the shortest way should be found. |
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| Time limit |
Each of these types can have a time limit, where you
get penalties if you overstep this limit. |
| Average speed |
The types of rallies can also be combined with a
fixed average speed. When you are earlier or later then
the calculated time at the checkpoint, you will get
penalties. These checkpoints can be only at the end of a
stage or at several (known or unknown) locations at the
stage. |
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Required tools
Besides your car there is no tool that is
really required or obligated. However there are some tools that
makes life a lot easier during a classic rally. There are so many
tools that can help you that you can totally fill your dashboard
with it. There are some restrictions to the tools that can be
used. In general can be said that the tools have to be mechanical
and not electronic. Here are some basic tools that most rally
drivers use:
| Tripmaster |
A tripmaster tells you exactly how many meters you
have done. Like your regular odometer, but then much more
accurate. The tripmaster can be calibrated and set to
zero. It is best to have two separate meters, one for the
total distance and one for the different parts during the
stage. |
| Stopwatches |
To know the time you are on your way, so you can
calculate your average speed. It is handy to have two.
One for the total stage and one for each part during the
stage. |
| Fire-extinguisher |
This will be an obligation for most rallies, same as
an first-aid kit and a towrope. |
| Map lamp |
Some extra lights in the car is handy, especially if
the rally is in the dark of course a snake light does the
job best. |
| Magnifier |
There are some very nice rally-magnifiers to put onto
the map. A regular magnifier will do as well. |
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