Regularity rally
Encyclopedia
Regularity rallying, also known as TSD rallying (Time
Speed
Distance
), is a form of motor sport usually conducted on public roads but sometimes including off-road and track
sections. The object of these rallies
is to maintain precise time
s and precise average speeds
on various segments of a predefined route. Each team usually consists of an amateur
driver
and navigator
. Teams usually start a regularity rally at fixed intervals creating a field that is spread along the route.
. Unlike the well-known 'special stage rallying' (which is commonly just called rallying), regularity rallying does not depend on the abilities of the driver at high-speed nor does it depend on the speed that the vehicle can achieve. For this reason, ordinary motor vehicles can be used. (Regularity rallies are commonly held for classic
or even vintage car
s, see below.) Regularity rallying, therefore, is a far less expensive sport and can be enjoyed by a far greater spectrum of people. With the commercialisation and increasing competitiveness of special stage rallying, many people have been financially excluded from the sport and have therefore created many cheaper alternatives (see Categories of rallies
). The closest motor sport to regularity rallying is road rally
ing. Unlike a road rally, a regularity rally focuses somewhat more on the maintenance of precise speeds and times rather than on navigation. Navigation
does, however, still play an important role in regularity rallying.
At the start, competitors are usually briefed about the event and may be required to submit their cars for inspection. Each team is given a route schedule prior to departure. This schedule contains information that the navigator will use to try to keep to the specified route and it contains information about the designated speeds and times for each segment of the route. On some rallies, more than one type of schedule may be prepared for different types of competitors.
Once a team is prepared, they will usually start the rally at a specific time unique to them. Along the route, the team will encounter marshals. The position of the marshals is usually not known to the teams. The time at which the team arrives at each marshal is recorded and used in the scoring. In some cases the marshals are hidden from view. Teams may also encounter open sections where they are guaranteed not to encounter marshals and are not subject to any time penalties. There may be various other features along the route including points at which teams must wait for an 'exact time of departure', points at which teams must record their own times, etc.
Every regularity rally should have a deterministic
route schedule. This means that the organisers can work out the exact times that should be recorded for each team at all the relevant points along the route. The difference between a team's actual times and the correct times determine their penalties. (Lateness and earliness both attract penalties.) The team with the lowest number of penalties wins.
(or sometimes a motorcycle
) and a stopwatch
, but many regularity rallyists use various devices in an attempt to reduce their total penalties. The rules of each rally determine which devices are permitted. Some common aids include:
Depending on each organization committee the list of navigation aids can be shortened or expanded; In Continental Europe only an electromechanical odometer is allowed, no speedometer, no GPS, no computer, no speed "sequencer".
Historic Rally Championship is featured in the FIA (Automobile International Federation) championship.
The Monte Shelton Northwest Classic Rally is the longest running classic car rally in North America. It has been held annually in Portland, Oregon
since 1988.
In 1961, was organized the first regional rally championship in São Paulo. Four years later in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, organized regional Championships. The first national championship took place in 1973.
Example of a worksheet used in regularity rally:
The software usually read totem data files to load the rally tracks to avoid user to manually add data.
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
Speed
Speed
In kinematics, the speed of an object is the magnitude of its velocity ; it is thus a scalar quantity. The average speed of an object in an interval of time is the distance traveled by the object divided by the duration of the interval; the instantaneous speed is the limit of the average speed as...
Distance
Distance
Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are. In physics or everyday discussion, distance may refer to a physical length, or an estimation based on other criteria . In mathematics, a distance function or metric is a generalization of the concept of physical distance...
), is a form of motor sport usually conducted on public roads but sometimes including off-road and track
Race track
A race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
sections. The object of these rallies
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
is to maintain precise time
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
s and precise average speeds
Velocity
In physics, velocity is speed in a given direction. Speed describes only how fast an object is moving, whereas velocity gives both the speed and direction of the object's motion. To have a constant velocity, an object must have a constant speed and motion in a constant direction. Constant ...
on various segments of a predefined route. Each team usually consists of an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
driver
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
and navigator
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
. Teams usually start a regularity rally at fixed intervals creating a field that is spread along the route.
Origins
Regularity rallying shares its origins with most types of rallyingRallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
. Unlike the well-known 'special stage rallying' (which is commonly just called rallying), regularity rallying does not depend on the abilities of the driver at high-speed nor does it depend on the speed that the vehicle can achieve. For this reason, ordinary motor vehicles can be used. (Regularity rallies are commonly held for classic
Classic car
A classic car is an older car; the exact meaning is variable. The Classic Car Club of America maintains that a car must be between 20 and 40 years old to be a classic, while cars over 45 years fall into the Antique Class.- Classic Car Club of America :...
or even vintage car
Vintage car
A vintage car is commonly defined as a car built between the start of 1919 and the end of 1930 known as the "Vintage era". There is little debate about the start date of the vintage period—the end of World War I is a nicely defined marker there—but the end date is a matter of a little...
s, see below.) Regularity rallying, therefore, is a far less expensive sport and can be enjoyed by a far greater spectrum of people. With the commercialisation and increasing competitiveness of special stage rallying, many people have been financially excluded from the sport and have therefore created many cheaper alternatives (see Categories of rallies
Categories of rallies
Rallying makes up the majority of the "grassroots" of amateur motorsport, especially in the United Kingdom. Motor Clubs will usually run one or more rallies each year. Rallies fall into many categories each with different rules and aimed at different skill levels...
). The closest motor sport to regularity rallying is road rally
Road rally
A road rally is a car rally that takes place on the public road. It is a popular sport in the United Kingdom, especially Wales, and has traditionally been the core of the "grass roots" of club-based amateur motorsport. However it has declined in popularity since the 1980s and now stage rallies are...
ing. Unlike a road rally, a regularity rally focuses somewhat more on the maintenance of precise speeds and times rather than on navigation. Navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
does, however, still play an important role in regularity rallying.
Aspects of Regularity Rallies
A typical regularity rally may run for a few hours or it may run over a series of stages over a few days.At the start, competitors are usually briefed about the event and may be required to submit their cars for inspection. Each team is given a route schedule prior to departure. This schedule contains information that the navigator will use to try to keep to the specified route and it contains information about the designated speeds and times for each segment of the route. On some rallies, more than one type of schedule may be prepared for different types of competitors.
Once a team is prepared, they will usually start the rally at a specific time unique to them. Along the route, the team will encounter marshals. The position of the marshals is usually not known to the teams. The time at which the team arrives at each marshal is recorded and used in the scoring. In some cases the marshals are hidden from view. Teams may also encounter open sections where they are guaranteed not to encounter marshals and are not subject to any time penalties. There may be various other features along the route including points at which teams must wait for an 'exact time of departure', points at which teams must record their own times, etc.
Every regularity rally should have a deterministic
Deterministic system (mathematics)
In mathematics, a deterministic system is a system in which no randomness is involved in the development of future states of the system. A deterministic model will thus always produce the same output from a given starting condition or initial state.-Examples:...
route schedule. This means that the organisers can work out the exact times that should be recorded for each team at all the relevant points along the route. The difference between a team's actual times and the correct times determine their penalties. (Lateness and earliness both attract penalties.) The team with the lowest number of penalties wins.
Equipment
It is usually possible to compete in a regularity rally using only a carAutomobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
(or sometimes a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
) and a stopwatch
Stopwatch
A stopwatch is a handheld timepiece designed to measure the amount of time elapsed from a particular time when activated to when the piece is deactivated. A large digital version of a stopwatch designed for viewing at a distance, as in a sports stadium, is called a stopclock.The timing functions...
, but many regularity rallyists use various devices in an attempt to reduce their total penalties. The rules of each rally determine which devices are permitted. Some common aids include:
- OdometerOdometerAn odometer or odograph is an instrument that indicates distance traveled by a vehicle, such as a bicycle or automobile. The device may be electronic, mechanical, or a combination of the two. The word derives from the Greek words hodós and métron...
: Odometers can range from the odometer included on the dashboard of most cars to specially manufactured rally odometers. - SpeedometerSpeedometerA speedometer is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a land vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the 1900s, and as standard equipment from about 1910 onwards. Speedometers for other vehicles have specific names...
: As with odometers, speedometers used by rallyists range from those built into the vehicle to specially manufactured rally speedometers. - StopwatchStopwatchA stopwatch is a handheld timepiece designed to measure the amount of time elapsed from a particular time when activated to when the piece is deactivated. A large digital version of a stopwatch designed for viewing at a distance, as in a sports stadium, is called a stopclock.The timing functions...
: Accurate time is essential in regularity rallying. - GPS: GPS units provide speed, distance and navigational data, but there is some debate as to their usefulness in regularity rallying.
- ComputerComputerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
: Computers ranging from custom-made units to laptops can be used in some regularity rallies.
Depending on each organization committee the list of navigation aids can be shortened or expanded; In Continental Europe only an electromechanical odometer is allowed, no speedometer, no GPS, no computer, no speed "sequencer".
Classic Regularity Rallies
Often, regularity rallies are held for owners of classic cars. Since regularity rallies do not involve high speed, classic cars are able to participate on an equal footing with other cars. Regularity rallying provides a practical and inexpensive sport for classic car enthusiasts.Historic Rally Championship is featured in the FIA (Automobile International Federation) championship.
The Monte Shelton Northwest Classic Rally is the longest running classic car rally in North America. It has been held annually in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
since 1988.
History
In Brazil it began in the early 1950s, when a group of enthusiasts of SEGEL (Sociedade Esportiva e Cultural dos employees of Light) decided to organize a rally in the city of São Paulo. Were evidence much more social than sports. In the background, was calculated by applying the exact meaning of the word English Rally-meeting, friendship.In 1961, was organized the first regional rally championship in São Paulo. Four years later in Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, organized regional Championships. The first national championship took place in 1973.
Worksheet
The worksheet or logbook is a type of map encoded path to be trodden. It counts with all the information about the distances, time and average speed that must be followed throughout the race. It is through the sheet that the browser will direct the pilot. At the rally the sheet is divided into several sections that may be of the following types:- Regularity Tracks: are the passages in which the contestants must maintain an average hourly predetermined, expressed in km/h. Averages are compatible with the type of road and the floor which is developing that snippet.
- Deslocation Tracks: are excerpts used for sailings from towns and displacements on main roads, which because of their characteristics, do not allow competitors to maintain an average speed. In this manner is specified a maximum time to fulfill the excerpt, so competitors can walk in these excerptssafely.
- Neutral Tracks: are times data by competitors to supply food, taking pictures or simply to rest during the race.
Example of a worksheet used in regularity rally:
Track | Type | Start Km | End KM | Speed/Time | Start Time |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | D | 0.000 | 15.783 | 00:25:00 | 00:00:00,00 |
2 | S | 0.000 | 0.549 | 48.0 | 00:25:00,00 |
3 | S | 0.549 | 1.175 | 54.0 | 00:25:41,17 |
4 | S | 1.175 | 1.285 | 30.0 | 00:26:22,90 |
5 | S | 1.285 | 1.720 | 33.0 | 00:26:36,10 |
6 | N | 0.000 | 0.000 | 00:01:00 | 00:28:36,10 |
Navigation Software
In Brazil the most common navigation equipaments are Totem Devices and Nav4Palm software that run over Palm platform. Other software are being developed like Navega Bem for Windows CE, Mobile Rally for Android and rallymeter from gluforange.com for both Android and iPhone.The software usually read totem data files to load the rally tracks to avoid user to manually add data.
- http://www.gulforange.com/ Rallymeter - Programmable speed table and much more
- http://www.totemonline.com.br/ Totem Navigation Devices
- http://www.nav4.com.br/ Nav4Palm Navigation Software
- http://www.navegabem.com.br/ Navegabem GPS Navigation Software (Free)
- http://mobilerally.blogspot.com/ Mobile Rally GPS Navigation Software (Free)
Rally Leagues in Brazil
- http://www.sertoes.com/ Rally dos Sertões
- http://www.piocera.com.br/ Rally Piocera
- http://www.mitsubishimotors.com.br/welcome/mitralis.cfm Mitsubishi Motor Sports
- http://www.rallyuniversitariofiat.com.br Rally Universitário Fiat
- http://www.rallyeuniversitariopoa.com.br/ Rally Universitário
- http://www.copapeugeot.com.br Copa Peugeot
- http://www.cearensederally.com.br Campeonato Cearense de Rally
External links
- http://www.rallymeter.com TSD Rally tool
- http://www.crrasa.co.za Classic Regularity Rally Association of South Africa
- http://tsdroadrally.com TSDRoadRally.com
- http://www.acm.mc/rmch/rmch_main.php Rallye Monte Carlo Historique
- http://www.fia.com/fr/sport/Championships/Secondary/2007/rally_reg.html FIA Regularity rally championship
- http://www.hrcr.co.uk/ Historic Rally Car Register (UK)
- http://www.cdconcept.be/View.aspx?lg=EN&ref=CD200-RTS&pg=1 Rally Timing System
- http://www.rally.cc Alfa Rally Computers - Small System Specialist
- http://www.tsdmeter.com TSDMeter - fast, easy to use TSD calculator