In anticipation of our hosting the Zone 1 Rally and Concours in 2005, we'd like to begin providing information (and incentives!) for those interested in participating in the event, and those potentially interested in helping out with any aspect of the event. In our previous issue Doug Omatick discussed the Concours d'Elegance. This entry talks about the Time/Speed/Distance Rally.

For the person at our Spring Banquet who asked "What's a rally?", I hope you're reading this, and I hope it helps.

As you read along you'll note that in the first section of the article we discuss the "what" of a time/speed/distance (or TSD) rally, and give you some examples. In the second section we discuss the people you need to help stage a rally.

There are different kinds of rallies. First, anyone who has watched international rallying on TV has probably watched endurance rallying. (TSD rallies are far too tame for television) Endurance rallies are those where the cars run all night over what look like snowmobile trails in exotic countries. The cars are all tricked out with lights and computers. Way out of our league.

Then there are gimmick rallies where you can expect to do things like pull into a parking lot, and pull into and out of several parking places, and turn around on a dime, before you get to go on to the next stage. Way too cutesy for PCA.

The rally for the Zone 1 event, as well as for the Porsche Parade is a Time/Speed/ Distance (or TSD) rally. A TSD rally is basically a ride in the country with a few rules or constraints. It is designed by the Fiendish Rally Master (FRM) with the three major variables of time, speed, and distance in mind. The overall objective is for the participants to cover the distance (route), while maintaining a certain average speed, in a certain period of time.

The FRM maps out a route that covers a certain number of miles mostly on country roads (the Zone 1 event is about 60 miles....there will be potty breaks!). The route turns right, turns left and sometimes turns back on itself. Sometimes it may go through town. Most of the time it will probably stay out in the country. Between each decision point along the route (usually a turn or intersection), the FRM determines the exact distance. Then the FRM will determine what is a reasonable rate of speed participants should travel on each section of the route. Then, from those two variables the FRM is able to calculate the exact amount of time it should take participants to traverse each section of the route. The participant who completes the exact route laid out by the FRM at the exact rates of speed designated by the FRM will complete the whole rally in the exact amount of time calculated by the FRM and win the rally! A participant who does not complete the route (i.e. gets lost) is really out of luck and might as well go to a nice restaurant and have lunch. The participant who manages to stay on the route and either takes too long to complete it, or completes it in too short a time (maybe because they were speeding, or unknowingly took a short cut) gets penalty points. Just like in golf, the team with the fewest points wins.

So how do you as a participant do one of these? Running a rally is a team effort. A common way to divide up the duties, if you choose to run in a rally, is for the driver to watch the road, watch the speedometer, and watch for clues, usually in that order. Remember safety is a priority for all PCA events! The navigator is then in charge of following the instructions and looking for clues (more on that later).

What kind of information do you get? Usually, sometime prior to the rally the FRM will provide some general instructions for you to keep in mind as you prepare to traverse the rally route. These will often contain information such as "The rally is run on paved roads only. Unpaved roads do not exist for the purpose of this rally". Another general instruction may be "Unless directed otherwise, stay on a main road as designated by the center stripe." The FRM gives the driver/navigator teams time to read and absorb the General Instructions before the rally starts. Each car is assigned a number, and for some rallies, an "out" time (the time when your team will actually be starting the rally). You will probably be asked to assemble near the starting point in order of car numbers and/or "out" times. You should have a clock or watch, and you may want a stopwatch, although it is not necessary. You will be given an opportunity to synchronize your time with that of the FRM.

1. Right at T, average speed 30

2. Second left

3. Right at STOP, CAST 35

4. Left after Sunnybrook Farm

Stay in main road after 1.8 miles… and so on.

These are your instructions for following the route designed by the FRM. On a 60-mile rally there will probably be between 60 and 80 of these. The Starter will send each car out onto the route at about two minute intervals. As you start the route, you will want to zero your odometer and start your stopwatch if you have one.

No …. Not this type of rally!

Most TSD rallies have what is called an Odometer Check Leg. Remember we said earlier that the FRM determined the exact distance between each section or decision point of the rally? He/she did that using his odometer, which may read differently from your odometer. The Odometer Check Leg is the first section of many rallies, and gives you an opportunity to see how close your odometer readings will be to the FRM's. If there is a major difference between your reading and the FRM's, and you want to try to do any calculations along the way to see how close to the designated rally times you are, it will be difficult. Most beginners are concerned enough with not getting lost, that they don't do any calculations, so the Odometer Check Leg doesn't mean that much to them.

To complete the rally, you continue to follow each instruction in order, until you run out of instructions (hopefully you haven't run out of gas or patience first). Most rallies that are more than an hour long have an opportunity to stop to rest, use a restroom, get a drink of water, etc. Some have a lunch break.

Some rallies have fill-in-the-blank instructions. I remember one great rally I did in Michigan. We drove past a small, gated community, where there was a whole "bank" of bright yellow Detroit Free Press newspaper tubes at the entrance. The question was "how many yellow tubes". So you had to stop and count the tubes. As I recall there were 16. Then you filled in the answer.

Most rallies as much as 60 miles long will have checkpoints along the way. Checkpoints are surprise spots along the route where you are expected to stop. Each one will be marked by a sign next to the road with a big "4" on it. At the checkpoint you will be handed a little piece of paper that will tell you how you are doing so far. It will indicate the number of miles you should have covered, what the average speed should have been, and how long it should have taken you. You can then compare it to your own information. The little paper will also usually tell you what the next instruction is that you should be executing, and when you should leave the checkpoint.

Most rallies end somewhere nice where you can get something to eat, have a drink, and talk to fellow ralliers. Rallies take a while to score. For the Zone 1 event, since the rally is on Saturday morning, the results will probably be announced at the banquet Saturday evening.

Volunteers needed!

As you could tell if you read the previous section, staging a rally requires several types of helpers on the day of the rally. First, we need helpers in the area where the rally starts, to sign in participants, and give them car numbers and "out" times. If the General Instructions have not been distributed with the registration packet, they will need to be distributed at that time.

We also need a keeper of the official rally time and someone to answer participants' questions about the General Instructions. We will need a starter who will make sure the cars leave at exactly their designated times, with route instructions in hand. It is usually the starter who reminds participants to "0" their trip odometers, and checks to make sure their seat belts are fastened.

Along the route we will need checkpoint workers. We usually need at least two per checkpoint. Working a checkpoint usually involves one person clocking cars in by number and arrival time as they arrive at the checkpoint. And a second person "running" the checkpoint slip to each car and indicating to them where to pull over and wait until it is time for them to leave the checkpoint.

Nice kinds of help to have (although not required) are a "runner" along the route with a radio or cell phone to make sure no one's car has broken down, and perhaps, help find people who are hopelessly lost, and direct them to the end of the rally route so they can relax. Another nice kind of help to have is some one at the ending point to represent the club, and greet ralliers as they complete the rally.

We have identified someone who will be planning out the route. The Zone 1 Rally Master will be developing the General Instructions, calculating all of the Times, Speeds and Distances, and developing the route instructions. So we don't need to worry about that part.

The rally is planned for Saturday morning, and each helper should plan to devote about a half day to working the rally.

If anyone can think of other types of help we can use with the rally, please step right up. Or, likewise, if you'd like to help in any of the areas discussed, please step right up!

And, thanks!