how long is one stage of a rally course

by Derrick Kovacek 8 min read

Stages vary in length from five to 60kms, with the cars' times being recorded after each stage to the tenth of a second. Over the entire event, the special stage distance must more than 250 km. Forget about 'first across the line'.

How long is each stage of a rally?

These A to B, or point to point stage rallies are linked by sections of a public road, and each stage can vary in length from as little as a couple of miles to over 30 miles. Stage rallies are set up so that each competing team begins at a set interval to prevent significant backlogs.

What do you learn in a rally school driving course?

At high speeds, you will learn how to handbrake slide the car around tight hairpins, utilize left-foot braking and the infamous “Scandinavian Flick”. Our rally school driving courses are unique, provide personalized one-to-one instruction and our classes are booked based on your schedule.

What are the different classes of rally racing cars?

A traditional rally racing car has been categorized as production, touring, or grand touring spec and is required to achieve homologation by the FIA. The WRC1 class has the highest performing cars, while WRC5 is considered the entry-level class for the WRC.

What is a rally race?

Rally is a form of motorsport that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars.

How long is a rally stage?

one to twenty five milesStage Rally consists of a series of timed races, called stages. A stage is anywhere from one to twenty five miles long, and is usually a forest or logging road. The roads are closed to the public, and each competitor starts one minute after the next.

What is stage rallying?

Stage Rallies mainly take place in the forests and comprise loops of competitive sections, or stages, with the winner being the crew (driver and co-driver) that completes them all in the lowest aggregate time.

What are stages in WRC?

Each rally consists of 15–25 stages. Drivers compete on closed roads and the object is to get from start to finish in the fastest possible time. Each driver drives the stage individually with their co-driver – the driver and co-driver are known as the 'crew'.

What is rally time?

A regularity rally, also called time-speed-distance or TSD rally, is a type of motorsport rally with the object of driving each segment of a course in a specified time at a specified average speed. The rally is usually conducted on public roads, but sometimes includes off-road and track sections.

How do rally stages work?

Each rally features a number (typically between 15 and 25) of timed sections - known as special stages - on closed roads. Drivers battle one at a time to complete these stages as quickly as possible, with timing taken to 1/10th second. A co-driver reads detailed pace notes that explain the hazards ahead.

Is rally racing legal?

Rally cars are road legal and registered cars, as during the road sections between special stages they need to drive on public roads and respect all the traffic rules. So, it won't be against any rule, if you drive a rally car to work everyday, although we believe it won't be really friendly for your wallet.

Do rally cars drive between stages?

The cars must travel between special stages on public roads, often known as transport stages. While on public roads, all local traffic laws must be obeyed, so all cars must be roadworthy and taxed and insured.

How long is a car rally?

A typical rally course consists of a sequence of relatively short (up to about 50 km (31 mi)), timed "special stages" where the actual competition takes place, and "transport stages" where the rally cars must be driven under their own power to the next competitive stage within a specific time limit in which penalties ...

How long is a WRC event?

The series currently consists of 12 three to four-day rally events driven on surfaces ranging from gravel and tarmac to snow and ice. Each rally is usually split into 15–25 special stages which are run against the clock on up to 350 kilometres of closed roads.

How fast do rally cars go?

On the roads that are closed to the public, where the racing actually happens, speeds on these twisty gravel roads average between 50 and 70 miles per hour, which occasional bursts over 100 mph on the straights.

Is rallying a sport?

Performance Rally is an international sport that has had some success in the United States. The Driver: Rally drivers are usually regarded as some of the best drivers in the world as they drive on pavement, gravel, mud, snow, and ice – in all seasons and conditions throughout a championship.

Can any car be a rally car?

For Rally, the rules are intended to keep the cars as close to what can be built and driven legally on the street. And that's the big catch: able to drive on the street. Rally cars NEED to be street legal, pass emissions, carry registration and legal insurance, all the things a normal car has to do.

How many stages are there in a rally?

The most basic piece of the rally is a stage. A typical rally include several dozen stages, each of which has its own start and finish. However, not all stages are created equal. Some are important, some are even more important and then there are stages that go on almost unnoticed.

What is the purpose of transport stages in rally?

They are not timed and their purpose is basically to take cars from the finish of one special stage to the start of another.

What is special stage?

A special stage is rally’s basic element. It takes place on a piece of road or track that’s closed to public and ranges from a couple of kilometres to several tens of kilometres in length. The cars enter the stage in a set interval, usually a minute or two, and each run is timed.

How Does a Rally Operate?

For most rallies in the States, teams can expect to be in competition for multiple days. Typically, teams will arrive at the event location the day before reconnaissance to register and retrieve their notes.

What Makes a Rally Car Special?

While rally cars are built to withstand ample impacts, the rules for a rally car intend to keep the vehicle legally able to be driven on a street. Rally cars are required to carry registration and insurance, pass emissions in their state where required and do all of the basic tasks a normal car has to do such as having working lights and blinkers.

What are the Differences Between Rally, Rally Sprints, Road Rallies, and Rallycross?

Because of the uniqueness of rally in general, it can often be confused with the differing styles, so it is important to understand the differences. While the vehicles used in all 4 disciplines are often similar models, the similarities end quickly. Road rallies are one of the oldest forms of rally racing.

Why is Stage Rally so Unique?

There are many sayings in rally, one of which encompasses the spirit graciously. “Circuit racers see 10 turns 1,000 times while rally drivers see 1,000 turns 1 time!” Events can last for several days and cover hundreds of miles through blistering heat, rain and snow; running day or night.

Performance Rally School Instruction

RallyPro Performance Driving School at the FIRM provides world-class European-style rally driving instruction. Using competition proven rally school driving techniques, you will push the limits of technical driving on loose surfaces.

The FIRM Rally Stages

The FIRM, located in the beautiful state of Florida, offers 22 miles of configurable and diverse surfaces. Our 6 stages include an asphalt road course, broken tarmac, skid pad, loose gravel, dirt, sand, lime rock and unlimited scenarios to test your driving skills.

Student Information

Congratulations! You’re on your way to an amazing day. Here’s what you need to know!

What is a Rally?

Rally racing is one of the purest and oldest forms of motorsport and is held on public or private roads instead of on dedicated race tracks. It's distinguishable from other motorsport forms because cars race in a point-to-point format instead of completing laps of a circuit as in NASCAR or Formula 1.

History of Rallying

Rally events have been taking place for nearly 130 years and can be considered one of the first forms of motorsport, but the term "rally" only started gaining traction in the sport after the first Monte Carlo Rally in 1911.

Rally Types

There are two main types of rally races, namely road rallies, and stage rallies. Stage rallies have been the official format of the sport since the 1960s, while road rallies are considered to be the original form of the sport.

Rally Car Classes According to the WRC

The WRC and FIA set tight rules on which cars can compete. A traditional rally racing car has been categorized as production, touring, or grand touring spec and is required to achieve homologation by the FIA. The WRC1 class has the highest performing cars, while WRC5 is considered the entry-level class for the WRC.

Rally Races in the USA and Worldwide

There haven't been any sanctioned rally races in the USA in over 30 years, and America is currently not even aiming at hosting any of the global events. Here are some of the most well-known rallies in the world:

Conclusion

Rally sports racing continues to be massively popular around the globe, and pro rally events and pro rally teams are active in the US but are less active than their European counterparts. Rally sports cars are specially designed to handle unpredictable terrain found on rally stages across the world, which can include ice, asphalt, and dirt.

FAQs

Rally racing has always been fraught with danger. Races like the Mille Miglia in Italy and the Group B races of the 1980s caused many deaths. These days the cars are much safer, but the sport can still be considered more dangerous than Formula 1 due to the unpredictability of the sport.

What cars race in the World Rally Championship?

There are four teams in the WRC: Hyundai Shell Mobis, M-Sport Ford, Toyota Gazoo Racing and 2C Competition. Each team features multiple driver partnerships, and so has more than one opportunity at victory.

Where does the World Rally Championship race?

World Rally Championship’s biggest selling point is its variety. During a standard year, the series races in 12 countries across five continents. Each rally presents different challenges to the drivers, from terrain to weather.

What is a stage?

When the World Rally Championship rolls into town, it sets up multiple routes in the local area. These can vary anywhere from 3km to 35km in length, and each car will take on each route at least twice in different ‘stages’.

How is the winner of a rally decided?

At the end of each stage, the drivers’ times are recorded. Each time is added to that of the previous stage, so at the end of the weekend, every car has a cumulative time.

What does a co-driver do?

A co-driver is the most important navigation system in all of motoring. Unlike racing circuits, where drivers memorise every corner and repeat the turns lap after lap, it’s impossible to memorise every turn of every route in the rally.

What happens if a rally car needs repairs?

During a rallying event, each team sets up a mobile garage in a central position. The cars return here for service throughout the day, and the car can be worked on overnight.

How many series are there?

Like Formula 1 has the F2 and F3 support series (like MotoGP’s Moto2 and Moto3), WRC also runs two support series.

How fast can a rallycross go?

For example; the current generation of rallycross cars are some of the fastest accelerating cars on earth and have the ability to go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 1.8-1.9 seconds.

What is rally 101?

So you’ve heard about rally racing, but there seems to be two types… what’s the deal? The simplest answer is that Rally is one car at a time on a public road closed for racing, and Rallycross is multiple cars running together on a closed course specifically designed for racing.

What is the principle of rallying?

The real principle of rallying is endurance, since the stages can be long and all of the stages together can make for a long and exhausting day. The other unique characteristic of rallying is that the roads are rarely perfect; they may be public roads, but many times they are gravel or even snow-covered, which presents all sorts ...

How long after each other do cars go on a rally?

The rally tracks are not suitable for overtaking, so the cars set off at given intervals – usually 1 to 3 minutes after each other. Still, this is quite straightforward. The car that goes from the beginning of the stage to its end the fastest will be the winner.

What is the difference between rallying and racing?

Probably the biggest difference between racing and rallying is that while on the racing circuit, cars compete directly with each other, on the rally stage, they go against the stopwatch. And for anyone trying to watch the sport and comprehend it, it means a world of difference. In racing, the first car over the finish line wins the race.

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How Does A Rally Operate?

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For most rallies in the States, teams can expect to be in competition for multiple days. Typically, teams will arrive at the event location the day before reconnaissance to register and retrieve their notes. Co-drivers will prepare for a long day of RECCE, and teams will utilize “tools” such as a stopwatch or Fastime …
See more on blog.gorally.com

What Makes A Rally Car Special?

  • While rally cars are built to withstand ample impacts, the rules for a rally car intend to keep the vehicle legally able to be driven on a street. Rally cars are required to carry registration and insurance, pass emissions in their state where required and do all of the basic tasks a normal car has to do such as having working lights and blinkers. Cars are checked through a process calle…
See more on blog.gorally.com

Why Is Stage Rally So Unique?

  • There are many sayings in rally, one of which encompasses the spirit graciously. “Circuit racers see 10 turns 1,000 times while rally drivers see 1,000 turns 1 time!” Events can last for several days and cover hundreds of miles through blistering heat, rain and snow; running day or night. Stage Rally is the ultimate test of speed, skill, and endura...
See more on blog.gorally.com

How Can I Get Involved?

  • There are many ways you can get involved or started in rally. A good suggestion? Volunteer. Events take hundreds of volunteers to function and there are a variety of ways to help organizers. Volunteering not only gives you a behind the scenes look at the event, but it provides an opportunity to access people and places you would never get spectating. Check out a local rally…
See more on blog.gorally.com