Rally racing, usually referred to simply as “rallying”, is a unique form of motor sport that lies in almost perfect opposition to the traditional “race track” idea. Motor sports enthusiasts who are bored by watching lines of cars drive endlessly around a circuit may be especially attracted to rally racing.
The first and most obvious difference between rallying and circuit racing is the course. Just about anything goes. Dirt, gravel, asphalt, mud, sand, snow, ice—the medium for a rally course is varied and unpredictable. Often, the course surface will change, and drivers will have to adapt on the fly to road conditions. This heralds advanced rally drivers as among the best car handlers in the world. Many rallies take place on back roads or public roads that have been temporarily closed to outside traffic. Some very popular races, like the Baja 1000, take place on no road at all—just a course across open sand.
Often, these races are impossible to perfectly prepare for ahead of time. The truly skilled rally driver can be flexible and adapt to changing conditions. Speed is usually only a minor factor in a rally. Vehicle control and handling take precedence.
The race cars themselves are the next biggest difference between rallying and circuit racing. Most rally cars aren’t much different from standard road cars. Until the 1960s, manufacturers didn’t even make cars specifically for rally racing. Many are even cleared for standard driving. They aren’t likely to have super aerodynamic designs or ultra-high performance engines. Balance, control, and the ability to keep traction and handling over rough and dynamic terrain are most important for a rally car.
The organization and rules for rally racing are also much different from those for circuit events. Rather than counting laps, a rally course usually involves driving between predetermined control points. Courses are usually linear rather than cyclical. Time is usually a factor, but it may be more difficult to actively judge. For example, on a circuit track, it is easy to determine who is in first place, second place, and so on. In a rally, racers’ start positions and times may be staggered, or they may start from different control points altogether. The first racer to reach the end point of the race, therefore, may or may not be the actual winner.
Rally racing also introduces the idea of the long-distance, multi-day race. Courses between cities, such as the South American Gran Premio del Norte, run from Buenos Aires to Lima and back, totaling more than 5,000 miles. The proliferation of these long races has steadily declined, but they are still occasionally run by dedicated rally racers. They have fallen victim to the immense costs of money, time, and organization. The increasing legal complexity of having such vast organized events that cross between countries and along many different publicly used roads is also a major stumbling block for long rallies. The safety of drivers not involved in the race is of key concern, and growing liability issues prevent many racers or organizations from taking the chance.
Rally racing history is long and can be stretched all the way back to 1894, Paris, France. True cars weren’t even used in this race. Rather, horseless carriages were employed. A series of inter-city road races in France took off from there. The average speed of a racer at that time—a whopping 24 miles per hour. As the automobile developed further, rally racing popularity grew throughout Europe and other continents. The sport reached a Golden Age in the 1950s.
In the modern era, rallying has slackened somewhat. It is more dangerous and more difficult to organize than traditional circuit races, and these factors have hurt its popularity. Increasing costs and a greater safety concern have stunted the growth of rally racing. Also, a growing interest in high speeds does not fit well with the idea of rally racing, which has never been primarily about speed. Despite this, rally racing will always maintain a unique place in motorsports. It is an arena that develops driver skills and presents challenges that no circuit course ever will. It will always attract those interested in more grassroots and freeform events. It will always appeal to drivers wanting something different, something unpredictable—a race that presents a truly new challenge around every corner.
