Rallying - a Basic Guide to a Little Known Motor Sport

When most people think of motor sport in the US, they automatically think of NASCAR. It's been around for decades, and is the main form of racing in the states. The Daytona 500 ranks up there with the Super bowl as a time to flick on the big screen and invite all the guys over. This years X-Games gave millions of viewers the chance to experience a type of racing that's hugely popular in Europe, and has been around since the early 1900's. Rallying.

When Rallying started off, it wasn't a measure of raw speed. It involved getting from a starting point, to a final "Rally Point" with in an exact time. If you arrived early you were penalized, and if you were late you were penalized. They would do this over several sections, and the team with the least amount of time off won. At these events they had sections called "Special stages" on closed off roads where drivers would race for the fastest time. Eventually Rallying evolved to the point where every stage became a special stage, and the point of rallying changed to getting from point A to point B as fast as you possibly could.

The so called "Big leagues" of Rally is the World Rally Championship. The WRC has strict guidelines in safety, so there are very few deaths or injuries even though the cars push over 300 horsepower. They are the most advanced cars in the world with highly advanced aerodynamics, composites and suspension. Each car costs over half a million dollars to build, showing just how expensive the sport can be at the top level. The WRC travels all over the world and conditions range from tarmac, to gravel to snow. The scenery is quite impressive on all 14 rallies in countries such as France, Britain, Sweden and Norway.

Rallying still really hasn't caught on in the US. It's been around for a few years as the SCCA Prorally, and lately RallyAmerica, but it doesn't get much attention from the media, and there are few competitors. The best cars in the series cost just over a quarter of a million dollars to build. The cars aren't nearly as advanced as the European rally cars, but have just as much power. With the X-games exposure, more people are sure to get involved, and Rallying is a fast growing sport. In the next few years a WRC event in the US may even be a possibility. Until then go to RallyAmerica's website and visit an event near you!