12 CAR RALLIES : A FEW TIPS
By Bob Hart
TIMING AND TIME CONTROLS.
Standard Time is the time at which a theoretical Car number
0 should be at a control. If cars run at minute intervals, your
Scheduled Time, i.e. the time at which you should be at
any control, is Standard Time plus your number.
Rallying works such that once you have been penalised for being
late, then you can run the rest of the event that same amount
late without further penalties. Under these circumstances, your
Due Time at a control is your scheduled time plus the amount
by which you were late at the last time control.
If you are just a few minutes late, don't bother trying to make
up time. It needs a lot of work to make sure you have calculated
it right and there are other more useful things you could be doing,
like making sure you have plotted all the route information you
have.
If you are getting down to 20 + late, you must start thinking about trying to make up time.
| EXAMPLE |
SCHEDULEDTIME |
DUE TIME |
ACTUAL TIME |
PENALTY |
| TC1 |
19:40 |
19:40 |
19:41 |
1 |
| TC4 |
19:58 |
19:59 |
19:59 |
0 |
| TC7 |
20:08 |
20:09 |
20:11 |
2 |
| TC9 |
20:20 |
20:23 |
20:25 |
2 |
| TC12 |
20:36 |
20:41 |
20:40 |
0 |
| TC14 |
20:44 |
20:48 |
20:50 |
2 |
If you are late at a time control you incur a penalty (1 mark
per minute), so don't sit around plotting route beyond the next
time control. Nor does it make sense not to plot and visit passage
controls - one missed is the equivalent of 15 minutes.
If you think you can achieve it, then the quickest way is to plot
on the move whilst still making sure you are on the right road
and watching the time. The best you will do is to keep plotted
just ahead of where you are - rnaybe 2-3 points.
You have to find the best way for you, but sitting plotting everything
each time you open an envelope is unlikely to win you the event,
and may leave you running very late
