RecceLabWhat is rallying? A beginner's guide
Rallying is a form of motorsport in which crews of a driver and a co-driver race against the clock on closed roads, one car at a time. Instead of racing wheel to wheel on a circuit, they tackle forest tracks, mountain passes and snowy roads, guided by the co-driver's pace notes.
How a rally works
A rally is a route through a region, split into two kinds of sections:
- Special stages: closed roads, timed precisely. The crew with the lowest total time wins.
- Road sections: public roads connecting the stages and the service park, driven in normal traffic to a strict schedule.
Cars start each stage at intervals, so every crew drives alone against the clock. The overall result is the sum of all stage times plus any penalties, for example for arriving late at a time control.
The crew: driver and co-driver
The driver is responsible for driving the car as fast as possible. The co-driver reads the pace notes on the stages, navigates on road sections using the road book, and manages the time card and timetable. A mistake by either can cost the rally, which is why rallying is truly a team effort inside the car.
Road book, time card and pace notes
| Document | Who makes it | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Road book | The organiser | The official route: junction diagrams ("tulips") and distances for the whole rally. |
| Time card | The organiser, filled in during the rally | Records the times at every control. Losing it or arriving at the wrong time leads to penalties. |
| Pace notes | The crew, during recce | A detailed description of each stage for driving at speed. |
Surfaces and conditions
One of the unique challenges of rallying is the variety of surfaces:
- Gravel: the most common surface, from smooth and fast (as in Finland) to rough and rocky.
- Tarmac: asphalt roads, often narrow and twisty mountain roads.
- Snow and ice: winter rallies, sometimes with studded tyres.
- Mixed: some events combine surfaces or change dramatically with weather.
Types of rallies
- Stage rallies: the classic format described on this page, from club events to the World Rally Championship.
- Rally raids: long-distance off-road events such as the Dakar Rally, with navigation over many days.
- Historic and regularity rallies: events for classic cars, sometimes run at set average speeds instead of maximum speed.
How to get started in rallying
- Learn the basics. Watch onboard videos and learn to understand pace notes. Many co-drivers start by practising reading along with onboard footage.
- Join a club. National motorsport federations and local clubs run training days, navigation events and entry-level rallies.
- Get a licence. Competing requires a competition licence from your national federation, usually after a course or test.
- Start as a co-driver or in a small car. Co-driving is a common and affordable way into the sport.
- Practise pace notes. Build a consistent note system before your first event.
Rally championships
Rallying runs on several levels, and most drivers climb them step by step:
- Club and regional rallies: short events, often one day, run by local motorsport clubs.
- National championships: organised under each country's motorsport federation.
- Regional FIA championships: for example the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC).
- The World Rally Championship: the top level, with support categories such as WRC2 and WRC3.
Key rally terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Special stage (SS) | A timed section of closed road. |
| Road section / liaison | Untimed public road between stages, driven to a schedule. |
| Recce | Reconnaissance: driving the stages before the rally to write pace notes. See the recce guide. |
| Pace notes | The crew's shorthand description of each stage. |
| Co-driver | The navigator who reads the notes and manages the timetable. |
| Time control (TC) | A checkpoint where the crew must arrive at a set time. |
| Service park | The base where mechanics work on the cars during set time windows. |
| Shakedown | A test session before the rally starts. |
| Super special stage | A short, spectator-friendly stage, sometimes with two cars side by side. |
| Power Stage | The final stage of a WRC event, with bonus points for the fastest five. |
| Split time | An intermediate time measured partway through a stage. |
| Road order | The order in which cars start; on gravel the first cars clean the road. |
Train with RecceLab
RecceLab is built for rally crews and aspiring co-drivers: write notes on recce with GPS, draft notes from a GPX track, and practise reading them in time with onboard video. It runs in the browser, works offline and is available in 16 languages.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between rallying and racing?
In circuit racing cars compete on a closed track at the same time. In rallying each car runs alone against the clock on real roads, and the co-driver guides the driver with pace notes.
Why are there two people in a rally car?
The roads are long and unknown at speed. The co-driver reads the notes that describe the road ahead and handles navigation and timing.
Is rallying dangerous?
Like all motorsport, it carries risk. Modern rally cars have safety cells, seats and harnesses, crews wear helmets with head-and-neck restraints, and stages are closed and marshalled.