CNYIRA News:
CNYIRA will be putting on an entry level Time, Speed, Distance (TSD) Rally
Sunday, June 6 2010
No, there will be no ice that day as far as we can predict.
All auto enthusiasts are welcome at this event. It will be enjoyable enough for experienced
rallyists while at the same time it will be geared more towards beginners who would like to
find out just how much fun a TSD Rally can be. Of course the veteran rallyists can always use
some practice to keep that skill level up, while this is a great place for novice rallyists to start.
The entry fee is only $20.
The CNYIRA June 6th TSD Rally will be starting and finishing at the Quaker Steak and Lube
on Walters Road in Solvay, NY. Registration will be open from noon until 1:15 PM.
There will be a short rally school at 12:30 PM and a mandatory driver’s meeting at 1:15.
The first car will leave the start at 1:30 PM. The event will cover about 120 miles and
take about 3-1/2 to 4 hours to complete. This will be a standard TSD Rally - no gimmicks, scavenger hunts, or trick questions.
TSD Rallies are traversed over public roads within the legal speed limit. The challenge is to
drive on time, arriving at points along the route neither early nor late (it's NOT a race).
The competition here is against the clock and doing the route precisely at speed, not being the fastest.
Each team needs a simple watch which can be synchronized to match official time, a working odometer,
as well as something to write on and with.
Cars will start at one minute intervals. The first section, a short 10-15 mile route, is called the
"Odometer Calibration Zone," and is used to calibrate the rally car's odometer to the official mileage
used to measure the course by the Rallymaster. After this section, the competition really begins,
as you must follow the course using the instructions in the route book, as well as the general instructions
that govern the rally. Meanwhile, you must also stay on time, based on the average speeds given in the
instructions at various points through the routes.
A rally is really a contest of precision. At various points, unknown to the competitors,
timing controls (checkpoints) will be encountered. Since the Rallymaster knows the exact
distance and speeds you should have traveled to reach the checkpoint, the "perfect time" of arrival
can be calculated. You are timed at the moment you reach the control, and will receive penalty points
for arriving either early OR late. You are then given information about the last leg, as well as a time
to start the next leg, and a clean start to challenge the clock. This is a contest of precision, not a race,
and each leg is scored separately. If you are early or late at one control, you cannot make up for it by
being late or early at the next. At the conclusion, scores for all legs are totaled, and the lowest score wins
(just like golf). Sound easy? Well, just as in golf, it takes practice to get very good scores.
Regardless of how well you score, rallying is a lot of fun if you like to spend time in your car,
see some scenery, and spend time with congenial people. Rallies usually end at a location where munchies
and beverages are available. You can join the rest of the crowd in discussing how the event went and how you did,
while waiting for the final scores to be calculated and trophies to be awarded.
A TSD Rally is a time-speed-distance contest with straight-forward course following.
There is never a deliberate attempt to lead the contestant off course, and typically redundant/confirming instructions
are provided if there is an apparent opportunity to get lost. Since there is less challenge in staying on course,
the competition usually either tests the driver with challenging roads, and/or tests the navigator with precise calculations.
A typical National Tour rally with a minimum of 24 controls is won with an average of less than one point per control,
and often with less than 10 points total (or a total error for the day of under 6 seconds!).
This is a CNYIRA event, with unofficial assistance from various CNYR SCCA rallyists.
Attend, and enjoy a fun rally in Central NY!
For more information contact Rallymaster, Mike Mazoway at mcmazoway@earthlink.net
To keep up on what's happening in the world of lake freezing, check out the
Ice Thickness Reporting Page
for all the latest reports from our intrepid ice checkers.
To be prepared at registration, download the registration/event form and fill it out before you get there...
Various lakeside locations:
Quaker Steak and Lube, Solvay
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Waneta Lake: Waneta Inn
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Black Rock Speedway, Dundee
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Honeoye Lake
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