- Formula Racing
- Sports Car Racing
- Stock Car Racing
- Rallying
- Drag Racing
- Off-Road Racing
Rallying
Of all the different types of motor sport that exist rallying is one of the most unique. It is also the one that most closely resembles the early days of racing. This is a race that covers long distance over roads rather than going around a track. While this type of racing has an appeal to many people it has waned in popularity recently.
Rally racing is somewhat different from other forms of motor sport in that it takes place over public roads that have been closed off. It is also different because drivers compete against the clock rather than racing against each other. During a rally race there are several stages during each of which the driver has to navigate the route in as short a time as possible. The winner is the driver who completes all of the stages in the shortest possible time.
One of the things that makes rallying unique is that the drivers do not get to see the course before they start out. This is why each driver has a navigator who rides with him in the car. Not only does the navigator make sure that he stays on course but he also tells him what to expect. The navigator is given what are called pace notes that will tell him how sharp every turn is and how steep every gradient is. This information will be passed on to the driver in order to allow him to complete the course in as short a time as possible. A successful rally will depend on good teamwork between the driver and his navigator.
The cars used in rallying will vary depending on the level that the competition is being contested at. In the amateur ranks it is almost always done with road cars. However for professional rallying custom built race cars are almost always used. That being said they do have the bodywork of road cars on the. Over the years there has been something of a concerted effort to slow rally cars down. During the eighties cars that were producing in excess of eight hundred horse power were being used and safety was becoming a problem. These days that cars are limited to about four hundred horse power.
There are some areas of the world where rallying is very popular, Finland is really the area where it is most popular. In other areas the sport tends to be something of a niche activity. The main reason is that rallies are difficult to show on television. They last several days and they go all day while they are running. The result is that usually it is just highlights that make it onto the air. In addition most rallies are held in fairly remote areas which makes it hard for spectators to get out to see them.