Rally Driving Experiences

The History of the Rally Driving: From Start to Finish

Rally driving is unlike any other type of driving. You'll often find yourself skidding around sharp turns, driving faster than you've ever gone before. If you love the chase scenes in movies and have plenty of traffic tickets to prove your love of speed, you're probably a rally driver at heart.

A rally is a special competition in which drivers race on a point-to-point route. Usually, they race against a clock rather than against each other. The cars used in professional rallies are specially modified for the race, and are not road-legal. While many rallies are now raced on closed tracks, the most well known rallies are run on public roads.

The first rally as we know it today probably occurred in 1894. The Paris-Rouen Horseless Carriage Competition generated lots of publicity for the auto industry in its time; it was sponsored by a major newspaper and attracted crowds of onlookers. It inspired a new trend of city-to-city racing, where drivers would race against the clock along public roads. Some of these races were incredibly long; the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris race, which took place in 1895, had a route 1,178 km (732 miles) long. The winner finished the race in 48 hours.

Many early rallies were intended to promote automobiles - still a new form of transport at the time - and many of the competitors worked for auto companies. In the early 1900's, rallying caught on throughout Europe. Races would be run between cities, and some events would include hill climbing competitions and speed tests. Between race points, the vehicles would sometimes be exhibited to the public.

It wasn't long, however, before rally driving became dangerous on public roads. These competitors were navigating around pedestrians, farm animals, and other natural obstacles at speeds much higher than the roads were built for. The French government banned rally racing on public roads, and before long racing throughout much of Europe was relegated to closed roads and tracks.

The term "rally" itself didn't make an appearance until 1911, with the first Monte Carlo Rally. Founded by Prince Albert I of Monaco, this rally takes place in Monaco and in Southeast France. Today, this challenging race plays an important part in testing new innovations in automobile technology. Many cars are entered by their manufacturers, and winning brings a great deal of recognition and publicity to the car model as well as the maker.

Rallies have been going strong since the beginning of the 20th century, except during the war years. The action slowed in World War I, during which the Monte Carlo Rally was halted until 1924. Between World Wars I and II, alpine rallies were popular; Italy, Germany, Switzerland, France, and other countries began taking advantage of the Alps when planning rally routes. These were some of the most challenging rallies to date, with hairpin turns, steep climbs and drops, and snow and icy conditions.

In the 50's, rallies saw an increase in popularity. Perhaps in order to distinguish their events from others, rallies began to increase in difficulty as well. The organizers of famous rallies such as the French Alpine, the Lige, and others made a point of setting extremely difficult routes and reducing the required times between points so that competitors would have to drive flat-out in order to keep from being penalized. The organizers of the Lige went so far as to state that they expected no competitors to finish the race without a penalty.

In modern times, rally routes have become shorter, and in most areas nighttime racing is no longer allowed. Safety concerns, expense, and other factors have all contributed to these changes.

In past decades, rally cars were generally standard - sometimes with only minor changes to the handling, brake and suspension systems. Rally drivers were usually amateurs, although a Grand Prix driver would occasionally be hired by one of the major manufacturers to showcase a certain car at a rally. Most rally drivers were hired by car companies to drive on their behalf. They were given reimbursement for their expenses, plus a bonus if they won. It was not a full-time job.

Nowadays, however, rally cars are much more specialized, some of them fitted with features suited to the conditions for one specific rally. With the expense and meticulous planning required at today's large rallies, it's almost unheard of for amateurs in standard cars to participate. Most drivers at these rallies are professionals.

However, amateurs can still participate in small rallies at local auto clubs. Road rallies rely on accuracy, navigation skills over difficult terrain, and teamwork rather than competition and speed, and they are usually performed on roads open to the public. Rallying is almost as old as the automobile itself. It's a venerable tradition - and a fun way to spend an afternoon.