Getting Started

How Do I Get Started?

This site contains an overview of what you'll need to get involved in the exciting upcoming rally season including license applications, registration forms, a schedule of events, and most importantly, contact information for people who can get your more information!

Car Classes

There is a class in rally for almost any type of production based vehicle. Generally you will find that the classes for higher horsepower and all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles include the more experienced drivers and co-drivers. These high horsepower AWD vehicles are not recommended as your first rally car, as they are much more expensive to prepare and maintain. Vehicles in the two-wheel-drive (2WD) classes tend to be less expensive to operate. Front-wheel-drive (FWD) rally cars without turbo charges are the cars best suited for the new driver and co-driver. These vehicles have good torque, are extremely forgiving of mistakes, easy and less expensive to maintain. Rear-wheel drive rally cars are considered to be the most difficult to drive, but are generally inexpensive to maintain, and have a very high grin-factor.

For a complete list of car classes, refer to the NASA Rally Sport General Regulations.

When preparing your rally vehicle, there are 2 sets of regulations and guidelines you must read and follow. The first is the General Sporting Regulations. These include specifics related to technical and mechanical preparation and safety. The regulations for the specific rally championship you are entering should also be reviewed. The Championship regulations may define additional car classes or preparation guidelines. Competition vehicles may be prepared yourself or by a professional shop. There are several rally prep shops in the United States. Contact your championship administrator for help locating a shop that will meet your needs.

Technical Inspection

The technical inspection of competition vehicles is a thorough assessment of mechanical, safety and street legal (Department Of Transportation) requirements. Rally cars must go through an initial technical inspection for a log book to be issued. This first inspection must be performed by a NASA licensed technical inspector. At this time, non-FIA homologated roll cages will be drilled and stamped and the car's log book issued. The log book identifies your car and certifies that it passed initial approval. The log book is your car's "passport" for subsequent technical inspections and must be presented at every rally. Each year before the first rally of the season, competition vehicles must pass an Annual Technical Inspection. This is usually done at the first rally you enter. Competition cars are re-inspected before every rally and following "offs" at rallies to ensure safety compliance prior to competition.

Licensing

See Racing License section.

Rally Format

Rallies are composed of three parts: pre-event activities, competition activities, and post-event activities.

Pre-event activities include the rally announcement, registration procedures, and announcement of supplementary regulations including the rally schedule.

Competition activities usually include:

• At-event registration/administrative checks
• Technical inspection
• Licensing seminar
• Parc expose
• Practice or press stage
• Competition stages, transits, and regrouping controls
• Defined areas for fueling and servicing competition cars
• Defined spectator areas
• Parc ferme (cars parked-no work can be done on them.)

Post-event activities include post race impound, posting of provisional scores, a defined period for protests, final score announcement, and awards.

Want to get started but not yet able to be a competitor? Then join us by volunteering at a rally! You'll gain valuable experience learning how a rally works from the inside! Rally offers something for everyone!