My Affair with Rally

Lately, I been asked by a Rally driver, if I would like to undergo training as a Rally Co-driver. That was the scariest question ever to me. Simply because nobody ever ask me to go on something so extreme yet so high in responsibilities.  Of course, training takes a long time as both of us on full time job.

He found me a trainer who has 18 years’ experience as Co-Driver position. Meanwhile, I know that trainer too. But somehow, both of them are afraid of me. They worried I might end up singing during the race.

Somehow, I had a chat with a National Level Rally Driver. His advice was “don’t be a Co-Driver to any random Drivers. You don’t know their Rally Style. You might get kill during the race.”

This make me think twice. Thou I wanted to be one of it so badly because growing up… I wanted to be Rally Racer. Somewhat somehow, it does not happen because funding can be the biggest problem for me.

He once said to me “I had to get ready 20 drive shafts at my race, anything can happen during the race”.  When going into a race without sponsorship, your pocket can be real painful.

What is a Co-driver?

Co-driver is the term given to the navigator of rally car in the sport of rallying, who sits in the front passenger seat. The co-driver's job is to navigate, by reading off a set of pacenotes

Pacenotes

to the driver, often over a radio headset, due to the high level of noise in the car. The co-driver tells the driver what lies ahead, where to turn, the severity of the turn, and what obstacles to look out for.This role is particularly critical in high-end rally competitions such as WRC. Co-drivers are also often called on to perform maintenance on the car during road sections and special stages, such as changing a wheel.

Yup, I know how to change wheel.

Co-driver and his note, navigating the route!

Am I ready to learn those symbols?

If you have seen anything about a rally event you have probably heard the topic of notes fly around, often times with "stage", "pace", "recce" and sometimes "jemba". As I am learning it along my way, let all learn it together.

Corners

Corners are an important part of notes as they are the most frequent occurrence on a rally stage and often times a corner read incorrectly can result in the car going off the road. Corners are typically divided into a 1 - 6 category based on its degree, with 1 being a very sharp turn and 6 being a very fast curve. Along with the number you will see "+" and "-" symbols at times. These marks help fill in the gaps between numbers much like a B+ is a better grade than a B. On the chart below you can see the areas not labelled with a number, as those would have a "+" or "-" associated with them. You'll also see "lg", "Vlg" and "Xlg" which stand for "long", "very long" and "extra-long" for turns that go beyond a standard curve.

The Dirt Sexy Corner

Often time’s corners will be one after another and in a variety of different mixes. There are a few ways to call these situations out.

 Crests

Think about driving over a crest, unable to see the road dipping ahead of you and having that feeling of apprehension of what could be on the other side. Now think about that situation while driving a rally car quickly through a forest. Crests can make any straight or corner much more difficult but with a solid set of notes a driver can know exactly how to navigate that difficult situation. Crests come in a number of shapes and sizes and can often be paired with curves and other elements.

 50 L5, Crest crest OC!!!

If you see the note "R5/lgCr stay L" you would read it at "Right 5 over large crest, stay left". That actually paints a pretty clear picture of what is going on. Its a pretty fast curve over a large hill with an element in the road that requires you to stay on the outside of the turn. What that element is you won’t know until you pass it. Sharp rocks jutting from the ground, deep ruts or exposed tree roots are all possibilities. Either way, you'll know not to take the fast inside line of the turn and be safe.

Other Elements

Of course there are so many other elements that can affect a rally stage and those need to be addressed to help provide the driver with a better idea of what is going on.  Below is a list of some of those hazards. Many of these are common and will come up often in an event.

Jumps

Jumps are common in an event and while it might seem like a pretty easy thing to master, there is a lot to the dynamics of attacking a jump. Speed, line and throttle will all change the outcome of how the car acts over a jump. You will often find other notes such as "stay R" together with "jump".

High Up!

Am I really ready for it? Or I am still sleeping in my dream land?