How does this Time-Speed-Distance thing work anyways?

The Objective

The idea behind a TSD rally is to drive a set distance at a set speed. This of course will take a specific and set amount of time. At the beginning of the rally route instructions are handed out. These instructions have all the speeds and distances as well as navigation information on them.

The navigator looks after the instructions, scorecards, calculator, and computer (if used)

While a team (driver and navigator) is driving along the specified route, they will come across checkpoints. They will not be told where these checkpoints (or "controls" in rally speak) are located. Given the time you left the last control and how far into the route you are there is a specific time at which you are supposed to arrive. You are scored one point for each one hundredth of a minute that you are either early or late. That's 6/10ths of a second, so accuracy is key. Like golf, in rally the lowest score wins.

The Classes

Not every competitor in rally wants to drop the serious money on a rally computer so there are different classes defined by the amount of equipment used.

Stock - you get your stock odometer, and whatever clock you want to bring. all math ends up being done by hand on a calculator.

Limited - you can have an odometer and a clock but the two cannot be interlinked. navigation math gets done by hand on a calculator or via a spreadsheet.

Equipped - if it fits in the car you can use it. usually this means a rally computer which has an odometer input and a high resolution clock and will do all of the math for you.

Lots of switches but once you get used to it it's a huge help.

My TSD Experience

I started out with last years Press on Regardless rally, navigating for Chuck, a long-time rallyist. I learned on a Timewise 798A rally computer. I competed with Chuck for a few rallies after last year's POR and even scored some lifetime points by placing well enough in a national rally (last year's Cast in Stone). So I have the right seat experience, but I've never run stock before. To try and keep the event affordable I'll be entering my Mercedes in stock class. There is a Novice class offered as well but I'm not eligible as I have too much experience. The Novice class is a great way to get started though.

Stay posted, next week I'll introduce the rest of the team and we'll talk about the car.

Press on Regardless was my first rally ever last year. This year i'm entering my own car.

Press on Regardless

Press on Regardless (POR) started out in 1949 as a 24-hour TSD Rally. So similar to what it is today but for 24 hours straight. 20 years later it became a stage rally (WRC and Rally America hold stage rallies). In 1994 it became a TSD again.

In 1972 POR was part of an FIA championship! That year a Dearborn police officer won. He was also the first to do so in a 4WD car. Gene was heavily involved in rally and started a company, Competition Limited, that still sells essential supplies to rallyists.

Driver Gene Henderson (R) and Navigator Ken Pogue,
 with their winning Jeep Wagoneer

What i learned last year was that it's not the easiest rally on the calender in the Detroit region. The remote location provides lots of loose gravel roads and two tracks. And the rally runs late into each night. Both days run into the next morning.

This I found out on the way to my first POR and my first Rally with Chuck. While driving from Whitmore Lake to Indian River we talked rallies, score cards, and navigating. We fired up the rally computer so I could learn how to use it to keep track of our progress in the rally and help us stay on time. I had done none of this before. The computer ended up helping a lot because it allowed me to have a little more time to do all the other navigator duties.

I survived POR and learned a lot about rallying. I've run more rallies since and have even scored points in a National SCCA Rally. The thing I learned the most is that I really enjoy it. As POR approaches I'm thinking about kicking it up a notch.

I'm entering the Benz!

Yup, entering my own car. I'm going to navigate and I'm going to have my good friend Kevin Chaney drive for me. Wilhelm will be getting maintenance and upgrades. We're going to see just how well you can prep a road rally car on a budget. Look for updates on Tuesdays!

Want to know more about TSD (Time-Speed-Distance) rallies?