Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

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luieluv
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Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by luieluv » 11 Jan 2011, 18:56

Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A Handy Guide

Hello Friends and Welcome All. This is just a thought from me. I wanted to create a thread which shares valuable information on how to follow Rallies.

Basically last season many of us were completely new to Rallying and we had learned as to what was the best manner in which we could follow this new sport and that too in the most exciting fashion. All of us really stood by each other and we sailed past the terrific first year of Kimi Raikkonen in Rallying.

Now the feeling that all the fans who followed Kimi Raikkonen last season were the ones who instantly chose to follow kimi in what ever he does. But here my concern is for those fans who must have just given last season a skip thinking that kimi would be back in F1 or he is doing rallying for fun or whatever their perceptions and reasons. Now that the intent from Kimi Raikkonen himself has been so strong to continue his career in Rallying that there could be the case of many more Raikkos jumping the bandwagon to follow this sport. So I just felt like creating a list wherewe all (fans who followed Rally last season and who have been doing it for a long time) can share our thoughts and give potential future fans some guidance as to how to follow this sport. The more we share and put across the table, the better it would be for new fans who are even slightly keen on following kimi and WRC. Its not only about Kimi Raikkonen but the exposure that WRC has got last season and the kind of tremendous response I have seen across many platforms that may entice hoards of motorsport fans to try and follow WRC. Hence I got the urge of doing this so that new entrants have a smooth sailing while following Kimi Raikkonen and WRC.

So Lets do this Together. I shall put across as much as I can and any addition to this post would be very valuable. So please don’t hesitate to correct me or put your thoughts across. Here we Go…

Do’s Of Following Rallying:

- Individual Rally Threads
This is the most important thing while following Rallies with us. This thread will provide inside out information of the every single happening of the rally. Be it the schedule, Results, Quotes, Timings, Stages, anything and everything related to that particular rally. No other place will give you such minutest information of the entire event. So make sure you are part of this.

- WRC Website
This is again very much handy while following the rally. The stage and split times of every individual drivers could be tracked from this site. And more importantly every stage results are updated as they happen. Additional information on the stage maps and the routes are also provided. This will keep you glued with excitement even its only for Kimi Raikkonen. And God forbid if you ALSO start following other drivers which is highly recommended and which eventually will happen then the excitement and the fun will reach its peak. This site is a MUST to follow the rally The link to this web site would be given in every single individual rally thread.

- Rally Radio
This is something that I can go on bragging about to no end. This is a Radio station where they cover almost all the stages of rally across 3 days of the event. This fills the void of less or no television coverage to perfection. Becsy, Collins and simon are too good with their job and they make sure that while following rally you get to figure out every thing that is going around. The driver quotes post every stage is brought to you by Rally Radio commentators. I for one feel that Television coverage would be epic fail in front of Radio coverage. Such is the quality of Rally Radio. Add to the existing list they also bring us views and reviews from teams and their personnel. Coverage from service area and many such informative doze on Rally is the highlight of Rally Radio. And last but not the least they just know how to make things exciting and pep you up with mixing some super English songs during the commentary. This sets a follower in perfect mood to spend hours following rally. The trump card of the team is Becsy. She is a sweet heart and has the most pleasant voice I must have come across a commentator. She also reads many of our fan mails. Thanks a ton to them. This again falls in the MUST category. This will only enrich your rally experience.

- Live Coverage
This year we would be having live coverage for Super Special stages. So there will be some television coverage too. We shall regularly update on the links that would provide the live coverage if any
- Photo / Video Thread for Individual Rally
This will help us to relive the rally in visuals. Some really good work from members would enable us to capture the rally happenings in photos and videos from the entire event. This thread is also updated on a regular basis

- Patience
This is again an important factor for people who are kimi fans. The reality in WRC is far different from track racing. Make sure you give enough time to mould yourself in to following Rally. The results surely will come but along the way there would be downs and obstacle so be patient enough to stand for your effort. Give time and you shall definitely like following rally.

- Reflexes / Reading Skills
This again is a necessity as the flow of the thread is at the pace of knots. You need to quick enough to read and follow the rally. More like being on toes every minute. You miss it for few minutes and you would find yourself down by 10 to 15 pages of reading. For catching up too you need to be quick so that you can start following it back from the live action.

Don’ts of Rallying

- Don’t Demand / Expect Television coverage
Its really very difficult for a broadcaster to cover the entire event s across acres of land and three days. Its not feasible and the entire charm of following the rally with live timings and rally radio and rally threads would be then lost. What so ever coverage would be there would be updated in the individual rally thread

- Don’t compare WRC to F1
These both are totally different genre and it would be highly advisable not to draw comparisons between the two. Even if you do, you may just find one genre as inferior to other. And I don’t want injustice to happen towards any of the sport.

- Kimi Raikkonen is not the only Driver
I know most of us are here for Kimi Raikkonen and we all are his die hard fans. But its very important for members to know that Kimi Raikkonen is not the only driver driving in WRC. Don’t just look out for his results. Try following others as this will only help you in analyzing kimi’s situation better. More knowledge of the sport will only make us better follower. Its fine if we give 70 to 80% of our time following only about kimi but spare some time to follow others in WRC and this will only make us strong kimi followers and will only help us in knowing kimi and his driving better.

- Don’t throw in the Towel too soon
This is an earnest request to not give up on following this sport. You will have to give some decent time. Yes this sport is time consuming but really exciting too and presence of Kimi Raikkonen is icing on the cake so atleast for Kimi’s sake if you plunge into following the sport then give enough time. Things will look only better as you progress in this journey.

I just can think of these as of now. Any more opinions from my end would be updated instantly.

I would really love if others too contribute to this thread and share their views in helping new entrants follow the rally and kimi Raikkonen the way we have been doing it and enjoying it.

P.S : It would be great to have this topic as Sticky topic of this WRC section.
So its gonna be a mix of Ravishing Black and White for Kimi Raikkonen this season

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by Kriss » 11 Jan 2011, 19:10

lui, you are brilliant :C: :hug: :hug:

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by beefree88 » 11 Jan 2011, 19:24

Kriss wrote:lui, you are brilliant :C: :hug: :hug:
+1
We should put in some basic infos about rallying too
"Disappointments are part of the game. It’s how you deal with them that matters"

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by luieluv » 11 Jan 2011, 19:25

beefree88 wrote:
Kriss wrote:lui, you are brilliant :C: :hug: :hug:
+1
We should put in some basic infos about rallying too
like?
Please add and post it here.

@ Kriss : Thanks
So its gonna be a mix of Ravishing Black and White for Kimi Raikkonen this season

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by Maria d » 11 Jan 2011, 22:02

basic info, like some of the rules of rally...it was new to me last year and i had to learn the rules as i "watched" the race with you guys
i would never had known what was going on if the rally fans didnt help out and explain what was going on.
so thank you for last year, and hope this year will be just as much fun, if not better fun.
when i know it...........K.Raikkonen

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by sleenster » 12 Jan 2011, 01:17

I have noticed in the past that people have asked what terms like recce and shakedown mean so I think that would be good info to post as well. :)

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by luieluv » 12 Jan 2011, 02:07

So here we go sleen...

WRC - Glossary ( A to Z of Rallyspeak )
Every sport has its own jargon and the WRC is no exception. If you're baffled by rallyspeak, check out this glossary. If you come across a term that's not here, let us know and we will see if we can add it.

ALS: Short form for Anti Lag System.

Active differential: The centre differential on a four wheel drive WRC car that uses computer input to send power to the wheels with the best grip, to maximise performance. From 2006 active front and rear differentials were banned and are instead mechanically operated.

Aerodynamics: WRC cars have spoilers, splitters and other shaped panels on the bodywork to direct cool air past the engine, gearbox and brakes and help keep the car firmly on the road - or flying level - at high speeds.

Co-driver: The navigator in the front passenger seat who gives a running commentary to the driver about road conditions ahead.

Dampers: An essential part of a rally car's suspension. Each car has four - one connected to each wheel hub. Dampers are designed to absorb bumps from the road and keep the tyre in contact with the surface often as possible.

Damper settings: Rally car dampers are adjustable so they provide different characteristics. At the simplest level they can be soft or hard, but other settings like the amount of rebound or ride height can also be altered. Drivers often adjust their damper settings between stages by turning adjustment wheels on the units. The degree of change is usually measured in 'clicks' of the adjuster.

Drive shaft: The part of the transmission system which transfers drive from the front or rear differential to the wheel. Each rally car has four.

Driver safety: WRC cars don't have airbags. Instead, the crew sit inside a protective roll cage and strap themselves in with six-point wide-strap safety belts. The car has an automatic fire extinguisher system plumbed-in and the crew wear flameproof overalls, safety helmets and a head and neck support system.

FIA: The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, the Geneva-based governing body for world-wide motor sport which regulates and controls the World Rally Championship.

Flying finish: The end of a stage where the timing stops.

Gravel cars: (Also gravel crew) Cars which are driven through stages ahead of the competitors to report back on weather and surface conditions.

Gravel settings: The choice of tyres and suspension adjustments to give a WRC car maximum performance on a loose surfaced stage.

HANS device: HANS stands for head and neck support. Worn on the shoulders and around the back of the neck, in the event of an accident, the HANS device reduces the amount the head can move can help protect a driver's head and neck from serious injury.

ISC: Part of North One Television, International Sportsworld Communicators is the London based organisation which owns the commercial rights to the WRC.

Intercom: The audio link that enables the driver to hear the co-driver's instructions above the noise of the engine. Intercom headphones and a microphone are built into the safety helmet.

J-WRC: Junior World Rally Championship. Like the P-WRC, a support championship for the World Rally Championship. The J-WRC is for front-wheel drive 1600cc hatchbacks. J-WRC drivers must be born on or after 1st January 1980 - so they cannot be older than 28 at the start of the Championship year to compete. Eight rallies of the WRC calendar count towards the J-WRC. Participation in six of the eight events is mandatory, with J-WRC entrants nominating their six events before the start of the season.

Launch control: This helps the driver to make the fastest getaway from a standing start. The system has a device that prevents the engine stalling.

Leg: A day's rallying.

OTL: Over time limit. Competitors arriving more than 15 minutes late at a time control or service area, or who are more than 30 minutes late in total during the rally, are OTL and retire from the day's competition.

P-WRC: The FIA Production car World Rally Championship (P-WRC) is the showcase support championship to the WRC. Cars are built to the FIA's Group N or Super 2000 regulations and have less technical freedom than WRC cars. Eight rallies of the WRC calendar count towards the P-WRC. Participation in six of the eight events is mandatory, with P-WRC entrants nominating their six events before the start of the season.

Pace notes: A description of the road ahead, called out by the co-driver to inform the driver of what is coming up. Pace notes for every rally are made during the pre-event reconnaissance. As they recce each stage, drivers describe the road to their co-drivers, who write down the information in a form of shorthand. During the rally the co-driver reads the notes back to the driver.

Parc ferme: The secure area where all competing rally cars are kept overnight.

Race suit: Rally crews wear racing overalls containing three layers of flameproof material, plus flameproof underwear and a flameproof balaclava under their helmet. They get quite hot when the temperature reaches 40 degrees in Greece...

Recce car: A largely standard road car which the driver and co-driver use to reconnoitre the route before the rally starts and prepare pace notes.

Recce: Before every rally, drivers and co-drivers spend two days reconnoitring the route at a maximum speed (set by rally organisers) of between 50 and 70kph. Crews are allowed two passes through each stage to familiarise themselves with the route and make pace notes.

Restrictor: To limit engine output to around 300bhp, the FIA requires all WRC specification engines to be fitted with a 34mm diameter inlet restrictor which limits the flow of fuel/air mixture to the combustion chambers. Without a restrictor engines would produce more than 500bhp.

Road book: A set of instructions and route maps issued to each crew by rally organisers.

Road section: A public road which links the special stages, service points and parc ferme. Drivers must obey all applicable traffic laws on road sections.

Roll cage: A structure of high carbon steel tubes welded inside the passenger compartment designed to keep the driver and co-driver safe in an impact or roll-over.

Rookie trophy: Drivers taking part in their first full season of the FIA J-WRC are eligible to score points towards a Rookie Trophy. A separate classification for the Rookies will be drawn on each event, with points awarded on the same scale as J-WRC points.

Running order: The order in which competitors tackle the stages. The running order (also called the start order) is different for each day of the rally. The order for the opening day is determined by the drivers' championship standings - with the leader going first. For days two and three, entrants tackle the stages in rally leading order - with the leader going first.

Scrutineers: Technical officials who check the legality of WRC cars before, during and after the event.

Seeding: The order in which drivers start each rally, determined by their success in past rallies.

Sequential gearbox: An arrangement in which the gear lever or paddle selects each gear in turn (1-2-3-4-5-6) when changing up and vice-versa when changing down. Most WRC gearboxes are semi-automatic and have an electro-hydraulic control mechanism which manages the throttle, clutch and gear change.

Service park: A designated area where checks, maintenance and running repairs can be made to WRC cars, subject to strict time limits.

Shakedown: The opportunity for crews to check their competition cars, on terrain similar to the rally, just before the event starts.

Stages: The competitive sections of the rally, also called special stages, where drivers and co-drivers drive as fast as they can to achieve the shortest time.

Stage time: The time recorded from the standing start of a stage to the flying finish.

Stop control: A point 200-500 metres past the flying finish where the car must stop to have its time recorded.

Studs: Metal spikes fitted to the treads of winter tyres to give grip on snow and ice.

Super Special stage: A stage - often set up in a sports stadium - with two parallel tracks that enable a pair of rally drivers to race each other.

Target time: The official time allowed by rally organisers for a WRC car to complete a non-competitive road section. Time penalties are applied if competitors check-in earlier or later than the target time.

Time card: Carried by the co-driver, the time card is a record of stage times and time control arrival times throughout the rally. The card is stamped by event officials as the rally progresses and provides proof of a competitor's whereabouts in case of a dispute.

Time control: The place where cars must stop to get an official passing time recorded by rally officials

Time penalty: Rally crews are penalised 10 seconds for every minute the car is late to a time control - whether that is a stage start, service-in control, service-out control. Checking in early to a time control carries a stiffer penalty of one minute for every minute early.

Turbocharger: An exhaust-driven turbine that pressurises the fuel/air mixture into the engine to enable it to develop more power. All WRC cars use turbochargers (turbos) which develop 4-5 times the pressure of the turbo on a road car. Thanks to a system called anti-lag, most WRC cars are able to produce maximum turbo boost even at low engine speeds.

Zero car: A course car driven through a stage before the competitors start it to alert spectators that the section is live.

Source : Official Website
Last edited by luieluv on 12 Jan 2011, 13:36, edited 1 time in total.
So its gonna be a mix of Ravishing Black and White for Kimi Raikkonen this season

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by sleenster » 12 Jan 2011, 02:18

Thanks luie :hug:

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by Kriss » 12 Jan 2011, 07:55

dear lui, what would we do without you :hug:

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by luieluv » 12 Jan 2011, 08:00

Kriss wrote:dear lui, what would we do without you :hug:
exactly the same thing that i would have done without you all :p :)
So its gonna be a mix of Ravishing Black and White for Kimi Raikkonen this season

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by Maria d » 12 Jan 2011, 16:30

thank you luieluv
when i know it...........K.Raikkonen

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by Acropolis » 12 Jan 2011, 16:51

Maria d wrote:thank you luieluv
+ 1000 :thumbsup:

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by momo » 12 Jan 2011, 17:08

Great idea! :thumbsup:
Beautiful work!! :cool:
Thanks a million! luieluv :)

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by sleenster » 13 Jan 2011, 06:25

I thought this was kind of cool :cool:, always heard certain Finnish words being said by the co-driver and I always wondered what they meant
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2 ... opic=13498

There are more but I posted the ones that I have recognized from some of the onboards :)
Finnish pacenotes

Oikee = Right
Vasen = Left

kaks -- two -- 20 meters
kolme -- three -- 30 meters
neljä -- four -- 40 meters
viis -- five -- 50 meters
kuus -- six -- 60 meters
seittemän -- seven -- 70 meters
kaheksan -- eight -- 80 meters
yheksän -- nine -- 90 meters
sata -- hundred -- 100 meters
satakymmenen -- hundred ten -- 110 meters
satakakskymmentä -- hundred twenty -- 120 meters
and so on
They drop off the zeros from 100 because it's to long to say

nyppy -- crest
yli nyppy -- over crest
hyppy -- jump
kirraa -- tightens
kirraa kirraa -- tightens a lot
jarru -- braking
pirun pitkä -- very long (piru = devil)
leikkaa -- cut
älä -- don´t (cut)
liukas -- slippery
sora -- gravel
maali – finish

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Re: Do’s and Don’ts of Following Rally – A handy Guide

Post by Kriss » 13 Jan 2011, 07:47

The 2011 Calendar

2011 FIA World Rally Championship

Sweden 10 - 13 Feb 11
Mexico 03 - 06 Mar 11
Portugal 24 - 27 Mar 11
Jordan 14 - 16 Apr 11 (Thursday - Saturday)
Italy 05 - 08 May 11
Argentina 26 - 29 May 11
Greece 16 - 19 Jun 11
Finland 28 - 31 Jul 11
Germany 18 - 21 Aug 11
Australia 08 - 11 Sep 11
France 29 Sep - 02 Oct 11
Spain 20 -23 Oct 11
Great Britain 10 - 13 Nov 11

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