TSD Rallies

[Palmaris]

Is there anyone on this forum that does TSD rally in their region?

I'm really enjoy doing these events, and I happen to be in lead of the regional championship (ORRC) right now. We won the last one this Saturday!

Now, I am currently not doing the rallies in my Sonic. I still have a non-turbo Subaru that I use for these rallies, mainly because its the older vehicle and the route usually takes you down some gravel roads. When its time, I'll gladly use the Sonic to keep up with these events. One of the close competition teams is using their new Fiesta and they say they love it for the event.

For those that don't know, a TSD (Time-Speed-Distance) rally is an event that challenges you to drive down a secret route set up by the organizer. You have to determine where the route goes depending on the notes you receive 3 minutes before you start, and you have to go exactly the right speed in the right places. The route is set to go below the speed limit on all roads (but that is usually 80kph/50mph on gravel roads) If you go too slowly you get penalized, and if you go to quickly you also get penalized. You have to check in to hidden checkpoints and you don't know where they are. The team with the lowest score wins.

That's it

remember the motto? Stay on the road. Stay on route. Stay on time.

 

[Swordsmith]

Below the speed limit? That sounds... annoying at best, downright dangerous at worst, I know lots of roads where if you are going that slow someone's liable to come up on you around a curve and slam into you before they figure out you are even there! Not in farm country, or amish country, where you're always aware there might be something moving 20mph around the next bend, but that still leaves most of the USA.

Other than that part, it does sound fun, I think I saw something similar on an episode of Top Gear a while back.

 

[Palmaris]

There are a few things I should say about the below the speed limit thing

In actuality, you don't drive below the speed limit. You tend to drive at the speed limit. That is still slower than I usually drive on my everyday adventures. But because of the types of roads, it actually feels like you are driving faster than normal! The speed they give you is called a CAS (commence Average Speed). So if that speed is 72kph/45mph, I tend to drive the speed limit down the straight sections of road, and then rip around the turns and barely slow down! Just hang on tight!

The organizers always say it is "Below the Speed limit" to make it seem better optically to the local police.

Also, the path is certainly directed down the least used roads possible, and also the twistiest roads possible. This will make it sure that there is little traffic for you to annoy if you are doing that speed limit down a certain section of country road. So the route almost always takes the next available turn, so you are rarely on those higher speed roads for very long. You are usually on a goat path, with a one lane bridge. Last year, I am sure we went down an ATV trail for about a 1/4 mile.

 

[Eric Smit]

sounds exactly like an old school point to point enduro race.