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R
ALLYING enjoys a controversial love-hate
relationship among competitors, extreme
motorheads and casual fans, largely because
of dirt. Some argue that the lightning-sharp
reflexes and explosive action, especially on loose
surface (dirt), are enough to declare the sport as
the most exciting genre of motorsport.
Others shun the idea that the best sport can be one
where the action is largely unseen by spectators, except
for a few seconds before the tail lights disappear around
the next bend in a trail of dust and dirt.
THE BASICS OF RALLYING
The more popular form of rallying is stages rally for
its use of defined start-finish courses called stages. Each
car is staffed by two persons, a driver and co-driver, who
navigate between stages and guides with pre-written
instructions about upcoming and, often, unseen course
obstacles.
The partnership, in theory, produces speeds otherwise
impossible or even suicidal. The objective is to traverse all
stages in the fastest (lowest) accumulated elapsed time,
compared to all other teams.
Teams tackle the competitive stage at predefined (usu-
ally one minute) intervals.
Unlike a racing circuit, each stage has its start and fin-
ish line at distinctly separate locations, often dozens of
miles apart.
THE ACTION
From a driver’s perspective, rally-
ing is the peak of excitement
behind the wheel of a
race car on any
and every kind of surface. It requires the highest level of
skill and reflexes to jump or dance a car over crests, or
around trees, while teetering on the edge of perilous
drop-offs.
It taxes the brava-
do, mental and physi-
cal limits over treach-
erous natural and
adrenaline-pumping
terrain.
Un f o r t u n a t e l y,
purist rallying is not
ideal for spectators. There is no stadium or designated
viewing area. Devout fans must drive onto the stage early
(before it is closed to non-competitive traffic) then camp
at a spot overlooking the anticipated action.
It is not for everyone but, with an igloo in tow and, in
the company of friends and good vibes, there are few bet-
ter ways to enjoy racing.
RALLY JAMAICA 2012
Rally Jamaica is, by far, the most
demanding on the annual racing
calendar. The event, hosted
in early December each year, is guaranteed to test the
durability of every car and fortitude of every crew that,
dares to spar with the hostility of nature’s creations.
Each year, attrition devours half the entrants that quite
literally, fall by the wayside after nature reasserts herself
as the superior force.
The stages are concentrated in myriad of access veins of
the Bog Walk orange plantation, Bernard Lodge sugar
plantation near Portmore and the bauxite mines of
Lydford, St Ann.
The waterfront of downtown, Kingston hosts the specta-
tor-friendly final stage and, by some margin, the largest
crowds, numbering thousands.
Rallying is a challenging reminder that,
in this, the toughest of motorsport,
only the fittest of the fit will
survive.
27
SportGlobe
December 5-11, 2012
Email: sportglobe2005@yahoo.com
RALLY 101
The sport we hate to love
LEROY SPENCE
The
Chequered
Flag