International Rallying

No sooner had one man invented the automobile than other men wanted to race them. The sport of car rallying began in 1907 with a race from New York to Paris, later immortalized in a film called "The Great Race" starring Tony Curtis. While today’s multimillion-dollar international rally series involves most of the major automobile manufacturers, it is still a far cry from the first difficult rally, yet the spirit remains the same.

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In the last few decades, rallying has come into its own, and events such as the Monte Carlo Rallye, the Acropolis Rally in Greece, and the East African Safari Rally are legendary. Hundreds of thousands of people line the roads in rallies throughout the world. The NetworkQ Rally of England last year drew over 3.5 million spectators and had over 130,000,000 hits in four days on their Internet site! Rallying is truly the largest spectator sport in the world.

As the cars plunge headlong, sideways, and sometimes backwards down dirt roads closed for the rally, the vehicle and crew are put to the maximum test. Success on the rally route translates into increased sales of all products exposed to the public through the rally.

Because the cars must be street licensed, rallies can use public roads for transits to the special stages (racing sections) where the winner of the rally is determined. This allows the rally to cover large amounts of area and impact many different communities during the running of the event. 

The rally is sanctioned through the American Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS). ACCUS represents the United States to the Federation de la Automobile (FIA) in Paris. The FIA sanctions all international rallies in the world. The FIA conducts several championships for rallies, these include the World, European, and the Pacific Rim Rally Championship.

Currently the FIA World Rally Championship has 14 rounds. From 1986 to 1988 the SCCA Toyota Olympus Rally was one of the rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Because of its unique nature, world class rallying appeals to a broader audience than other Motorsport venues. In addition to being a car race, attending a rally becomes a family adventure for the spectators. It requires (usually) a trek into the woods, dealing with the elements to some degree, and each person’s "story to tell" is different, and they do tell stories ..….. for years to come. A vast majority of people who attend a rally become devoted fans.

Interesting E-mail on Worker and Safety from Craig McMaster

I cannot (and won't) speak for the organizers, but in the many years that I've worked STPR, stage/spectator workers have always tried to get the utmost safety for the spectators while letting them get as good a view as possible. 

Many (but, no, not all) of the spectator and/or stage captains I have met have PRO Rally experience, road racing experience, or both.  Ditto for quite a few workers.  The spectator areas I've worked have been examined for the possibility (not just probability) of impact, and secondary impacts (bounces, ricochets, etc.).

Are you to expect that you'll never see spectators that you feel are too close, or that show up in unexpected areas?  Heck, no.  There is no way to completely control the entire length of each and every stage, and there are always persons who over the years have found places to "hide out and watch."  Also, there are press members who have (within reason) nearly unlimited access to the rally.  Most of these folks have done this before.  You should
always expect the unexpected, however, and certainly, you should report to the workers at the end of the stage any persons you felt were in a dangerous area (for their safety and that of the other competitors, too). 

Still, please realize that before the stage is started, a team of workers has gone through to set up manned traffic controls, to banner off virtually any other possible entry to the stage (especially hiking trails, driveways to cabins/camps, and even well used game trails in one or two cases), and to "babysit" spectators who maybe at cabins or campsites on the stage.  After that team has gone through, in most cases the captain of the stage will run
through it to double check.  After the captain has gone through a preliminary course opening car then goes through, usually followed by another (faster) course opening car.  Any and all of these have the responsibility of maintaining safety and can prevent the stage from starting.  Anything out of the ordinary is radioed to the start of the stage and, if deemed significant, mentioned to the competitors (i.e.: "There's a campfire at mileage XX.xx.  It
is not a car off.  Be advised.").

Also, every time that I've worked a spectator area, we have had a person or two stationed upstream of the area.  This allows the workers advanced warning of a car coming into the immediate area, so that they can give a quick double check for the safety of the spectators.  There are other methods of trying to insure safety for all, as well.

I hope this makes sense of what spectator workers have to do.  By all means, if you feel that your suggestions for safety would be beneficial, let organizers know them.  While your concerns have probably already been addressed, trust your instincts if you feel something is not safe.  Safety for everyone is one of the most important aspects of any Motorsport.

Happy Motoring!

- Craig McMaster

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Last updated: August 20, 1999.