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Driving Rally Cars
by Andrew Fullard

Rally cars race on different courses from other motor sports: rather than racing on a specially created circuit, as for example with most Formula 1 races, rallies take place on public roads, from surfaced roads to rough dirt tracks or mountain roads.

The second main difference between rallying and most other forms of motor sport is that instead of competing directly in head-to-head races round circuits, rally cars compete indirectly over timed stages, setting off at regular intervals in an attempt to record the fastest time. Rallies consist of a number of stages and the team with the fastest time at the end of the final stage win.

The final major difference between rally cars and the cars used in most other forms of professional motor sports is that the rally cars in which drivers race are very close in design to production cars that the public drive in everyday life – indeed, rally cars are licensed to drive on normal roads out-of-competition, though of course that is very uncommon. Of course, rally cars are adapted to take account of the conditions under which they have to perform, which can vary from snow and ice to choking heat and sand, but in their basic design and specifications they are not far removed from their street model counterparts.

Rallying has a long and distinguished history, stretching back all the way to the nineteenth century. The first rally to be so called was the Monte Carlo Rally of 1911, and rallying soon took off as a sport. The next few decades saw the great city-to-city races of Europe, such as the Mille Miglia in Italy, involving competitors from Britain, France, Germany and Italy in particular. Longer races included New York to Paris and even, in 1907, Peking to Paris!

After the war, as rally cars became more powerful and reliable, rally races spread around the world, and modern rallies such as the Acropolis Rally and Finland’s Rally of the 1000 Lakes were established. Today the annual World Rally Championship takes in 16 races around the globe, from Scandinavia to New Zealand, and drivers from all over the world compete for the title, with the most successful in recent years coming from Finland and France. Rally cars are an important sideline for major manufacturers such as Citroen, Peugeot and Subaru, whose advertising for their latest models often trades heavily on the successes of their rally cars.

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motorsport books

Find books about motorsport

The RAC Rally by Max Le Grand, Erik Carlsson
"This book will delight fans of rallying because of its in-depth appeal to the art of the RAC rally.."

Pirelli World Rallying 24 by Martin Holmes
"Pirelli World Rally 24 is primarily a reference for the results of pretty much every rally championship on the globe.."

Formula One by Mark Venables
The story of Grand Prix racing

Formula One Technology by Peter Wright
"This is the only book I've ever read that really goes into the details of fomula one cars and how they are designed.."

The Formula One Grand Prix Guide by Bruce Jones
"If you're a new fan to F1 this is a great book to give you all the low down on all the teams, drivers, and the big bosses behind the scenes.."

Built for Speed: the Ultimate Guide to Stock Car Racetracks Bob Latford
"full-color photography and detailed track maps.."

Graham Hill: Master of Motorsport by John Tipler
"Graham Hill's long career was one of the most remarkable in modern
motor racing.."

Fit for Motorsport by R.S. Jutley
Improve Your Race Performance with Better Physical and Mental Training

Stock Car Driving Techniques by Don Alexander
Stock car driving techniques from America

American Drag Racing by Robert Genat
"Robert Genat has written many books on both drag racing and hot rodding and this is by far his best.."

Le Mans 24 Hours by Christian Moity, Jean-Marc Teissedre
"A brilliant book on what is arguably the greatest race in the world.."

Go-Karts (Wild Rides) by Jeff Savage
Aimed squarely at karting enthusiasts

How to Start Kart Racing by Paul Lawrence, Graham Smith (editor)
Produced for the Association of Racing Karts' Schools

Inner Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley, Ronn Langford
Race Driving Skills, Techniques and Strategies
 

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Websites related to motorsport

www.autosport.com
The authority on Formula One, F1, MotoGP, WRC, IRL, GP2, Champ Car, Le Mans, NASCAR and more

www.racecar.co.uk
Race and specialist car resource with daily motorsport news from racecar - covering F1, CART, Rally, Historic, GT, touring car also racecar, exotic car and parts for sale.

www.motorsport.com
The motorsport site of record on the Internet, covering all series of motorsport news
 

Motorport supplies

www.rallylane.com
Motorsport Supplies - tuning, race and rally parts, plus spares and accessories

www.rallydesign.co.uk
Professional motorsport parts, spares and rally equipment

www.motorsportsupplies.com
Carry a selection of mtorsport oils and lubicants

www.avonracing.com
Avon tyres for motorsport - find a supplier
 

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