Rally Glossary of Terms

[Plex]

Aerodynamics - A branch of dynamics that deals with the forces acting on bodies in motion relative to air. For example, car travelling at high speed through mass of air has what is called drag. Drag is dependent on various factors and aim of aerodynamics is to reduce it as well as get downforce as close to ideal as possible.

ALS - Anti-lag system. Technology in which fuel is burnt half in exhaust manifold (instead of cylinder) to keep turbo-charger spinning during non-acceleration (like gear-shifts or quick brakings). Aim is to reduce turbo-lag and maintain constant power.

Anti-roll bar - A bar linking suspension parts which can be adjusted to alter handling characteristics.

Apex - In any form of motorsports it is important to carry as much speed through corner as possible. To accomplish this, driver approaches a right-hand corner on the extreme left side of the road, turns in trying to come close to the right side of the road at apex until exiting bend and returning back to the left side of the road. See also cutting.

Atmospheric engine - Any engine that uses atmospheric pressure, as opposed to turbo-charging. For example, Kit Cars use atmospheric engines.

Balaclava
Fire-proof white garment drivers wear under helmet.

Blistering
Rally tyres have optimum working temperature and if this temperature is exceeded significantly, tyres can blister. When this happens, rubber loses its internal construction and begins to fall apart. This problem is usually encountered in hot tarmac rallies only.

Boost
Turbo-charger forces air into combustion chamber with pressure that is much higher than atmospheric pressure. On most road-going cars equipped with turbo, this boost is limited under one bar but rally cars go well beyond that.

British Rally Championship (BRC)
Best of the national rally championship series, the british rally championship is open (ie. participants need not be british citizens) championship.

Camber
Car wheels never sit in absolute upright position but are tilted either inward or outward. When top of wheel is more inward than the bottom, camber angle is negative, otherwise positive.

Chicane
Term rarely used in rallying, chicane refers to S-shaped bend, usually artificially constructed from tyre barriers to reduce speed of cars.

Cockpit
Place where driver and co-driver sit in the car.

Co-driver
Also called navigator, co-driver is the one sitting next to the driver and calling out notes.

Competitive section
Timed speed test on roads that are NOT closed to the public traffic. Compare to special stage.

Compound
Blend of rubber used to achieve optimal performance from different tyres. Softer tyres offer more grip but wear out sooner. Softer tyres also warm up faster (due extra movement inside the rubber) and generally provide more performance.

Cutting
In any form of motorsport drivers seeks shortest possible route around the intended route. While on any track racing (F1 for example) drivers are limited to the track by either barriers or low traction outside paved surface, rally is different. It is often useful to clip inside of the bend, so-called apex, to both reduce total distance by few centimeters and maintain higher speed through corner.

Differential
All four-wheel drive rally cars have three separate differentials or diffs. Purpose of diff is to distribute engine power to the wheels. Center diff distributes power between front and rear axles. Front and rear diffs distribute power between left and right wheels. Diffs can be active or passive, mechanical or electrical.

DNF
Did not finish.

Downforce
The downward force generated as air flows around a moving object, like car. More important in track racing but rally cars also use this effect to gain extra grip. During the Group B era some cars were held on the ground only with help of huge spoilers and wings.

Drag
Resistance to a movement generated by air to any object passing through it, force is relative to speed of the object.

ECU
Engine Control Unit. A box of electronics used to control engine behavior (ignition, turbo boost, fuel injection etc etc). Some cars may use more than one.

FIA
Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. Not entirely restricted to motorsports, even though from that FIA is most known for. Governing body that draws up rules for series and competitions but leaves actual organizing for third parties.

Footprint
Tyres are grooved to improve grip and consequently all of tyres surface is never in contact with the ground.

Gravel crew
Each manufacturer team is entitled to have one per entered car and each tyre manufacture two so-called gravel inspection car. Purpose of these cars is to go through the stage at least one hour before the proper rally crews and make any necessary amendments to the notes.

Group
In modern rallying, there are two important groups. First is Group N, which contains all cars that in effect are close to production cars. These cars can be modified only very little (like removing rear seats). Group A contains all purpose-built rally cars. Even cars constructed under World Rally Car -rules are classified as Group A -cars, contrary to the common belief. In the 1980's FIA also had famous Group B, which was in effect for prototype cars. That was cancelled after series of fatalitites at the end of 1986.

Hairpin
Slow, 180 degree turn. Executed with help of handbrake.

Homologation
A procedure in which FIA confirms that a car (or other piece of equipment, FIA also approves things like helmets) meets those technical requirements they have issued. A car is thereafter deemed homologated and can be used in rallies. There are modifications that do not need a new homologation, but in case of more extensive modifications, manufacturers create a new evolution of the car and homologate it.

Jump the start
In rallying, start is signaled by electronic clock, which also uses lights similar to those in F1. 20 cm in front of this clock is light beam and if driver crosses that beam before clock shows zero, he is deemed to have jumped the start and penalized. For season 2000 penalty was dropped from one minute to ten seconds.

Leg
Each part of the rally, separated by fixed minimum stopping time. In practice, each day of rally is different leg.

Line
Used by some crews in notes to remind them to keep line in preparation to approaching corner.

Notes
Set of codes that co-driver calls out to driver so that latter knows what is coming up ahead. Each crew has their own way of doing notes even though many are very similar. These codes normally consist some way of measuring distance (usually numbers like "5" for 50 meters) and another way to measure severity of the corner (like "K" for 90 degree turn). Notes also contain various extra words to caution, remind or control the driver (like "keep line" or "stone in").

On the throttle
Driver is accelerating ie. applying power.

Oversteer
Situation where car turns more than the driver expects. Many aspects affect to whether car is over- or understeering, like tyre pressure (in the event of puncture), differential settings and so on.

Parc ferme
Area where competitors are required to park cars for example during over-night halts.

Puncture
A tyre gone flat. Currently both tyre manufacturers have technology to allow cars run on flat tyres (Pirelli has EMI and Michelin ATS)

Rain tyres
Tyres made from softer compound and equipped with heavy grooving to allow water escape between tyre and ground. Rain tyres wear faster due soft compound and smaller footprint.

Regrouping
A stop scheduled to regroup cars still in rally. No service is allowed.

Road section
Section between two time controls that is not either stage, regrouping or service area.

Service
Under current rules servicing is allowed only in designated service parks and under designated time. Exception to this is servicing done by the crew with tools and spares carried on the car.

Set-up
The combination of settings for car, engine, suspension, brakes, differentials etc. Set-ups are different for different surfaces, weather conditions, driver preferences and so on.

Shakedown test
Confirmation test usually held two days before rally starts. Stage is provided by rally organizers. Participation is mandatory for works drivers and purpose is partly to get more media attention to rallies.

Silly season
Part of the season when drivers make decisions about their teams for next year. Usually don't begin before season is well over half done and ends few rallies to spare even though lesser teams and lesser drivers may still be considering their options.

Slicks
Tarmac racing tyres with no grooving at all. Banned by FIA in rallying some time ago.

Special stage
Speed test, timed currently to the tenth of a second. Stage is always closed to the public traffic. Compare to competitive section.

Super special stage
Stage that is run in specially built arena. Allows more than one car to run the stage simultaneously. Most SSS's are two-car affairs, but for example in Argentina there has been three-cars on the stage at the same time.

Suspension
Construction that connects wheels to a car via axles, springs, dampers and like. Does not include diffs or axles themselves, which are considered transmission.

Tarmac
Commercial name, Tarmacadam, used of one type of asphalt. Name has clung and now means all kinds of asphalt types.

Time control
A time control station manned by rally officials. Crews must arrive to such a station on exact minute as decreed by schedule, early or late arrivals are penalized with ten seconds per one minute of time difference. Usually there are time controls on both ends of stages, entrance and exit to service areas and parc ferme.

Transmission
Means to transfer power from the engine to the wheels, includes diffs, gearbox, clutch and axles.

Turbo
A device used to increase density of air via increased air pressure. Technique is used to improve burning of the gasoline and to get more power from engine.

Turbo lag
Turbo uses spinning turbine blades to generate air pressure. When gas pedal is pressed, engine revs up faster than turbine blades and hence normal cars experience a small delay before extra power from turbo kicks in.

Turbo restrictor
In a quest to maintain level performance field and keep cars safer, FIA has decreed that rally cars are required to have maximum air intake channel diameter of 34 mm (for Group A cars). Since engine power is dependent on amount of air, this is effective way to keep engine power in check.

Understeer
A situation where car does not turn as much as driver expects. More harmful than oversteering, but generally car should be as neutral and balanced as possible.

World Rally Championship (WRC)
Top level of global rallying run by FIA, consists of rallies held around the world. Winner of the series is declared World Champion of that season.

World Rally Car (WRC)
Introduced 1997 as a new way to homologate Group A cars. Earlier all cars homologated were required to be available to the public, thus one could buy such classic cars like Toyota Celica or Lancia Integrale. However, not every manufacturer wanted to offer such, usually very expensive, car in their model range. To attract more manufacturers in World Rallying, FIA allowed construction of cars by taking any sufficiently produced platform, which could then be fitted with 4WD drive and 2 liter turbo engine, even if no such model existed in the range, to create Group A rally car. Because of this, there are no high performance variants of Ford Focus or Toyota Corolla even though they win rallies in WRC form.

Zero-cars
Before the stage is opened to rally cars, it is run through by three so-called zero-cars 0, 00 and 000. Their aim is to check that road is in safe condition and warn spectators about the arrival of first full speed rally car.

source:Rallye-infor