What different types do you guys compete in?

I'm using the 240 in the forest on Navigational trial type events and a 260 on Tarmac/Touring events.

Mike

The rallye scene here in Central Europe changed in the last years.

In former times we had a lot of smaller events "round the church tower"on tarmac roads and in the fields and forests. Main difficulties were a)navigation, b)staying within a given time from time-control to time-control and c)driving a given average speed that was controlled by secret , hidden marchals. Now: Central Europe is quite crowded, so the population became angry by the lot of events nearly every weekend crossing their villages and the green party set political pressure. So these events died, b u t they start now living again for classic car events. Many people like old cars and the number of events is limited. Nevertheless, I like these events and I do some every year together with my wife as navigator. The everage speed is at about 35-40 km/h and most roads are tarmac. It's also a social event with breakfast, lunch and a winners party at the end and the participation fees are affordable (about 60$ for 2 persons and the car)

.

Rallies with todays cars changed. Now we have transportation

sections within the normal traffic with nearly no navigational problems because the road books are very exact on a 10m basis

(distances between one crossing to the next and which way to take there). Then there is a time control (the time for the transportation section is limited, but normally not too hard to reach). Behind the time control is a short neutralized section (about 500m) and then there is another control where you get your starting time for the following special stage on closed roads.These are high speed sections, measured in 1000/sec.

Sometimes there are navigational tests included but normally arrows show you the way that is also descipt in the road book, but not detailled enough to be really fast. That's why the co-driver writes his own "prayer-book" in case the special stage is known before and you can have a training. If the stage is secret you are dependíng on good eyes, feelin, experience, car control and the cars handling, which is a question of the car's preparation and technical solutions. Handling , traction and brakes are most important, the engine should have enough power for good acceleration. Power without handling means nothing! When you finished the stage the given time for the next transportation section starts.

For classic cars like our 240Z there are these events, too, especially in the European Classic Car Rallye Championship. Most classic events like Mille Miglia, Trofeo Nuvolari, Silvretta Classic, Alpenrallye, Coup des Alpes Classic, Ennstal and so on have transportation stages with a given average speed or a given total time. After a time control a special stage is started. This can be a difficult navigational task that you have to finish in a certain time exact on 1000/sec, or a slalom - also mostly on a given time basis- or something similar, but mostly based on a given time so that you have to cross the finish line exactly on 1/1000 sec. the reason for this is that the level of difficulty should give the same chance to all the different classic cars that are grouped by their age and not by power or cubics. Normally these events last for 2, 3 or more days over a quite long distance in the most beautiful parts of Europe, like the Alpes or Tuscanny. I like these events but unfortunately I can't do these too often because of a lack of time and - money. These events are expensive! Sometimes I have the chance to be invited because I'm a quite good Co-driver since I started in the age of 16 as a navigator. My last Silvretta I could do in a classic Ferrari 250 SWB because the organizer didn't accept me and my wife in our 240Z. She was very sad but the Ferrari owner was very happy. Unfortunately we had sometimes thermal problems and in the high Alpen region the air was too thin for the carbs, so the mixture was too fat, the car stumbled when accelerated and we missed the 1000/sec. The organizersey preferred Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche , Mercedes Gullwings and other very, very rare well known makes also here in Central Europe you have only very few 240Z and 260Z but lots of Porsche 356. By the way, there was 1 Toyota 2000 GT, never seen before!

Rolf

I suppose in a way times change and events change.

Although we still forest rally, due to insurance issues all planations that were used are no longer available to us. Much state forest has been declared National Parks and is also been made unavailable for rallying.

Luckily there still are areas available, however it requires travelling to reach.

On the Tarmac side there is no such problem, many excellent events are held each year, possibly the most exciting would be Targa Tasmania, many 240's & 260's enter this.

visit www.targa.org.au there should be photos of many zed's.

Our own club [Historic Rally Association]promotes it's own 2 championships, these being Rally and Touring open to Historic [Pre 68], Post Historic[68/75] &[75/80] & PRC pre 80. Whilst there are zed owners in the club it would be difficult ever have more than 3 appear together.

Mike

Speaking of rally events. Is there some kind of master list of the different types of rally races that are even possible?

I've heard of everything from a real calm "obey the speed limit" type street rally up to the radical off road rally races overseas (WRC comes to mind).

Mike,

This is going to be different country to country, even in Australia events type differ state to state.

The club I'm a member of [Historic Rally Association] promotes many different types of events to please it's membership base.

One type it doesn't is WRC type rally [pace notes, flat out forest racing], that's best left to others as we prefer to emulate the Historic aspect [pre75].

This really is Navigational type rallying or trials, generally at night usually set up as Transport, Competitive, Transport etc, all stages varying in length. On the other hand we also promote Touring Road events, these being timed to the minute rather than to the second, Navigation generally being more difficult and run on dirt and bitumen. The HRA CLassic is all bitumen as are many others. THese bitumen event bring out the classic cars are are really worth the effort to run in as they tend to be "head turners".

At the bottom end of it all are the Navigational Nightmares, which, in true Historic fashion generally use Historic Maps, a crystal ball sometimes comes in handy with these.

Best advice is join a rally club, it's really surprising how welcome you become and you will never feel out of place as you already have something different rather that something modified!

Mike

Zedrallye,

comparing your description to my on Central Europe there is a lot of similarity. What's about the USA ?

Rolf

Silence from the US?

Does this mean there are no 240's rallying?

Does rally exist there?

Silence from the US?

Does this mean there are no 240's rallying?

Does rally exist there?

I'm not sure if it exists or not. I know we have the little street rallies every now and then. But, for some reason I don't think the off road rally races exist over here.

Someone (in the original thread I starte) told me about a club in the Pacific Northwest. I'll have to check them out.

But, I know nothing about rally racing at this point. Maybe I'll see if I can find a 240z so I can race it.

Mike and all other,

there is something going on in Northamerica. See vintagerally.com

there is the proposal for an SCCA Historic Class Regulation that includes the early Z.

Rolf

Hey,

looking through vintagerally. com I saw there will be a great event in NorthAm in Sept.2002, the TARGA NEWFOUNDLAND. I also saw a pic of Rick Hintz Rallye Z that is also shown in our

photo gallery.

Move on

Rolf

There's a new place near St. Louis called 100 Acre Wood where they started holding rallyes. There weren't any Z cars entered, but it is pretty new around here.

100 Acre Wood

There are some here. I grew up in MN. and up north they hold scca rally runs on logging roads and back dirt roads. I know they hold the same type in wiss. aswell.

But you wont see much for Z's there its the hart of the rust belt.

I have never seen the type of rallying in the USA like there is in other parts of the world. I think most motor sports grow out of what is part of the local experience. Take NASCAR that has its roots in moonshine running that came out of probation in the 1930's, which was a big engine and out running the feds. Then we have drag racing unsure of it's origins but I believe it came from Southern California. When you look back at the history of American cars, power was first then came handling a very distance 2nd. I think this comes from our wide open spaces where you do not have to turn very often. Heck my dad had a 69 Chrysler station wagon pumping out ~350HP (at the flywheel) that the power steering gave you as much road feel as the radio volume control knob it floated down the road. I was lucky because my first car was a 68 Cortina II and it was fun to drive. I grew up in the Mojave Desert and had a lot of fun drifting sideway around corners on dirt roads thinking I was a Rally driver. In fact the closest that we have to balls out Rally that I have seen is our off road racing with vehicles found on this web Link

Fun fact: Can anyone tell me the origins of the phrase “balls out” it is not what you think!