ACTION POINT
The point at which a route instruction can be executed.
ACUTE
A modifier indicating a change of direction obviously more than 90 degrees. A sharp turn.
AFTER
The first possibility after the indicated REFERENCE.
API
After Previous Instruction.
AT
In the immediate vicinity of the indicated REFERENCE.
BEAR
Not the fuzzy kind. A modifier indicating a change of direction obviously less than 90 degrees.
BEFORE
The last possibility before the indicated REFERENCE. The REFERENCE must be visible from the ACTION POINT.
BLINKER
An INTERSECTION on the THROUGH ROUTE controlled by an official traffic caution or stop blinker(s), capable of operating only as a blinker. It may be on or off but it must exist.
CAST
Change Average Speed To or continue average speed of. Maintain this average speed until the next CAST, CSD or CSU is encountered. This tells you how fast you should be going. Some events use “CAS” for Change Average Speed. It’s all the same.
CSD
Change Speed Down: reduce average speed by the amount given.
CSU
Change Speed Up: increase average speed by the amount given.
FREE ZONE
A portion of the rally that will not contain any Checkpoints, but may have Route Controls. Not to be confused with Free Love.
INTERSECTION
The point at which two or more rally roads meet, and there is more than one choice of direction. A U-turn is not a choice. Oddly enough this one is confusing to newbie rallyists.
ITIS
If There Is Such. When a Numbered Route Instruction includes ITIS, execute that instruction only if its first ACTION POINT occurs before the first ACTION POINT for the next NRI. If multiple consecutive (in numerical order) NRIs include ITIS, you are required to look for the first ACTION POINT of each ITIS instruction as well as the first ACTION POINT of the next non-ITIS instruction. Confusing? You bet your ass. The trick here is to look at the next NRI and then look for both the ITIS NRI (plural of there are more than one in a row, and rally masters who stack more than are destined for a special level of hell) and the first NRI after the ITIS and then execute the first one you see.
L or LEFT
Left deviation of any angle from the THROUGH ROUTE. Some drivers sew an L on their left sleeve and an R on their right sleeve to make sure they get this correct. Some drivers who don’t, should.
LEG
A section of the rally between successive Checkpoints, or from an assigned starting place to a Checkpoint.
MBCU
May or may not be considered unnecessary. Execute an MBCU instruction at the first occurrence of the REFERENCE, whether or not it occurs at an INTERSECTION and whether or not it takes you off the THROUGH ROUTE. Also called the “Just do it” instruction.
NRI
Numbered Route Instruction. These are the instructions that get you through the rally. They can look different rally to rally (and rally type to rally type) but usually include; a number to indicate which instruction it is, a mileage to tell you at what point to execute the instruction, a description to tell you what to look for and what to do (L at T CAST 35), and a tulip which is a drawing of the intersection or road showing the shape and your path through it. Without NRI’s rallies would be a group of people driving with no purpose and no direction, like golfers.
OBSERVE
To visually note and pass a REFERENCE.
ONTO
You are placed ONTO a road when a route instruction directs you by use of ONTO and its name (a road’s name may also be a route number or letter). If you are ONTO a road, the THROUGH ROUTE is the road with the same name. You are ONTO whatever name was used by the instruction. For example, if you were instructed ONTO JONES you would be ONTO any road whose names included JONES. However, if you were instructed ONTO JONES ROAD, you would be ONTO JONES ROAD SW or OLD JONES ROAD, but not JONES PLACE. You remain ONTO a road until you execute a subsequent NRI that takes you off the THROUGH ROUTE. Ignore changes in abbreviations (e.g. VALLEY becomes VLY or RD becomes ROAD) once you are ONTO a road.
OPP
Short for “opportunity”. A named or paved rally road at which you could execute the indicated route instruction. A named road is one with an identifying street sign.
OR
Indicates a choice of two portions of an instruction. Execute either that portion of the route instruction preceding the word OR, or that portion following the word OR, but not both. Execute the portion whose first ACTION POINT occurs first. If both portions have the same first ACTION POINT, do neither at that point, and continue to look for the OR instruction.
OUTCONE
The official starting point of a LEG, usually marked by a traffic cone.
PAUSE
A time allowance to be added in the calculated LEG time.
POSS
“Possible”. Any rally road at which you could execute the indicated route instruction. Not the abbreviation for possum.
R or RIGHT
Right deviation of any angle from the THROUGH ROUTE. See L for another direction you could take.
REFERENCE
Any sign or object referred to by an instruction. A reference can be the sign for a road, or the actual road itself. If it’s the sign, it’ll be in quotes. References can be hard or soft. A hard reference will be a sign or an object or something that will give an exact position of the reference. A soft reference will be a turn or an intersection or something like “exposure right”. The reference is soft because you do not have an exact location for the reference and therefore can not be sure exactly where the noted mileage takes place. For a left turn, it could be at the beginning of the turn or the apex, depending on where the rally master took his/her measurement. For our “exposure right” we have to guess where the exposure really starts and whether the rally master picked the start or the middle of the exposure as his/her reference. Does all this talk about “exposure” make you feel funny?
S or STRAIGHT
Straight deviation from the THROUGH ROUTE. Not South!
SIDEROAD
An INTERSECTION at which you can TURN in only one direction.
SIGNAL
An INTERSECTION on the THROUGH ROUTE controlled by a multi-light traffic signal(s). It may be on, off, or operating as a blinker(s). Just because it has three colored lights, it may not be a SIGNAL, e.g. if it’s controlling access to a shopping center. That’s not a rally road.
SOL
Sign must be On the Left. Not always given when the sign is on the left. No, you’re not Out of Luck. Hopefully.
SOP
Seat Of Pants. A rally class wherein the participants are required to use only the stock odometer, paper, and a pencil during the event. No calculating devices are permitted other than the one in the navigator’s noggin.
STOP
An INTERSECTION on the THROUGH ROUTE with an official highway stop sign at which you would legally be required to stop. Another seemingly easy concept that trips up novice rallyists. If it doesn’t control an INTERSECTION, it’s not really a STOP. Wacky but true.
T
An INTERSECTION in the general shape of the letter “T” as you would approach it from the base.
THROUGH ROUTE
The set of rules that dictates which way you go at an intersection.
TOURING RALLY
Generally an event that doesn’t contain traps or tricks.
TRAP RALLY
An event where much of the challenge is to stay on the correct route, requiring a keen understanding of the event rules and definitions.
TOWARD
You are placed TOWARD an object if a previous route instruction used the word TOWARD to direct you to follow signs pointing to that object. If you are TOWARD a named object, the THROUGH ROUTE is the road going toward any object with the same name. You are TOWARD whatever name was used by the instruction. For example, if you were instructed TOWARD HIGHLAND you would be TOWARD any object whose name included HIGHLAND. However, if you were instructed TOWARD HIGHLAND CITY, you would be TOWARD HIGHLAND CITY or HIGHLAND CITY DUMP, but not HIGHLAND PARK. You remain TOWARD an object until you execute a subsequent NRI that takes you off the THROUGH ROUTE. Ignore changes in abbreviations (e.g. PINE TREE ELEMENTARY becomes PINE TREE ELEM) once you’re TOWARD an object.
TRANSIT ZONE
A section of the rally that you must complete in the stated time. Drive at legal speeds. Route instructions apply, but you may leave the rally route for rest or refueling. There will be no controls in a TRANSIT ZONE. Most rallies start with an odometer check TRANSIT ZONE. This allows you to calibrate your odometer to official rally mileage.
TSD Rally
Time Speed Distance, not That Silly Driver.
TURN
A deviation from the THROUGH ROUTE. Deviants and exposure. What next?
Y
An INTERSECTION in the general shape of the letter “Y” as you would approach it from the base.
YIELD
An INTERSECTION on the THROUGH ROUTE with an official highway yield sign at which you would legally be required to yield.
