Event Coverage Coker Tire Challenge: Part 2

[LLDCCP]

Originally Posted by Darwin

This type of rally is known as a TSD rally which stands for Time Speed Distance and is entirely unlike "gimmick" rallies, poker runs, and suchlike events put on for entertainment value strictly. What Ryan forgot to mention, and I don't blame him, is a concept that is the backbone of the TSD rally which is called the Main Road Rule. I won't go into the details but suffice to say that it can be excruciatingly challenging to stay "on course" and "on time" at the same time. TSD rallies are no light sunday fun drives but are usually serious brain warping intellectual exercises so their appeal is, and always has been, rather limited. For this reason they are much less popular than their heyday in the 50s through the 70s. I love 'em but they aren't for the faint of heart.

Another reason I don't think you see too many of these events, even the one day club variety, is the amount of time it takes to set up the course, write up all the cockeyed clues, find people to staff the check points, go meet w/ the local cops and convince them that sports cars or hot rods w/ numbers on them are not really racing through their city/county etc. Back in the '60's when I was in college a buddy got a TR4A. He drove & I navigated and we ran several one day "club" rallys in the "seat of the pants" class - NO fancy equipment crap. They tape over your odometer so you just have the speedometer visible and a wrist watch. Our crowning achievements were one zero error leg (Ryan & Jeff had several on the same day), and we won one rally outright - boy did that piss off the guys w/ the high dollar speedos and watches! There were other days that we got so far off course that by the time we got back on we were running for the free beer at the end. Fun.

[beatnik]

It sounds way to frustrating to be fun, definitely not Punk Rock.

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by beatnik

It sounds way to frustrating to be fun, definitely not Punk Rock.

It's fun, definitely not punk rock though. You gotta have brain cells.

Another reason I don't think you see too many of these events, even the one day club variety, is the amount of time it takes to set up the course, write up all the cockeyed clues, find people to staff the check points, go meet w/ the local cops and convince them that sports cars or hot rods w/ numbers on them are not really racing through their city/county etc. Back in the '60's when I was in college a buddy got a TR4A. He drove & I navigated and we ran several one day "club" rallys in the "seat of the pants" class - NO fancy equipment crap. They tape over your odometer so you just have the speedometer visible and a wrist watch. Our crowning achievements were one zero error leg (Ryan & Jeff had several on the same day), and we won one rally outright - boy did that piss off the guys w/ the high dollar speedos and watches! There were other days that we got so far off course that by the time we got back on we were running for the free beer at the end. Fun.

Yeah, I couldn't believe the amount of preparation that the VCRA did... These things have to be really expensive to put on.

[autobilly]

Doesn't sound like a sport for me, but very interesting none the less.

[Verbal Kint]

In 1985, I "helped" a friend out as his navigator for a TSD rally outside of North Bend, WA. I realized I was in way over my head from the very start and after I missed a turn on the third page of the course instructions we ended up with a penalty for taking the 2nd lazy right hander not the 1st right hander. His RHD datsun 2000 roadster could really move when driven angry, I ended up providing the worst finish of the season for him. He was a good sport about it and his club loaned me the "Lazy Eye" navigator trophy (bronze head of an old time racer with a cracked goggle lense) for a couple weeks until the next rally. Its probably the only time I haven't enjoyed being in a performance automobile, it was INTENSE and I couldn't believe this was something they did once a month.

[CJ Steak]

Hey Ryan, that was a good read, and the timing couldn't be any better. the TX All British Car Day is happening in Old Settler's park off of '79 this Saturday, and i'll be participating in my first TSD rally ever. I'll be in my '67 MGB GT. Wish me luck.

If anyone wants to see how headbangingly difficult these things can be, please check out this tutorial and example of directions. Mind you, italicized words and words with parantheses or quotation marks around them mean different things then they normally would.

http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~moose/tutorial.html

I don't plan on doing well at all since this is the first TSD rally myself and my navigator have ever participated in...

In TSD rallying, the navigator is the rockstar, not the driver.

-Chris

http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~moose/plug.html

[63fdsnr]

A new experience no doubt, at least you had fun and a nice ride to run the event. Thanks for the pictures.
Al

[silverdome]

Good read. Interesting about how different racing can be. Let us know how your team did and maybe give us a little more info on the cars. I noticed the Airflow especially but that's probably because I'm a Mopar man.

[floored]

Reminds me of my early day's of running enduro's, I couldn't figure out how to keep a 24 mph average while I was dragging a 220lb dirt bike up a slimey hill. As time went on and my time keeping got better the fun level increased immensley. It's just one of those things that the more you do it the more fun it becomes.

Ron

[Steve Hedke]

Thanks for the good write up. My wife and I have been running these deals since '99, at least one or two races a year, including several Great Race cross countrys.

I think you have an accurate picture there. You need a good navigator: my wife is brilliant and we've won a lot of money. She can't drive. I can drive but I can't add. We get frustrated sometimes but we always come at it as a team: we both make the mistakes, no one is to blame. It can hurt, but it can sure be rewarding when you figure out a train or a funeral procession correctly (once we had 2 funerals on one day!).

You are right about how hard we run the cars. The conditions we drive hard in would make some people cringe. I've passed on the right dropping 2 wheels in the grass at 50 mph, had teams on my minute when we're running wheel to wheel, run on ridgelines in thunderstorms with lightening flashing all around, deserts, mountains with snow, you name it, our '29 AV8 has done it. There are lots of stories you come home with. The cars have to be in top shape: there are sweep trucks, but there is nothing worse than watching the race go by.

For folks who want to give it a go: we'd sure love for you to come out and run with us. Everyone is real helpful in teaching you how to do it: the competition is serious but friendly.

Vintage Car Rally Association is the only active group right now: http://www.vintagecarrally.com/

It will be a while before the next race: get the DVD from Springfield this summer and see what it's all about. You have plenty of time to get ready for the spring race.

[FlamedChevy]

Thanks Ryan.. Sounds like fun.