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So you're planning to attend your first TSD road rally and are a little curious about how you can
make that first event a success. If you think that success means winning the rally, you can forget that right now. There's not much we can tell you here that's going to make that happen. If, on the other hand, your
idea of success is getting through the event with a little less stress and a little more fun, then continue on as you learn to navigate the fabulous, fun, and often devious road of the TSD rallier.
Select an event
When and where can you find a road rally? Start here: TSDRoadRally.com
Event Styles – What is a road rally? Road rallies fall into one of three categories:
 Timed – Scoring is based on correct arrival time at
checkpoints, with penalties for early or late arrival. Checkpoint locations may be known or unknown. Events are held on open public roads. Examples: TSD (time
-speed-distance), Monte Carlo, Tour (TSD with no traps), Course (TSD with traps).
- Gimmick – Scoring is usually based on completing an answer sheet with information found along the route. A specific maximum amount of time or completion by a
specific time of day may be specified. Events are held on open public roads. Examples: A&B, Course Marker, Photo, Map Clue, Poker Run, Hare and Hound.
- Performance – Racing against the clock. Scoring is based on fastest time over a closed course. Cars need to be race prepared with rollcage, harnesses, helmets, fire extinguisher,
competition license, etc. Examples: Rally Cross, Club Rally, Pro Rally
There are many regional variations of these basic forms. Some rallies are timed in seconds; some in
hundredths of a minute. Some events specify average speeds, while others specify the exact time of day you are expected to arrive at identified locations. Route instructions may be written out plainly in
words in sentences, cryptically encoded in abbreviations and defined terms, drawn in diagrams and pictographs, or your route may be highlighted on a map or indicated by splotches of white lime along
the side of the road.
Although there are many types of events calling themselves road rally, there are a few things they all
have in common:
- An entry team consisting of a vehicle, a driver, and a navigator
- A start location, a route, and an ending location
- Rules of the game and route instructions
This Web site is primarily focused on TSD road rally, a game of precise timekeeping and  navigational course following.
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