A motorsport format with competitive driving on closed sections of public road or off-road stages, with timed sections and varying surfaces.
Rally is a motorsport format where competitors drive on closed sections of public road (or off-road stages) with timed sections of varying difficulty. Competitors run individually (or with minimal time gaps), with times for each stage combined to determine overall position. Rally surfaces vary widely: gravel (most common), tarmac (asphalt), snow, ice, mud, and dust. Different surface conditions require different car preparations and driving techniques.
The premier rally championship is the World Rally Championship (WRC), running annual events globally including Rally Sweden (winter snow and ice), Rally Mexico (high altitude tarmac and gravel), Rally Italy (rough gravel), and the iconic Acropolis Rally in Greece (rough rally with extensive sand). Other major rally series include the European Rally Championship, the British Rally Championship, the American Rally Association, and various national rally championships.
Rally cars are heavily modified production vehicles. The current World Rally Car specification (Rally1) requires specific safety equipment (full roll cage, racing harnesses, fire suppression), regulated power output (around 380 horsepower), and specific aerodynamic limits. Subaru, Hyundai, Toyota, and Ford have been the primary manufacturers in recent WRC seasons. Co-driver (the navigator who reads the pace notes describing upcoming sections of the road) is essential to rally driving.