Average speed
The mean speed prescribed by the organiser, to be maintained as precisely as possible over a section.
The average speed is a central element of many regularity tests. The organiser sets a value, such as 50 km/h, to be maintained on average over a given section. It is not the instantaneous speed that counts, but the average over the whole distance.
The navigator continually calculates whether the crew is on target, matching the distance driven with the time elapsed. Even small, persistent deviations add up and lead to penalty points. Holding the average speed precisely is therefore one of the core skills in regularity motorsport.
Glossary from A to Z
Related terms
Average-speed table
Table giving, for a prescribed average speed, the target time for each distance – an aid in regularity stages.
Time Trial (TT)
A scored section where a single prescribed target time must be hit as exactly as possible (abbr. ZP); identical to the Sollzeitprüfung (SZP). Unlike the GLP, the target time counts, not a constant average.
CAST
US abbreviation for 'Change Average Speed To' – the instruction in a TSD rally to drive a new prescribed average speed from that point on.