Distance
Precisely measured length of a route section – the basis for calculating target times and average speeds.
Distance refers to the precisely measured length of a route section. It is a central quantity in regularity rallying: the target time to be kept results from distance and the prescribed average speed, because time = distance divided by speed. Even small deviations in the measured distance affect the calculated time.
So that all teams work from the same figures, the organiser measures the route in advance with calibrated instruments and notes the distances – for example from one roadbook symbol to the next – in the roadbook. In the car, teams record the distance covered with a tripmeter, in order to know at every point where they are and whether they are on target time.
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Related terms
Time card
Control card issued by the organiser on which arrival and passage times are recorded or stamped at the controls.
Reference section
A defined section of route used as a benchmark for time and speed measurements.
Distance recorder
Umbrella term for any in-car device that measures distance – from the series odometer through the more precise tripmeter to digital and GPS-based units. It provides the basis for every distance instruction.