Maximum time
A penalty time for special stages or tests not completed properly. It is usually calculated as the best time plus a fixed number of minutes.
The maximum time (German Maximalzeit) is a penalty time at classic-car events for scored tests that were not completed properly – for example when a stage is abandoned, missed or badly botched. Instead of a regular result, the crew is given the maximum time, usually calculated as 'best time plus xx minutes'. The crew therefore stays classified, but a missed or spoiled section counts heavily against it. The exact calculation is set out in the supplementary regulations.
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Related terms
Prescribed time
Time set by the organiser within which a section or task must be completed – closely related to the target time (Sollzeit).
Start number
Number allocated to each team, displayed on the car and determining the start order; cars start individually at fixed intervals.
Matching numbers
Collector term for a vehicle whose major components (engine, gearbox, axle, frame) still carry the original numbers that match one another and the factory records – an indicator of originality, not of identity.