Pursuit start
A start format in multi-stage events where start order and gaps reflect the deficit from previous results – the leader starts first.
The pursuit start (German Jagdstart) is a start format originating in multi-stage sport – such as biathlon and cross-country skiing – and occasionally also used in multi-day rallies. Unlike a start in fixed start-number order, the pursuit start sets the start order according to the standings: the leader starts first, and everyone else follows with exactly the time gap they currently have.
Its appeal is that the order at the finish corresponds directly to the overall result – whoever crosses the line first wins. In classic regularity rallying the pursuit start is rare and, if used at all, is mostly applied to the final leg; the rule is the individual start at fixed time intervals by start number.
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Related terms
Regularity rally
Classic-car motorsport where precision counts, not speed: hold prescribed average speeds and target times as exactly as possible.
H-Kennzeichen
Germany's official historic-vehicle plate with an ‘H’ for cars 30+ years old – full everyday use, flat vehicle tax, free access to low-emission zones.
Light barrier test
A regularity test in which timing is controlled by photoelectric light barriers. Timing starts at the first barrier and ends at the second, triggered by the front of the car rather than the wheels.