Regularity rally

What is a regularity rally?

A regularity rally – in German Gleichmässigkeits-Rallye, in Italian Gara di Regolarità – is a form of classic-car motorsport in which victory is decided not by top speed but by precision. The crew of driver and co-driver must hold prescribed average speeds and target times over marked sections as exactly as possible. Every deviation – too early or too late – earns penalty points; in the end the most consistent team wins, not the one with the strongest engine.

Events are usually run on public roads in compliance with traffic law, with navigation by roadbook. That makes the discipline ideal for historic vehicles: consistency matters more than mechanical stress, and even newcomers in a standard classic can be competitive. Precise timekeeping, clean distance measurement with a tripmeter and good teamwork in the cockpit count for more than horsepower. Regularity rallies range from one-day regional events to multi-day international classics and today form one of the largest areas of historic motorsport.

How a regularity rally is scored

At the heart of every regularity rally are the scored sections: the average speed test, on which a prescribed average speed must be held, and the time trial, on which a target time must be matched exactly. Between them lie liaison stages with time controls, where a target time also applies. Measurement takes place at control points, often to the hundredth of a second. Anyone who misses a transit or stamp control, or leaves the prescribed itinerary, collects additional penalty points. The total of all deviations is scored – the most precise team wins.

How a typical event runs

Cars usually start individually, in start-number order and at fixed intervals of 30 seconds to two minutes. The route is divided into legs made up of liaison sections, scored tests and neutralisations. Each crew receives a roadbook with the itinerary – shown via tulip diagrams, map extracts or navigation tasks – and keeps its personal target time at the time controls. Before the start, synchronising the clocks with the organiser's official time is mandatory, so that the team's timing matches to the second.

Equipment and preparation

The most important tools sit with the co-driver: a calibrated tripmeter for exact distance, one or more stopwatches and average-speed tables that give the target time for every distance. Many teams also use specialised rally computers. Preparation matters just as much: studying the roadbook, working through the averages and rehearsing the division of tasks in the cockpit. A regularity rally is won not in a single fast corner but over hours of steady, error-free work.

How it differs from other event types

The regularity rally is often confused with other formats. The decisive difference lies in the scoring principle: is it about precision, about fastest time – or is there no competitive scoring at all?

Criterion	Regularity rally	Sprint / rally sprint	Hillclimb	Classic touring run
Scoring principle	Precision: match target times and averages	Fastest time	Fastest time uphill	no competitive scoring
Role of speed	deliberately low and constant	maximum	maximum	free, relaxed
Route	public roads, roadbook navigation	closed special stages	closed hill course	public roads
Key skill	time and distance precision, navigation	driving pace, car control	driving pace, nerve	none required
Competition	yes, by penalty points	yes, by time	yes, by time	no
Typical cars	classics and youngtimers, often near-standard	sports and rally cars	racing and sports cars	classics of all kinds

In short: in a sprint and a hillclimb the fastest wins; on a classic touring run there is no ranking at all; in a regularity rally the most precise crew wins.

Who the discipline suits

Because no speed risk is taken, the regularity rally is gentle on car and occupants and at the same time demanding: it calls for concentration, mental arithmetic and well-drilled teamwork over many hours. That is exactly why it is considered one of the most accessible and popular ways into historic motorsport – from club events to major marque rallies. Anyone who has once felt the thrill of hitting the time to the second tends to stay with the discipline, where car, budget and driving skill matter less than in any other form of motorsport.