Sweeper
The last car of an event, following the whole field: it picks up crews who have broken down, sees controls dismantled and reports the route clear. The counterpart to the zero car.
The sweeper (also broom wagon) is the last car of a rally. It follows the entire field along the route and is thus the counterpart to the zero car, which runs ahead of the field.
Its tasks are practical: it picks up crews that have broken down or retired, or organises help for them, ensures the signage and controls are dismantled again and reports to rally control that the route is clear. Only once the sweeper has passed is a section considered closed and the marshals can pack up.
For crews the sweeper is a safety net: anyone who suffers a breakdown and cannot go on is not forgotten. In German it is called the Besenwagen.
Glossary from A to Z
Related terms
Regularity rally
Classic-car motorsport where precision counts, not speed: hold prescribed average speeds and target times as exactly as possible.
Zero car
Course car (numbered 0, 00 or 000) that drives the route ahead of the field without being scored.
07er-Kennzeichen
Germany's red classic-car plate (rotes 07-Kennzeichen): one transferable plate for several historic vehicles, usable only for events plus test, transfer and workshop drives – never for everyday use.