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 the rally direction 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
Zero car
Course car (numbered 0, 00 or 000) that drives the route ahead of the field without being scored.
Elektronik-Klasse
German name for the scoring class, mainly in pure regularity rallies, that allows all kinds of odometers and clocks in the car – including digital or GPS-based aids. The counterpart to the Sanduhrklasse.
Organisation time
The period during which a control point is staffed or the event is running. It includes the set-up and take-down time needed by the marshals.