XVIII. SECTIONS AND CONTROLS

A. Sections —There will be three Section types:
1. Road Sections – Starting and finishing at a Main Time Control. There will be several Time Controls at varying locations during each day.
2. Test Section – A timed test of speed and driving skill
3. Regularity Section – Some days, there will be Regularity Sections, during which competitors are required to maintain a constant average speed for a given distance.

B. Controls – There will be nine types of Control:

1. Main Time Control (MTC) A timed Control at the start and finish of each day with timing to the previous full minute.

2. Road Section Time Controls (TC) A timed control at intervals along the route with timing to the previous full minute.

3. Passage Control (PC) An untimed Control to check adherence to the correct route.

4. Route Check (RC) An untimed, unmanned control where competitors must record information to verify adherence to the correct route.

5. Secret Check (SC) A Control at an undisclosed location to check adherence to the correct route or to observe driving behavior.

6. Test Section Start Control (TS) A timed Control at the start of a section at which timing will be on a whole minute or a half minute.

7. Test Section Finish Control (TF) A timed Control at the end of a section at which timing will be to the previous full second at the time the car stops at the finish line.

8. Regularity Section Start Control (RS) A timed Control at the start of a regularity section. The Start Control may be manned or unmanned (Self Start). Timing at a Regularity Start is on a whole minute or a half minute.

9. Regularity Section Timing Point (TP) A timed control at an undisclosed location during a regularity section. There may be one or more timing points at which timing will be to the previous full second at the time the car stops at the timing point.

C. Competitors will receive information and documentation to enable them to locate these Controls, to visit them in the correct order, and to complete the route correctly. Their check-in times will be recorded on their Time Cards and penalties will be applied for variance from the event requirements.

D. Time Controls (Main Time Control – MTC, Time Control – TC) – Time Controls will be located by the roadside or inside buildings such as cafes or hotels. Their locations will be clearly identified by a flag or control board prominently placed by an Event Official. Time Controls will open at least 15 minutes before the due time of the first 14 car and close 30 minutes after the due time of the last car. Competitors are due at these Controls at their Scheduled Times, and penalties will be applied for taking more or less than the time allowed between Controls.

E. Competitors will be penalized for missing a Time Control, checking in early or late at a Control, approaching or departing a Control in the wrong direction, visiting Controls out of sequence or more than once, or not complying with the instructions of an Event Official in charge of a Control Point.

F. Passage Controls (PC), Secret Checks (SC), Route Checks (RC) – At a Passage Control or a Secret Check, the Control Official will stamp or sign the Time Card. In the case of an unmanned Passage Control or Route Check, competitors will be required to write on their Time Card the requested information that will be clearly visible at that location. Crews failing to collect a stamp/signature, not recording the correct information, or approaching or departing a control point in the wrong direction will be deemed to have missed the Control or Check and will be penalized.

G. Test Sections (TS & TF) – The route may include Test Sections timed to the second, where times recorded at the Test Start (TS) and Test Finish (TF) will establish the performance on the Test. Information will be provided to complete the Test correctly and different time requirements may be assigned to different Categories. All crew members must be in the car for the duration of the Test, save for any exceptions agreed upon with the Clerk of the Court.

H. Competitors may check in to the Test Start at any time it is open and then be ready to start as directed by the Test Section Official. Competitors will start at one-minute or thirty-second intervals. Tests will be timed to the previous full second.

I. Crews delayed by an Official at the start of a Test Section for more than 5 minutes may present their Time Card to the Official and request their ‘arrival time’ be recorded on their Time Card. A ‘delay allowance’ will be given for any difference over 5 minutes between the arrival and actual start time; this ‘delay allowance’ will only apply or be given if it is after the competitors’ due time.

J. For each Test Section, a Minimum Time will be published. A crew completing the Test in a shorter or equal time will be given this Minimum Time. Similarly, a Maximum Time will be published and any competitor taking a longer time will be given the Maximum Time. Otherwise, the actual time taken will be given.

K. The Official will give the competitor a countdown to their due start time; at the end of the Test, competitors must ‘stop astride’ a clearly defined finish line when the Official will stop his clock and record the time taken for the Test. If there is a car already at the Stop Line the second crew must stop immediately behind the car on the line and they will be given the time at which their car stops. A crew coming to a halt carelessly 15 or driving in a way that puts event Officials or other persons at risk will be penalized ‘up to and including exclusion’.

L. Competitors will be penalized for missing a Test Section, jumping the start, not performing the Test correctly, touching or passing the wrong sides of course markers, driving against rally traffic, failing to stop at lines or within boxes as required, completing the wrong number of laps on a test, and not complying with the instructions of an Official in charge of the Control Point. A crew taking the wrong route, but then correcting the error before the next instruction or marker will not be penalized.

M. Regularity Sections (RS & TP) Unlike Main and Time Controls, at a Regularity Start Control there is no specific scheduled check-in time for each competitor. Competitors will start at 1-minute or 30-second intervals.

N. Unmanned Regularity Starts may be indicated by a red flag control board and/or a self-start board which will be positioned at the exact point from which the regularity section will start. If there is no control board, the landmark at this point as shown in the route book/route instructions will be deemed the start point.

O. There will be two types of unmanned Regularity Start controls:

1. Allocated Start Regularity: The marshal at the preceding control will write the allocated start time on the competitor’s timecard and competitors should then proceed to the Regularity Start and start at the time designated on their time card. Competitors without a properly allocated start time will be deemed not to have visited the Regularity Start.

2. Self-Start Regularity: Before starting, competitors must record, in ink in the space provided on the timecard, in hours, minutes, and seconds, the time at which they intend to start the section and must proceed at this time. Competitors must start either on a full minute or half minute (e.g. 15:32:00 or 15:32:30). At such controls, you must write the self-start time on your timecard in the space provided.
Competitors who are found at a subsequent timing point or secret check not to have recorded their start time will incur a penalty as listed below. Secret checks may be located at any distance from the Regularity Start. After leaving a Self-Start control, the marshal at the first regularity timing point or secret control encountered will verify the self-start time by signing in the box provided. If no time has been recorded, the marshal will write ‘No Time’ in the time box. If a competitor has written an amended time, the marshal will ask the crew to clarify the time and initial the alteration making a note on their check sheet for reference. Any competitor failing to enter a start time or having an altered but unverified start time will be deemed to have not visited the Regularity Start control and will be 16 penalized as below. Subsequent regularity timing will start from the first timing point encountered after leaving the start control. Regularity Sections will be held on roads open to normal traffic. The Regularity Start and Regularity Timing Point(s) will be included within a Road Section between two Time Controls.

P. Competitors will be issued with time and distance information to enable them to maintain as closely as possible the set average speed(s) throughout the Section. As the location of any Timing Point will not be disclosed there will be no advance warning board at these points, competitors will be timed on sight by the marshal; then they MUST stop at the marshal’s location indicated by a TP board to receive their time.

Q. Timing will be continuous from the start to the end of the Section. A competitor early or late at a Timing Point must still be on time at the next Timing Point to avoid a penalty. A time penalty at one Timing Point will also apply at the next Timing Point unless the time early is lost or the time late is made up. Penalties will be applied at the rate of one second for each second before or after the ideal time up to a maximum of 1 minute at any one Timing Point visited.

R. Competitors will be penalized for missing a Regularity Section, missing a Timing Point, stopping or slowing unduly within sight of a Timing Point, visiting a Timing Point more than once or out of sequence, approaching or departing a Timing Point in the wrong direction, or not complying with the instructions of an event Official in charge of a Control point