Frequently Asked Questions
What is i-rally?
I-RALLY is a company created to organize, promote and administer a style of road rallies unique to I-RALLY. These are "duplication rallies." How they work is described below in answer to the question, "How does it work?"
Are these rallies legal?
Yes. I-RALLY events are completely legal. Unlike other rallies where the goal is to complete the course in the shortest possible time, an I-RALLY event requires competitors to duplicate the times set by I-RALLY officials. To do so will not require competitors to break any laws.
Is this gambling?
No. You are paying an entry fee to participate in an automotive event, not buying a lottery ticket. I-RALLY is similar in this way to the Boston Marathon. Entrants must pay an entry fee to participate in the marathon. Winners receive cash prizes, but running in the Boston Marathon is not gambling.
Do I need any special equipment?
No. The only thing needed to compete in an I-RALLY is a car.
Can I compete alone?
No. There must be at least 2 people in each car, a driver, and a navigator.
Are there any age limits?
People of any age can be in the vehicle during an I-RALLY event. We often have father-son, mother-daughter or whole family teams. However, the driver of the car must have a valid driver license, and competitors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
How many people can I have in my car?
You may have as many people in the car as the car can safely hold.
Is the entry fee per person or per car?
The entry fee is per car. There is no limit to how many people are in the car.
Is it dangerous?
Since I-RALLY events do not require the competitors to break any traffic laws, these events are no more dangerous than driving to the grocery store or the movie theatre.
Will I have to speed?
No. It will not be necessary for competitors to break any traffic laws.
How can I pay the entry fee?
The entry fee can be paid in cash or using a check card, credit card, or debit card on the day of the rally. No checks will be accepted.
When are winners announced?
Winners will be announced immediately following the rally. It takes some time to calculate all of the scores, and the scoring process cannot begin until the last vehicle has returned to the starting point. Usually winners are announced 30 minutes after the last team returns.
When are prizes paid?
Winning teams receive a check when the winners are announced.
What is the object of an i-rally?
The object of an I-RALLY is to follow a specified course in a specified time. The winning teams are the teams that most closely duplicate the times and distances recorded during a "test run" by I-RALLY officials prior to the event. Teams receive penalties for every second over or under the official course time, as well as penalties for every tenth of a mile over the official course distance.
How does it work?
I-RALLY is an automotive competition where teams are given a specific set of written instructions describing a specific course along public roads. I-RALLY is a timed event, but not a race. The fastest car does not win. Along the “rally course”, there are various types of checkpoints. Your goal is to arrive at these checkpoints exactly when you’re supposed to, not too soon, and not too late. I-RALLY is about accuracy, not speed. It’s completely legal, safe, and fun.
Here's how it works
1. Get in your car and proceed (when instructed to do so) to the starting line.
2. At the starting line you will be given a paper with detailed instructions on the rally course. Follow these instructions as closely as you possibly can. Pay special attention to the official course time. You are being scored on how close you come to the official time.
3. At an undisclosed point along the rally course you will come to a "check-point." At this check-point, your time will be recorded. At the end of the rally, your time will be compared to the official course time to determine the first part of your score.
4. Once you have reached the check-point, you are to turn around and return to the starting line. You are to do this by back-tracking along the rally course. Basically, do everything you just did... just do it backwards (in reverse order... not actually backing up... that would be dangerous.)
5. On your way back, you are trying to duplicate your own time, not the official rally course time. So make a note of exactly how long it took you to reach the check-point. If it took you 23 minutes and 18 seconds to reach the check-point, it should take you 23 minutes and 18 seconds to get back.
6. Cross the finish line (which is actually the starting line.) Your time will be recorded when you cross the finish line. It will be compared to the time it took for you to reach the check-point. This is how the second part of your score will be determined.
7. Stay on course. At the end of the rally, your milage will be compared to the official course milage. If you stayed on course, it will match exactly. If you got lost or if you cut out part of the course, it will not. How closely your milage matches the official milage will be used to determine the third and final part of your score.
8. The three scores will be combined into one, overall score. The cars with the best overall scores win.... The others do not.
How is a rally scored?
I-RALLY events are scored in 3 categories:
First: Teams are timed against the official course time from the start point to the checkpoint. Competitors try to match as closely as possible the official course time for this section of the rally.
Second: When a team reaches the checkpoint they turn around and head back to the start point. They follow the exact course they took to reach the checkpoint, but they do this in reverse. On this section of the rally course, the goal is to match as closely as possible their own time that was set on the way to the checkpoint.
Third: The last scoring category has to do with milage. A team should not have a milage score that is lower than the official rally course milage. If a team shows milage that is lower than the official course milage, this means that the team cut some part of the course, and so the team will be disqualified. If a team shows a higher milage than the official rally course, it means that the team somehow got off course for a time (missed a turn, etc.) The team will be penalized 10 points for each tenth of a mile over the official rally course distance.
What are the penalties?
For every second over or under the official course time, a one point penalty will be assesed. This means that teams will recieve the same penalty for going too fast or going too slow.
What is a "checkpoint?"
The checkpoint in an i-rally event is the point along the rally course where teams will receive their first score. There is a specific time that it should take for a team to reach this point and that time will be compared to the time each team records for this distance. Additionally, the checkpoint is the location along the course where teams will be requried to turn around and head back to the start point.
Is there a penalty for going too slow?
Yes. Teams will receive a one-point penalty for each second slower than the official course time.
Is there a penalty for going too fast?
Yes. Teams will receive a one-point penalty for each second faster than the official course time.
What if I go off course?
It happens, and when it does, your milage will not match the official course milage. You will be penalized 10 points for each 10th of a mile over the course milage.
Can I take a short cut?
No. Absolutely not. Never. Your milage will be checked at the end of the rally. If your milage is under the official course milage, you will be disqualified.
