What is a Road or Historic Rally?

The most advanced StreetCar rally format, Road and Historic Rallies tend to have the greatest number of competitors and cover the furthest distance. Taking place in the evening or at night with a top speed of 30mph, these events take place on public roads – though there may be some off-road special tests.

Sometimes the directions are provided beforehand, so teams (made up of driver and navigator) can pre-plot their routes, but the navigator may also need to plot while moving. Both driver and navigator must complete the route at the set time schedule.

Historic Rallies operate in fundamentally the same way, though usually during the daytime, and with classic cars. Clubs will specify the makes, models and years of eligible cars for each of these events, as they may differ.

Both Road and Historic Rallies are a progression from the previous types, requiring team members to have accomplished driving, navigational and collaboration skills, so it is advised to start with a Navigational Scatter or 12 Car Rally to develop your technique.

How to take part in a Road or Historic Rally

There are a number of clubs across the UK organising regular Road or Historic Rallies that are open to newcomers. Events are run by local volunteers, with rules and regulations determined by Motorsport UK, the governing body, to provide safe, fair and fun competition.

To find a club or an event near you, or to volunteer to support your local Rallying events, register here and a member of our team will be in touch to match you with a StreetCar-accredited club.

Checklists

For a Road Rally, no special equipment or training is needed, though there are some regulations for the car that is entered.

You do not need a driving licence, provided someone else is driving the car to, from and during the event.

The car must have:

A valid MOT, and be taxed and insured for road use
Paintwork all one colour, with no primer visible
Standard wheel arch extensions and all major internal trim (headlining, inside door panels, carpets, and rear seats)
An engine with a maximum of four cylinders
A maximum of four forward facing beams as well as side indicator lights

For diesel and petrol engines under 1500cc forced induction is permitted, provided the complete original induction system is unmodified apart from the replacement of the air filter element.

Please note, this is only a summary of key points. Your club will be able to provide further guidance.

You will need:

A Club membership
Your entry fee
An RS Clubman licence from Motorsport UK

Depending on the club, you may also need:

Special motor insurance (see below)
The specified map
A Perspex romer

Insurance

Standard motor insurance does not usually cover “racing, pacemaking, reliability trials, speed testing or rallies”, so additional insurance may be needed from your provider, or a specialist insurance broker.

Alternatively, clubs often arrange specialist policies with Motorsport UK, to cover competitors throughout the duration of the event. This option is third party only, and does not cover damage to your car, but is the most common solution. Your local club can guide you through this process.

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