TRC Gimmick Rallye Rules

This is the official version of this document.

For unofficial work on (and discussion of) possible future changes to these rules, see the Draft TRC Gimmick Rallye Rules.

THE RALLYE CLUB OF SILICON VALLEY RULES FOR GIMMICK RALLYES

Approved May 20, 2014

Originally approved June 19, 1985, as part of TRC's Operating Procedures
Amended November 19, 2003
Amended September 15, 2009
Amended April 17, 2012

Purpose

To assist TRC and its members in the production of quality rallye events. No information within these rules shall be sufficient to form the basis for a rallye protest.

Advertising and Flyers

1. Flyers must be ready before the quarterly mailing prior to the rallye. In some cases, flyers must be ready earlier, since quarterly mailings often include the flyer from the first rallye of the next quarter. To allow time for printing, folding, and addressing the mailing, flyers are needed between 2 and 5 months prior to the rallye, depending upon where the rallye's date lands in the mailing schedule.
2. An electronic copy (in PDF) should be sent via email to the webmaster. The person assigned to print the mailing may also request a copy.
3. All flyers must have the following on them: date and start time, start location, type of event, entry fee, classes (or an indication that there are multiple classes), rallyemaster name(s) and contact info, TRC name and/or logo, and TRC URL (web address TheRallyeClub.org).
4. Desirable information: Rallyemasters are encouraged to publish the rallye-specific email addresses (monYEAR@TheRallyeClub.org where mon is the month and YEAR is the year; e.g., dec2015@TheRallyeClub.org) that forward to their real email accounts until the rallye is well over. Flyers should also include a map of the start location, and may also include the awards presented. If provided, phone numbers should include area codes.
5. Flyers for TRC Rallyes often reassure newbies that they don't need a sports car or other special type of car. Rallyemasters should use phrases like "Any car can run" or "Bring any type of car", and should not use the phrase "any vehicle". Our insurance does not cover motorcycles, and no one we know to be on a motorcycle should be registered.
6. Starting in 2014, the rallyemaster or a webmaster will create an online rallye announcement page with the same kind of information that is on the flyer, with the same or different graphics. There is a template for these pages.
7. We are also experimenting with postcard mailings, rather than flyer mailings, but still want flyers available online for rallyists to post (e.g., on a bulletin board).
8. Rallyemasters must provide artwork for the postcard mailings. The area for the artwork is about 1 inch by 2-2/3 inches. This area can display a single image with an aspect ratio of about 3:8, or a combination of text/fonts and image(s).

Rallye Writing

1. Provide for Special Instructions (SIs) and other emergency instructions and signs. There must never be any gimmicks based on Special Instructions. Doing so would make it harder for other rallyemasters to provide directions that must be taken at face value.
2. When possible, it is best to avoid relying upon the distinction between an SI and a Supp on the Supp/SI page. Rallyists do miss the distinction, and will keep looking for gimmicks, thinking they're working on a Supp rather than an SI.
3. Busy streets should be avoided, except during traverses. Rallyists must be able to pull over safely to review/discuss the rallye instructions without blocking traffic. This is especially important at coursemarker locations, and at locations where Route Instructions, Bonuses, Notes, etc. are executed. Rallyists should also be able to drive safely at speeds below the posted speed limit, carefully looking for and reading signs. Rallyemasters and precheckers must use their best judgement. Some two-lane streets with 25mph speed limits can be too crowded/busy to use, while some four-lane streets with 35mph speed limits can be quiet and perfectly fine. It is strongly recommended on gimmick rallyes that neither coursemarkers nor signs with gimmicks be located on busy multi-lane roads or Expressways such as El Camino Real, Charleston, Lawrence Expressway, etc.
4. Our insurance covers events up to 50 miles long. Rallyemasters should verify that the length of the rallye (including all traverses) does not exceed 50 miles.

Prechecks

1. At least one precheck must be driven, preferably at the same time and day of the week as the rallye.
2. Prechecks must include a full instruction set, a critique (with point values), and a map or other indication of sign locations.
3. A driven precheck must be performed at least two weeks before the event by a qualified expert.
4. If possible, have more than one car precheck the rallye. Also, it is helpful to have precheckers of different experience levels (master experts may overlook simple things that trip up novices).
5. Rallyists who prefer different (and sometimes incompatible) styles of prechecking rallyes should be encouraged to precheck the rallye separately, at different times. Also, it is helpful if precheckers receive any corrections from earlier prechecks before beginning their own precheck.
6. The rallyemaster must make all changes required by the prechecker; resolve the problems with the prechecker; or, if they cannot resolve the issues between them, report the problem to the President or Competition Director or their delegate. The rallyemaster is subject to their decisions.
7. Our insurance covers events up to 50 miles long. Precheckers should verify that the length of the rallye (including all traverses) does not exceed 50 miles.

Before The Rallye

1. At least one week before the event date, a corrected copy of the instructions shall be received by the prechecker to confirm that all changes and corrections have been made.
2. The rallye course must be previewed within 24 hours of the event. Putting up the coursemarkers for coursemarker rallyes would meet this requirement.
3. For CM rallyes, CMs must be erected by someone not competing in the rallye (as rallyists shouldn't know where the CMs are). One exception is the start CM, which is intentionally obvious to all.
4. For CM rallyes, the rallyemaster is responsible for removing any old course markers along his route from any previous rallyes. And tape should be removed from poles along the route so that contestants do not think that there is a missing marker.
5. The manager of the finish location should be notified at least one week in advance of the event. After the start closes, call again as a reminder, and to let the manager know the final headcount.
6. Rallyists appreciate being able to download preliminary General Instructions from the TRC web site before the rallye. Rallyemasters should send preliminary General Instructions (in PDF format) to the TRC webmaster about a week prior to the event. Rallyemasters should note any changes between the preliminary General Instructions and the final General Instructions. For example, updated sections can be highlighted or marked with change bars, or a list of changes can be posted at the start.

   However, preliminary General Instructions that differ substantially from the final General Instructions are useless. If your General Instructions are still unstable a week before the rallye, then wait until they are stable before publishing preliminary General Instructions.

7. All events must be insured before they may be conducted. The insurance chair will perform the necessary functions, but the competition director shall cancel/delay an event if the insurance has not been obtained for a particular event.

At the Rallye Finish

1. All TRC rallyes will provide club-supplied evaluation cards to all contestants.
2. At the finish, results shall be posted on scoreboard, projector, computer screen, etc.
3. In addition to the awards for the top finishing car(s) in each class, the rallyemaster(s) shall present the following awards:
   1. Free Next Rallye - This is a non-transferable "free rallye" card presented to each First Timer car. A supply of blank cards is kept in the finish box.
   2. Skunk - Two skunk pins are presented to any car that received a perfect score. (They "skunked" the rallye.) A supply of these pins is kept in the finish box.
4. A board member shall present to the rallyemaster(s) a certificate for a free rallye. A supply of blank certificates is kept in the finish box. (However, the club no longer signs -- that is, activates -- these certificates until later.)

Posted Signs

1. All rallye-erected signs should be placed in safe locations where easily seen, and they shall be legible. If any part of the rallye is at night, then reflective tape must be on all valid rallye-erected signs.
2. The printing on signs government-erected for the purpose of guiding or informing motorists at large should not be altered or defaced in any way. Any augmentation of a government sign should be restored within 24 hours after the rallye. For example, reflective tape may be placed on government signs, if needed, as long as no lettering is covered and the tape is removed after the rallye.
3. Signs posted for the rallye should be readily visible. They should be of substantial material and strategically located (typically, high) so that they are not easily removed or altered.
4. Emergency signs must be marked as Special Instructions (SIs). There must never be any gimmicks based on emergency signs (or other SIs).

Score Sheets and Scoring

1. Each car will be provided with one score sheet.
2. Each score sheet will have spaces for the following information: car number, class, driver & navigator name, club affiliations, email addresses, and passenger names. To avoid difficulties publishing the results, it is strongly recommended that you do not include gimmicks on: car number, driver & navigator name, or email addresses. Boxes for each letter of the email address are recommended.
3. Score sheets should include spaces for postal addresses. Score sheets should also include spaces/check-boxes for rallyists to approve the use of their email addresses for finish results and for future event notifications (membership in the TRC-Events list).
4. Score sheets should encourage reporting of passengers' club affiliation (if any), and not just the passengers' names.
5. A 15-minute grace period must be provided for score sheets to be turned in after the rallye end time. A penalty can apply during this time. However, the penalty per minute late cannot exceed the value of a single gimmick.

Protests

1. All rallyes will have provisions for written protests. There must be a time given for when protests are due, generally 5 minutes after last call for score sheets.
2. The Competition Director will select (or will designate someone else to select) the protest committee. The protest committee should consist of at least one qualified non-competitor (not the rallyemaster) and two competitors (experts if possible).
3. Rallyemasters may voluntarily eliminate or re-score a portion of the rallye prior to the actions of the protest committee.
4. The protest committee must receive all protests. The protest committee may overrule the rallyemaster's decisions to deny protests. The protest committee should read all protests granted by the rallyemaster to ensure consistency between their rulings and those of the rallyemaster.
5. The committee should decide all protests in private.
6. Actions taken in resolving protests should be applied as evenly as possible, but they may affect only one car, cars in specific class(es), or all competitors. Actions often are granted to all cars with a certain set of entries recorded on their score sheet.
7. Any change affecting all cars made before protest deadline should be made known, to reduce protests about it.

Results

1. Results must be emailed and posted on the TRC web site within 2 weeks. Send email to:
   trc-talk@TheRallyeClub.org, webmaster@TheRallyeClub.org
   Include the email addresses of all rallyists in the bcc: field.
2. For all rallyists, the results must include full names, class, club affiliations, car number, score and place. The results must also include the names of all workers and precheckers.
3. If there is a Championship, then a copy of the results must be sent to the points keeper for the Championship.
4. ("TRC Top Score" award has been suspended, and will not be awarded without board approval.)

After Event

1. All posted signs must be removed within nine days.
2. Within two weeks, or at the next club meeting, the score sheets shall be given to the club Treasurer.

Finances

1. During the event, the Treasurer or his designee shall collect all moneys received. At the next club meeting, a complete financial report will be made to the club.
2. Moneys owed the rallyemaster (and signing the RM's free rallye certificate) may be withheld until all posted signs are removed, the results are sent, and the rallyemaster has made an earnest attempt to comply with all provisions of TRC operating procedures and these Rules.
3. Unless other arrangements are approved (as described in TRC's bylaws) in advance, TRC will receive all proceeds from the rallye, and will pay all reasonable expenses. Usual expenses include, but are not limited to: inexpensive items given away at the start or at checkpoints, awards, insurance, printing, and postage for the quarterly mailing. Rallyemasters risk no financial loss, but should provide receipts to the Treasurer for rallye expenses (giveaways, worker food).
4. One alternative arrangement that could be approved would be a 50–50 split: After all reasonable expenses are paid, TRC and the associated club or rallyemaster would split evenly any profit or loss.
5. Reimbursement requests should be made within two months of the rallye and within the same year as the rallye.
6. Reimbursement should occur within a month of the request.