2000 ALCAN WINTER RALLY REGULATIONS

Revision #3, published 11-23-99 (revisions appear in RED)

ENTRY & FEES

  1. The entry fee is $2500 for one vehicle & two drivers. Make checks payable to the Alcan Rally or Rainier Auto Sports Club, Inc (Mastercard and VISA are also accepted).
  2. The additional fee for a third driver is $500. If there is space in an official car, a ride there may also be available for the cost of lodging and fuel.
  3. There organizers reserve the right to impose an advertising waiver fee of $500 per vehicle to waive event sponsor decal requirements (this fee is not retroactive, and will NOT apply to any team whose entry is confirmed before the organizers announce such a sponsor). Display of any conflicting decals will be limited to 144 total square inches.
  4. Entry will open December 4, 1998 and close January 4, 2000 (unless the field is full before that).
  5. A maximum of 30 entries is anticipated. The organizers reserve the right to refuse any entry without providing a reason, and to assign car numbers as they see fit.
  6. Lodging on route has been arranged in advance.  The entry fee inlcudes 9 nights prepaid accommodation for two people (double occupancy).

DOCUMENTATION & ELIGIBILITY

  1. The rally is open to the general public. Minimum age is 21 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. All entrants must sign an event liability release before participation is allowed, and attend the February 10 driver orientation.
  2. Entrants must present valid driver's licenses, vehicle registration, and proof of vehicle liability insurance. Canadian law requires that proof of insurance be carried in a vehicle at all times.
  3. Drivers may be changed or added, but any such changes must be documented with event organizers. No passengers are allowed in a rally vehicle (except in an true emergency) unless they have registered with the organizers.

SCRUTINEERING & VEHICLE ELIGIBILITY

  1. All vehicles shall be road legal and licensed in strict compliance with their own state or country's regulations.
  2. Vehicles must be equipped with OEM seat belts for all as a minimum.
  3. A VHF 2-way radio is required (see RADIO & COMMUNICATIONS section).
  4. A roll bar is required in soft top vehicles.
  5. A tow strap, 5BC minimum fire extinguisher, and highway flares or DOT triangles are required, plus tire chains for 2 wheel drive vehicles.
  6. Roof mounted lights are prohibited, and a maximum of six forward facing lights are allowed. All lights must dip to low beam with a single switch.
  7. Studded tires are allowed, but with standard road-legal studs only. Tire modification is prohibited, and teams are limited to the use of six tires except to replace a failure.
  8. No fuel cans are allowed inside the vehicle, and any additional fuel tank must be an OEM type installation.  NOTE: Fuel cans are allowed in the bed of a truck (assuming the cab's rear window is in place), or secured to the rear bumper or roof of any vehicle.
  9. Each vehicle must carry emergency supplies including water, food, and sleeping bag or heavy clothing for each occupant.
  10. Vehicle modifications are discouraged, and deviation from OEM tire width and suspension height is strongly discouraged.
  11. A vehicle may be excluded from the rally at any point due to unsafe condition or the actions of the occupants.

CLASSES & AWARDS

There will be 5 classes:
     Class I - Passenger cars using unlimited navigational equipment and computers.
     Class II - Trucks and sport/utility vehicles (SUV's), using unlimited navigational equipment and computers.
     Class III - Any type vehicle, limited to SOP equipment.  This will be defined as original equipment odometers in the stock location, plus the team's choice of a: 1] slide rule, 2] Stevens wheel, or 3] calculator (laptop computers and Curtas are specifically NOT allowed).
     Class IV - Two wheel drive vehicles, with unlimited navigational equipment and computers.
     Dalton Class (Touring/GPS) - Will not be scored but will adhere to the same primary route and schedule as other teams.  This class will participate on a "pass/fail" basis:  teams who complete all assigned criteria will receive the 2000 Alcan "Dalton Award".  A video or Polaroid type camera may be needed to document arrival at specific points designated in the route book (GPS may also be helpful but is not required).

SERVICE & VEHICLE REPAIRS

Absolutely no service crews or pre-arranged help are allowed at any location except the start and finish.  With this exception, help by outside parties is allowed.

STARTING ORDER

Cars will be started at 1 minute intervals in car number order. As the event uses a "perfect time" format cars will be due in this sequence and interval throughought: The route instructions include the perfect time for car #0 at the start and finish of every section. Each car is in turn due at this time plus the number of minutes given by their car number.

ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS

  1. All instructions are supplemented by an official mileage, which will take precedence. If a sign or reference is missing, use the mileage.
  2. In the absence of a route instruction, the obvious main road should be followed. Redundant instructions may be used to clarify the main road.
  3. All roads used are public, through roads unless otherwise specifically indicated in the route book.
  4. There are no course following traps on this rally!

DEFINITION OF SECTIONS

TRANSIT: A time and mileage will be given for the start and finish of a Transit, and controls will be located only at the finish or designated passage controls. These are touring sections, and competitors may proceed at their own pace as long as they enter these controls at the correct time.

TSD: In these sections teams must maintain average speeds shown in the route book. A time and mileage will be given for the start and finish of a TSD and controls may be located at any point within the section. Practice is not allowed and vehicles may not enter TSD sections before controls are open.

RALLYCROSS: These are closed sections on a controlled raceway or course, and the fastest time wins. An approved helmet must be worn and no passengers are allowed.

CONTROLS & TIMING

OPEN CONTROL: Will be visible, and will be located at the finish of Transit sections. Cars must approach these during their correct arrival minute, unless allowed by the control crew to declare their requested arrival time. An Open Control at an overnight halt will be called an MTC (Main Time Control).

TSD CONTROL: May be visible or hidden, and may be located at any point within a TSD section. Cars should not stop at these controls, as the exact passing time of each vehicle will be recorded. TSD controls will open 5 minutes before the ideal passing time for car #1 and close 5 minutes after that of the last car.

PASSAGE CONTROL: Control location plus opening & closing times will be designated in the route book, and cars may enter at any time while the control is open. The organizers may extend control closing time at their discretion.

RALLYCROSS: Locations and time will be clearly designated in the route book, and cars will be started at the direction of event officials. Each team will be allowed four timed runs (no more than two per person), and the fastest two runs for the vehicle will be scored. Vehicles will be timed from a standing start to flying finish, with only one on the course at any time.

PENALTIES

OPEN CONTROLS: 60 points per whole minute early or late, maximum penalty 200. (Example: if you are due at 5:03, a "0" would be 5:03:00 through 5:03:59).

TSD CONTROLS: 1 point per second early or late, maximum penalty of 60 per control or 200 per TSD. 200 points for entering any TSD before controls are open.

RALLYCROSS: Each vehicle will receive .1 point per tenth of a second slower than the fastest in it's category (Used for RALLYCROSS scoring purposes only, these categories are 2WD, 4WD without studded tires, and 4WD with studded tires). Maximum penalty is 5 points per run (10 points per Solo venue).

ALL CONTROLS: Penalty of 200 for missing any scored control.

ASSISTANCE: For requiring fuel, extraction, or towing from event officials. First instance 10 penalty points or a $10 fine, subsequent instances 50 points or $50. Any team which has needed assistance multiple times will likely not be allowed to take the Prudhoe Bay side trip.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT: First offense 50 penalty points, a second offense is cause for disqualification.

SERVICE: Illegal service will be treated as unsportsmanlike conduct.

NO FAULT SCORING

No scoring queries will be considered unless there is an obvious control log error or they describe a situation common to a number of vehicles. Instead each entry will have their worst TSD control score subtracted at the end of TSD #1, day #1, day #3, and at the finish.

FORCE MAJEURE & FORCE HOMME

* Once the first official car has passed through a section it is considered open and will be scored barring an accident or safety problem. No control will be scored, however, if less than 20% of the vehicles still competing are able to reach that control on time.
* In order to eliminate any pressure for illegal behavior, an additional allowance will be made for delay due to official action such as construction or road closure. If less than 80% of the vehicles still competing are able to arrive on time at a subsequent control due to such delay that control will not be scored.

QUERIES & PROTESTS

The organizers will attempt to deal promptly and fairly with any query received. These must be presented in writing to the next MTC after the incident in question and will be answered in writing before the next morning restart. The organizers will also appoint a claims committee to hear any protest of their decisions. Any such appeal must be filed in writing upon arrival at the next MTC.

RADIOS & COMMUNICATIONS

  1. A VHF business band 2-way radio operating on 151.625 MHz is required in all vehicles for safety. (The event has an FCC license for this frequency, and teams who wish to add a second private frequency are expected to have a license for such).
  2. Some VHF radios will be available for rent or loan through the organizers.
  3. CB radios are encouraged but are not a substitute for the required VHF equipment.
  4. Many official vehicles will also include an amateur radio operator and radios. Licensed Hams are encouraged to bring their equipment.
  5. Two-way radios may not be used during a TSD section except in an emergency.

GENERAL

  1. Maximum planned distance between fuel halts is 250 miles, but a range of over 300 miles is minimal for winter safety and peace of mind.
  2. Fuel is the final responsibility of the entrant and the failure of any advance arrangements will be considered force majeure.
  3. The rally was measured with an AlfaPro odometer from the right front wheel of a Ford F250 (days 1-3) and the rear wheel of a Saab 900 (days 4-9) using steel belted radial tires. The course was measured in dry October weather to reduce variables and lessen the impact of changeable road conditions.
  4. Any situation not covered by these regulations will be ruled on at the discretion of the organizing committee.
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