Twisty Roads Rally Group presents:

The Road Not Taken

August 2-3, 2008

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS



NOTE   This page is intended to be a fundamentally exact copy of the official General Instructions (within formatting considerations).   However, this page is NOT the official copy of the General Instructions, which will be mailed to entrants.    These General Instructions have not been finalized, and will change. 

THE KEY TO SUCCESS

Understanding an event's General Instructions will eliminate many of your opportunities to avoid winning.

INTRODUCTION

This rally's ambition is to allow you to enjoy driving entertaining unpaved roads all night long, and to challenge you to precisely maintain specified average speeds on roads that avidly contest your ability to do so.   The consistently smooth and persistently twisty roads are selected to provide vigorous enjoyable exercise.   As contestants, we cherish events which leave us thoroughly wrung-out and excited—and that is what we want to offer you.

Philosophical Point:
There are no tricks, traps, or misleadings intended in these General Instructions, or in the Routebook, or anywhere else on this event.  Any quibbles or tricks invented by contestants will be laughed off.  Relevant genuine errors will be repaired, of course.

The Road Not Taken primarily travels Siuslaw National Forest and Bureau of Land Management roads, authorized under special use permits.   The event's Headquarters will be in McMinnville, Oregon at Red Lion Inn & Suites, more or less across the street from Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, which is the home of The Spruce Goose.  If you need a room at the Inn, some are being held for The Road Not Taken participants for a limited time.  You'll get some kind of break if you tell them the pass phrase (The Road Not Taken) when you make the reservations.  Don't dally about making your Inn reservations, because they tend to have no weekend vacancies at that time of year (it is wine country, you know).  Reservations can be made by calling 503-472-1500 or clicking this link to Red Lion Inn & Suites, McMinnville, web site.

EVENT ORGANIZERS

The Road Not Taken is produced by

Twisty Roads Rally Group
116 N Elm St
Yamhill, OR 97148
503-662-3417
twistyroads@twistyroads.net

Todd Terp
503-662-3417
todd@twistyroads.net

Bob Wakehouse
503-642-4578
bob@twistyroads.net

Paula Terp
503-662-3417
paula@twistyroads.net


CONTENTS

1. SCHEDULE


2. NOTICE TO NON-SCCA ENTRANTS
3. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS
4. CLASS DEFINITIONS
5. PRE-START CONTESTANT MEETING
7. EVENT HEADQUARTERS
8. EVENT SLEEPQUARTERS
9. OBTAINING ROUTEBOOKS
10. CAR ZERO, AND YOUR OBJECTIVE ON THIS RALLY
11. TIME ALLOWANCES
12. SECTIONS
13. GENERAL ROUTE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLE
14. CHECKPOINTS
15. TIMING SLIPS
16. MID-POINT BREAK
17. SCORING
18. ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS
19. CAUTIONS
20. MEASUREMENT AND MILEAGES
21. SPEEDS
22. EXPOSURES
23. FOREST FIRE HAZARD AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
24. SWEEP VEHICLES
25. WILDLIFE HAZARDS
26. NON-RALLY TRAFFIC
27. HOW TO QUIT THE RALLY BEFORE FINISHING
28. PASSING AND BEING PASSED
29. MOTION SICKNESS
30. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE OFF-COURSE
31. IF YOUR CAR QUITS MOVING (flat tire, hungry ditch, mal de mer, whatnot)
32. IF YOU ENCOUNTER A HAZARD TRIANGLE
33. IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY
34. COMMUNICATIONS
35. FUEL STOPS
36. UNPLANNED DELAYS
37. BANNED EQUIPMENT
38. TECH INSPECT, REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
39. OBSERVATION CONTROL
40. CLAIMS, PROTESTS, QUERIES
41. WAYS TO BE DISQUALIFIED
42. NOVICE RALLY DRIVER TIPS (now includes The Answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything)


C  O  L  O  R  ! 

1.   SCHEDULE

5-15-08 10:00 am   Event entry opens
7-31-08 10:00 am   Event entry closes
8-02-08   4:00 pm   Registration, tech inspect opens at Event Headquarters
8-02-08   6:15 pm   Pre-start contestants meeting.   Mandatory.
8-02-08   7:00 pm   CAR ZERO begins rally at Event Headquarters
The following times currently are approximate estimates.
8-10-03   5:00 am   CAR ZERO finishes the rally, arrives at Event Headquarters
8-10-03   6:00 am   Last car should finish the rally and arrive at Event Headquarters
8-10-03   6:45 am   Scores posted
8-10-03   7:15 am   Results announced, awards presented

2.   NOTICE TO NON-SCCA ENTRANTS

The Road Not Taken 2008 is an SCCA Regional Rally and is run under SCCA's 2008 Road Rally Rules, with exceptions as noted.   These General Instructions will provide you with all information that a non-SCCA entrant will need, but they are not a reprint of SCCA's complete RoadRally Rules.   Click THIS HERE to have a look at the SCCA Rules.

3.   IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS

The organizers of The Road Not Taken are eager to help you enjoy the event.   If you have questions, please contact us, either by email to twistyroads@twistyroads.net or by phone call to (503) 662-3417.

SCCA sanction regulations do not allow organizers to answer questions regarding the General Instructions, except those questions which are submitted in writing prior to the opening of registration at 4:00pm on August 2, 2008.   Such questions should be phrased, if possible, so that they can be answered with "YES", "NO", or "DOES NOT APPLY".   Answers to such questions will be posted at registration on August 2, 2008.   The organizers will not be allowed to answer questions regarding the General Instructions after registration opens at 4:00pm on August 2, 2008.

4. CLASS DEFINITIONS

Class E (Equipped):   No limit is placed on the equipment permissible for use.

Class L (Limited):   The only restriction placed on the permissible equipment for this class is that the computation equipment must not receive a direct input from any distance measuring device.   All inputs for mileage must be made manually.

Class S (Stock):   Paper and "pencil", and timepieces, either electrical or mechanical, which cannot be varied in rate to aid in computation, are permissible.   Computational equipment is limited to any standard slide rule-type device(s), single memory, non-programmable calculator(s) and/or tables or books listing speed factors.  Curtas and similar mechanical calculating devices may not be used.  Mileage measuring equipment is limited to stock odometer(s) in the stock location(s) with a non-varying drive.

5.   PRE-START CONTESTANT MEETING

At 6:15pm, on August 2, 2008, a pre-start meeting will be held inside Event Headquarters.   The nature of this event requires schedules to be maintained, so please be present in the meeting room prior to the start of the meeting.   This pre-start meeting is important, so that we can assure that critical safety and etiquette concerns are well understood, and that contestants are informed of any new hazards or considerations.

NOTE  Organizers will not be allowed to answer questions regarding the General Instructions at this meeting or at any time after registration opens at 4:00 pm on August 2.

7.   EVENT HEADQUARTERS

The Road Not Taken Event Headquarters will be at Red Lion Inn & Suites, in McMinnville, Oregon.  It is just down the street from the biggest airplane ever built (The Spruce Goose, at Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum).




 

8.   EVENT SLEEPQUARTERS

If you need a room at the Inn, some are being held—for a limited time—for The Road Not Taken participants.  You'll get some kind of break if you tell them the pass phrase ("The Road Not Taken") when you make the reservations.  Don't dally about making your Inn reservations, because they tend to have no weekend vacancies at that time of year (it is wine country, after all).  Reservations can be made by calling 503-472-1500 or by clicking this link to Red Lion Inn & Suites.

NOTE:  You will be plumb tired after this event, and your circadian rythmn will be messed up, and the drive home will be much more boring than any driving you've done in the past day.  If you do have to drive home or elsewhere, please evaluate your condition carefully and honestly, and consider all of the drivers, passengers, and pedestrians who will depend on the quality of your driving.  Be sensible.  If you find yourself in an unexpected bind, please get hold of any TRNT organizer--we probably will be able to help make things better. 

9.   OBTAINING ROUTEBOOKS

After all of their registration has been completed, and within 30 minutes of their rally start time, a vehicle's team must acquire up to two Routebooks (the rally instructions) from Event Headquarters.

10.   CAR ZERO, AND YOUR OBJECTIVE ON THIS RALLY

CAR ZERO is a fictional car which will start the rally exactly at 7:00 pm and follow the Routebook perfectly through the entire event, staying exactly on time at all times.   Your objective is to always be exactly your-car-number-of-minutes behind CAR ZERO.   For example, if you are CAR #9, you must start the rally at 7:09—and if CAR ZERO completes the rally at 5:17, then you must complete the rally at 5:26—and if you remain always exactly 9 minutes behind CAR ZERO from start to finish, then you will accumulate a total score of 0, which cannot be bettered (nobody's ever gonna do that on The Road Not Taken, of course).  The rally is divided into about 8 Sections, and the Routebook will list the CAR ZERO start time for each of those Sections.  Each Checkpoint will give you a Checkpoint Slip which lists the time that CAR ZERO arrived at the Checkpoint.  New Feature (at request of Monte Saager): The Checkpoint Slip will also disclose the time that CAR ZERO arrived at the next instruction in the Routebook.  (This New Feature, requested by Monte Saager, is in lieu of Checkpoint outpoints, which The Road Not Taken does not have.)

Exception:     Due to unexpected circumstances which might arise during the event, Rally Officials may instruct you to modify, until further notice, each CAR ZERO time encountered in the Routebook and on Checkpoint Slips (such modifications will always be done in whole minutes).

Note that all car numbers are even-numbered, and all Checkpoints include a two-minute pause.   If everyone and everything is always exactly on schedule, you will arrive at each Checkpoint as the car preceding you leaves the Checkpoint, and you will leave the Checkpoint as the car behind you arrives.

11.   TIME ALLOWANCES

If you are delayed for any reason (flat tire, wrong turn, navigator stomach evacuation, UFO abuction, school bus, collecting Sasquatch scat, just feel like it, whatever), then it is not necessary to make extraordinary effort to regain the lost time.  Your score at each Checkpoint will automatically have the most suitable SCCA Time Allowance (TA) applied.
It is not necessary to request a TA—the most appropriate TA will automatically be applied.

There are 10 possible TA amounts which can be applied: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, or
19 minutes.  TA's only apply when you arrive at a Checkpoint behind schedule—if you arrive early, no TA will be applied.  If you are delayed, you should adjust your schedule by one of those number of minutes.  (Those odd-numbered minutes will place your adjusted schedule  midway between other cars' schedules, so cars don't need to occupy the same place at the same time.)

NOTE: No more than 19 minutes of TA will be applied at any Checkpoint.  If you are more than 21 minutes behind schedule, you will receive the maximum Checkpoint score of 200
(2 minutes).

Note:  If you have a higher car number and are more than 21 minutes late, then a Checkpoint may have closed and gone away before you arrive (you will not know when you  pass that location).  This will not cause you any penalty or problem, and you must not  make any adjustment to compensate for a missed Checkpoint.  Scoring will automatically adjust if you miss a Checkpoint and its 2-minute Checkpoint pause.

Note:  You may miss a Checkpoint even if you are on schedule, if a Checkpoint could not be set up in the first place (Checkpoint placement schedules can be tight, so a small delay can prevent setting a Checkpoint before first car arrives, in which case the Checkpoint would be cancelled).  If you notice that you've missed a Checkpoint, do not assume that you have made any mistake, and do not attempt to adjust for the missing Checkpoint.  Just shrug it off.  It'll be all right.

Note:  This probably will not happen to anyone on The Road Not Taken, bu if you are delayed within view of a Checkpoint crew, and the delay is not under your control (another vehicle is blocking the road, for example), then you should proceed into the Checkpoint as soon as safely possible and submit a TA request for the exact amount (to the .01 minute) of that delay.   Write the exact amount of at-the-Checkpoint delay on the Timing Slip in the special place provided, and be sure to give that Timing Slip to the Checkpoint crew before you take any slips they hand you.   Ask the Checkpoint crew to sign as witnessing the delay.  If the organizers and Checkpont crew agree that the TA request is for the witnessed amount of delay (reasonably close) and the delay was not your fault, then your score will be adjusted by the amount you request. 

12.   SECTIONS

The rally consists of about 8 Sections.   The first Section will begin at Event Headquarters, when you start the rally, and the final Section will end at Event Headquarters when you finish the rally, the next day.  The end location of one Section is the start location of the next Section.   The CAR ZERO end time of one Section will be some minutes before the CAR ZERO  start time of the next Section--so there will be at least one minute of pause time between Sections (probably more like at least 10 minutes in most cases).  The start location of each Section, and the CAR ZERO start time of each Section, will be clearly identified in the Routebook.   Official mileage will be 0.00 at the start of each Section.

Some Sections, such as the mid-point break Section, will indicate that they have no Checkpoints, and all speeds listed in the Routebook on those Sections will be in grey, rather than black, to indicate that they are advisory speeds only.   Those Sections will allow ample time to complete them, and will usually allow extra time for a break.   You do not have to worry about being on time while you travel those Sections—but you do have your scheduled start time for the next Section.

13.   GENERAL ROUTE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLE

At all intersections where your next instruction does not apply, follow the intuitively obvious road that you are on.  There will be an instruction anywhere any doubt might exist, so you should never need to slow down and evaluate an intersection in effort to determine the correct route.

Note:  Differences among vehicles' lighting and middle-of-night visibility on forest roads can "play tricks", causing one intersection to seem major to competitors in one car while being invisible to competitors in another car.  The instructions provide some assistance by shading minor roads, to help you recognize intersections that might sneak past you.  You may find many instructions which you would not need in order to follow the route—but those instructions may be important for others.  It is possible that you might at some point think you are off-course because you are well beyond the mileage of the instruction that you are looking for and haven't yet seen.  Please be pretty sure that you really are off-course before you turn around, and expect on-coming traffic if you do head back—even if you know you are off-course (if you went there, others might).  Be conscious that your instructions cannot warn you of any hazard you may encounter while you are off-course (coming back from off-course, you will be eager and believing that you 'know the road', since you just came down it—but The Road Not Taken roads tend to greatly change character in the opposite direction, and even in the same direction at just slightly different speeds.  Stay calm, be wary, remember that TA's eliminate the need to catch up the time you spent off-course.

14.   CHECKPOINTS

You will not know the location of Checkpoints until you arrive at them.   In many cases, you will see the Checkpoint Sign only a moment or two before passing it.   Stay alert.

You must stop at each Checkpoint timing car, and turn in your Timing Slip, and receive a Checkpoint Slip from the Checkpoint crew.   CAR ZERO spends exactly 2 minutes at each Checkpoint, so if you are on time then you will have 2 minutes to complete this information exchange.

There is no outpoint or dead mileage at any Checkpoint.   No out-time will be assigned to you at any Checkpoint: other than the 2-minute Checkpoint pause, you simply "continue yoiur present speed and course".  New feature:  The next instruction following a Checkpoint will include the CAR ZERO time (and all instructions include mileage), and there will not be another Checkpoint before that next instruction, so you essentially can use that next instruction as an outpoint, if you wish.  Note: If you need to pause at that next instruction, be sure to stay safely out of the way of following rally traffic, which might not pause.

Due to the narrowness of many roads, you may have to block part of the road when exchanging information at the control car at some Checkpoints.   Such situations will be as few as practical, and very low risk, and should present no difficulty for anyone.   However, please be alert, behind you in particular, when stopped at any Checkpoint, and leave the immediate vicinity of the Checkpoint car as soon as feasible.

Checkpoints may close after all vehicles have passed, or 21 minutes after the scheduled arrival time of the last contestant, which is when the last contestant would receive max score even after maximum TA has been applied.   If a Checkpoint is closed or gone when you arrive, it will have no direct effect on you, and you can successfully continue without even knowing that you've missed the Checkpoint.  You will be scored the 200 points maximum for that Checkpoint, and the 2-minute Checkpoint pause that you miss will be adjusted during scoring.

15.   TIMING SLIPS

At the start of the rally, you will receive a stack of two-copy Timing Slips.   Before starting the rally, carefully write your Car Number on all of your Timing Slips (anonymous or illegible Car Numbers on Timing Slips will be an unwelcomed problem during scoring).   You must submit a Timing Slip (both copies) to the Checkpoint crew at each Checkpoint.

Each Timing Slip will have a place for you to record your declared arrival time-of-night at the Checkpoint, if you wish, before submitting the Timing Slip to the Checkpoint Crew.  On the Timing Slip, the Checkpoint crew will record the time-of-night that they clocked you as arriving, then give you one copy of the Timing Slip and a Checkpoint Slip that will disclose the mileage and CAR ZERO arrival time at the Checkpoint Sign.

Note:   All time-of-night listings will be in 12-hour format, with no am/pm indicators (look out the window and use your judgment).   Checkpoint timing will be to the 1/100th (.01) minute.   A seconds-to-1/100-minute conversion chart will be included in the Routebook.

16.   MID-POINT BREAK

At about mid-point in the event, you will have an extended break at Spirit Mountain Casino.   There will be opportunity for refueling at Spirit Mountain Casino.

17.   SCORING

At each Checkpoint, you will be scored one point for each .01 minute difference between the correct arrival time and your actual arrival time, whether early or late, up to the maximum 200 points (2 minutes) at any Checkpoint.

An additional 100 points will be added to your time penalty at a Checkpoint if you are determined to have "balked" (unsportsmanly stopped or slowed extremely) after seeing the Checkpoint sign--except that a balking penalty will not increase your time penalty beyond that maximum 200 points.  (That's SCCA rules.  The Road Not Taken is not a rule-fudging contest, and we will be awfully disappointed if we actually have to deal with any nonsense such as this.)

You win if you have the lowest total number of points for the rally.

If two or more teams have identical total scores, they will achieve the same finish position.  The Sum-Of-Squares method will be used to determine which team gains actual possession of any physical objects awarded that finish position.

18.   ROUTE INSTRUCTIONS

See sample Routebook pages , so you can follow along.   The sample page may be a bit funky in the formatting, due to software conversions: The real instructions will be so much nicer!)

Each instruction consists of one row of 6 boxes, left to right.

The FIRST box, labelled ##, contains the instruction number.   Instruction numbers reset to 0 at the start of each Section.  Instruction 0 will be a shaded reprint of the last instruction of the previous Section, because a Section starts where the previous Section ends.   At the bottom of that FIRST box, in light text, is the Section Number, for instant reference.   Note: The combination of Section number and instruction number (both of which are printed in that FIRST box) forms a unique identifier for that instruction.

A !, !!, or !!! appearing over the mileage indicates that that instruction contains a CAUTION (described later in these General Instructions).

If a mileage is underlined, it indicates that the instruction contains more than one mileage reference, because the instruction contains more than one point of interest.   The additional mileages will be found in the INFORMATION box, where they will again be underlined.   It'll be clear.

  Instruction numbers begin at 1 for each Section (not counting the reference Instruction #0, which is only a reprint of the last instruction in the previous Section).   Sections are numbered, beginning with Section 0.   Each page of instructions includes the Section number at the top of the page.   Each instruction in the event can be identified by Section number-Instruction number.   For example, Instruction 16 of Section 4 can be identified as "4-16".

The SECOND box, labeled MILEAGE, contains two numbers.   Near the center of the box, in large, bold type, is the Section mileage at which the instruction must be executed.   Every instruction will include official mileage—and official mileage is the only official reference for an instruction.   NOTE   In a few cases, there will be two of these mileages, to indicate mileages at two significant points in the instruction.   In the lower right corner of the box, in smaller, lighter type, is the incremental mileage (distance to the next instruction); and the incremental mileage box will be shaded if the distance to the next instruction is very short.

The THIRD box, labeled CAST, will usually be empty.   If a number is present in the box, you must change your average speed to that many miles-per-hour, at that point.   If the first instruction on a page is underlined, it is just a reminder of what the speed is and has been.

The FOURTH box, labeled PAUSE, will usually be empty.   If a number is present in the box, then stop that many minutes at somewhere near the mileage shown.

The FIFTH box, labeled TULIP, contains a recognizable representation of the route at that point.   There will be a large black dot near the bottom, indicating where you will approach that part of the route, and at some other point in the diagram will be a large black arrowhead indicating where you must leave that portion of the route.

If a little dot appears in the diagram, it will indicate approximately where a specified sign is situated.   A large grey dot indicates something of note, which will usually be described in the INFORMATION box.   A thick dotted line alongside the road indicates an area of exposure (cliffs).   Braces along a road ( ] | [ ) indicate a bridge.   Other items may be included in a diagram, and should be obvious without detail here.   On intersections where we're sure the correct road is obvious because other roads are notably less improved, the lesser roads sometimes will be shown in grey, rather than black—but you might not always agree that a grey road is a "lesser" road.   If a tulip shows only a straight road, and perhaps a sign or hazard, then the tulip represents only a couple of feet of the road and—despite the tulip showing a straight road—the road may actually be in the middle of a corner at that point (in fact, that's almost guaranteed, since there are no straight roads on The Road Not Taken).

NOTE  Diagrams are not to any consistent scale.   Don't quibble.

The SIXTH box, labeled INFORMATION, may contain additional information, cautions, English restatements of the tulip, sign quotes, or other stuff.   Signs will be indicated by quote marks surrounding all-uppercase words ("THUNDER RD", for example).

NOTE  Though intended to be accurate as listed in the INFORMATION box, signs are not official references, and they may be missing or changed.   Official mileage is always the official reference.

19.   CAUTIONS

In The Road Not Taken instructions, official cautions which warrant unusual concern will include a ! or !! or !!! designation.   Take them seriously!!! There are plenty of other hazards along the route—these are special.

The ! designation indicates a noteworthy hazard which is not too easy to screw up, or which offers a relatively minor punishment for screwing up.   Slow down and stay alert!

The !! designation indicates a hazard which is not hard to screw up, or which offers significant punishment for screwing up.   Slow way down and be real careful!!

The !!! designation indicates a hazard which is easy to screw up, and which offers severe, possibly life-threatening, punishment if you do screw up.   Slow way the heck down to almost crawl speed and be severely cautious!!!

CAUTION  The instructions and cautions were all designed to work at approximately the specified average speeds, and are intended to be useful to less skilled competitors in everyday cars.   Veteran competitors in performance rally cars will likely find many--but not all--cautions to be unnecessary.  If a caution appears to have no real basis, trust that you simply are not seeing what really is there.  Do not dismiss a caution (until you are past it)--we did not generate the cautions by throwing darts at a map.

There is a special consideration on The Road Not Taken.  A ho-hum speed is usually pretty near the oh-oh speed.  There typically is very little room to fix an oh-oh, so "oh-oh" and "oh-shit" are often synonymous on this event.  The cautions do consider that someone might be trying to catch up a little time when they approach the caution point--but they do not cover the Whole Different Picture you would see if you were so foolish as to attempt to make up a lot of time quickly.

20.   MEASUREMENT AND MILEAGES

NOTE: If you are not competing with a rally computer, or are otherwise freaky about the "gnat's butt" details, then you won't need to memorize this stuff; however, you would be foolish to not carefully read it at least once.

Official measurement is not scheduled until after these General Instructions are printed.   Details of official measurement vehicle, conditions, etc., will be posted at Registration at Event Headquarters, with copies available on request.   Correct arrival times are computed by the method specified by SCCA regulations.   On each instruction, the mileage is at the beginning of the first intersection, if there is one.   If the diagram shows no intersection but does indicate a sign or distinct landmark, then the mileage is at the beginning of the sign or landmark.   If neither intersection, nor sign, nor distinct landmark is shown in the diagram, then the mileage is at the approximate beginning of the diagram.   If more than one intersection, sign, landmark, or combination thereof is shown in a diagram, there might be two mileages listed.

Your odometer may differ quite a bit from official mileage; the first Section of the rally will be suitable for determining that difference.   Be aware that wheelspin and other variables may cause stock odometers to "wander" considerably.   The zillions of snug unpaved corners on The Road Not Taken offers challenge for even the best electronic rally odometers.

21.   SPEEDS

Specified speeds are "average" speeds.   You will not be able to always drive at the specified speeds, because you will have to slow for corners, hazards, and difficult stretches of road.   Therefore you will need to drive a little faster, where safely possible, in order to compensate for the slow-downs, so that you arrive at Checkpoints as if you had travelled constantly at the exact specified speeds.  A steady pace (not the same as "steady speed") will safely serve you well.  Avoid chasing things around--instead, adjust your pace.

Understand that the ability to maintain a specified average speed depends on many factors, such as the type of car, the type of tires, the condition of the car, the condition of the tires, driver experience, driver skill, driver condition, quality of lighting, weather, road surface condition, and so on and on.   Particularly on The Road Not Taken, minor differences in one of these factors can make a large difference in how easy it is to maintain the specified average speeds.   Don't attempt to drive at the specified speeds when you cannot safely do so.   If the specified average speeds are consistently too fast for you to safely maintain, then complain to us at the end of the event—but don't drive at speeds you cannot safely maintain.

22.   EXPOSURES

Most of The Road Not Taken course runs along mountainsides, so you will usually be driving with a steep bank on one side of the road and a steep drop-off on the other side.   The term, "exposure" describes where at least one side of the road is open and has a significant drop-off.   The term, "hidden exposure" describes where at least one side of the road has a significant drop-off that is not readily apparent, due to roadside shrubbery or heavy forest. (The bases of roadside trees are often 10-20 feet below the road, on a steep bank; and a "wall of shrubbery" along the outside of a corner often is a remarkably thin and flimsy curtain which is blocking an expansive view).   Exposure, either hidden or open, is almost constant through the entire course.   We've noted in the instructions some of our favorite exposures and hidden exposures, but it would be pointless to attempt to note all of them.

Summary:  It is imperative that you stay on the road.

In addition to exposures, the road edges throughout the course are slick, abrupt, infirm, booby-trapped.  They are "the embodiment of evil".  Shun them.

23.   FOREST FIRE HAZARD AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Fire hazard is generally very high this time of year, regardless of current weather.   Be real careful.  Don't start nothing.

24.   SWEEP VEHICLES

The Road Not Taken will run at least one sweep vehicle, on a schedule shortly behind the last competitor's schedule.  The sweep vehicle may be able to provide minimal basic assistance, and will be able to communicate with Headquarters.

25.   WILDLIFE HAZARDS

Abundant wildlife, in considerable variety, lives on The Road Not Taken.   The noteworthy risk is collision with deer or elk.   Deer will generally be seen alone or as a family of 2-4.   Elk—which are generally bigger and heavier than your car, or truck—tend to stay in large herds; and those herds like to cross roads in long single-file chains that refuse to be disrupted.   If you see an elk, be very alert for others.

26.   NON-RALLY TRAFFIC

Most of the route will of course be on less travelled roads; however, the roads will be open to public two-way travel, and you will encounter oncoming traffic.   Please drive with headlights on even in daylight (to give others half a chance, you know).   Be alert.   By all means be very courteous—an annoyed citizen can be a real bad thing for this event and future events.

27.   HOW TO QUIT THE RALLY BEFORE FINISHING

If you disappear, we will search until we find you.   If you are unable to complete The Road Not Taken, you must notify a Checkpoint crew or other rally official.   If at all feasible, please also check in at Event Headquarters, so that we are certain that you have safely made it back to civilization.

28.   PASSING AND BEING PASSED

If you notice a vehicle closing from behind you, do what you can to let the car get by you as soon as safely possible.   If you approach a car from behind, stay back a safe distance and be patient—make good use of your TA's.

29.   MOTION SICKNESS

This event challenges one's motion-sickness tolerance.   More than one "I-Never-Get-Carsick" navigator have lost their title on The Road Not Taken.   If you have any doubt or concern, it might be wise to take preventatives before the start of the event (preventatives typically do little once the first symptoms appear).

30.   IF YOU BELIEVE YOU ARE OFF-COURSE

  1. Stop in a safe place.

  2. Unless you definitely know you are off course, you might want to wait several minutes to see if any following cars show up and prove you are actually on course.

  3. Cautiously—and slowly—retrace your route.   Even if you are off course, be alert for other contestants who are coming at you in the process of making the same mistake you made.   Please do not intentionally travel the "real" rally route in the opposing direction.
All instructions include official mileage.   Regular sign references are included.   Instructions should be distinctive enough that if you become off-course, it should be obvious within reasonably short time.   No instructions are more than five miles apart.

31.   IF YOU BREAK DOWN, HAVE A FLAT, GET STUCK IN A DITCH, WHATEVER

  1. Determine whether anyone needs critical first aid.   If so, follow the IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY procedures, below, rather than these procedures.

  2. If possible, move your vehicle so that it is not a hazard to following contestants.

  3. Place the "OK" sign, in the back of the Routebook, where following contestants can see it.

  4. Place a reflective hazard warning triangle back down the road a reasonable distance, and around any nearby corner, so that following cars can safely stop before they get to you.

  5. Write down, on a spare piece of paper, your car number, your location's Section number and mileage, and a brief but clear description of the problem.

  6. Give the informative piece of paper to the next contestant, so they can deliver it to the next Checkpoint.

  7. Take care of the problem, being careful to not block the road.

NOTE   If you intend to "limp" to civilization, please wait for the sweep vehicle to arrive, so that you don't present an obstacle or hazard to following contestants.

32.   IF YOU ENCOUNTER A HAZARD TRIANGLE

  1. Slow way the heck down to crawl speed as quickly as you safely can.

  2. Unless the disabled vehicle has the "OK" page displayed, stop at the disabled vehicle and determine whether emergency assistance is needed.   Note the time, so that you can submit a TA at the next Checkpoint—in this case more than 19 minutes will be accepted, if needed (we won't penalize you for providing emergency assistance).

  3. If urgent assistance is needed, please stay and provide what help you can, and make sure triangles are properly placed, and that your car is out of the way.   The next car to arrive should gather information and deliver it to the following Checkpoint.

  4. If urgent assistance is not needed, or assistance is being provided by another contestant, then gather information (Car Number, Section Number, Instruction Number, mileage, description of problem and severity of problem).   Deliver information to following Checkpoint.

33.   IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY

If you have an accident, particularly if someone is hurt, you almost certainly will not think as clearly as you otherwise would.   Take that for granted and be alert to it.   When the next contestants arrive, ask them to help you and consider that their judgment may be better than yours, at that point.   Be aware that, in those circumstances, you may be unaware of your injuries or the severity of them.   Be cautious.

After an accident, there are two immediately important considerations:

Which of those two immediate considerations should be first priority will depend on the situation:   use your best judgment.

If you have a medical emergency, and have an opportunity to do so, place the red-cross sign, from the back of the Routebook, where following contestants can see it.   Unless you are absolutely certain you do not have a medical emergency, please don't put out the "OK" sign.   If you've had an accident, it may take awhile for a medical emergency to become apparent.

34.   COMMUNICATIONS

Due to the great efforts of McMinnville Amateur Radio Club (MARC), every Checkpoint and rally official will have radio communications with Event Headquarters.   To avoid interference with The Road Not Taken rally communications, please do not transmit with any radio equipment.

If you encounter an emergency, the next Checkpoint will almost certainly be the best place for you to seek assistance.   It is generally not recommended that anyone drive back on the route to a previous Checkpoint, due to the hazard of oncoming rally traffic and lack of good instructions.   Sweep will have communications, but may be some time behind you.

The emergency phone number throughout the course will be 911; however, in many places a cell phone will not work, and it will be very difficult to explain your location to those not involved with the event.

35.   FUEL STOPS

There will be opportunity to refuel during the mid-point break.   If your vehicle cannot travel 130 miles of twisty, mountainous terrain on one tank of fuel, please contact the organizers about alternate arrangements.   Carrying spare fuel will not be permitted.

36.   UNPLANNED DELAYS

It is possible, due to unforeseens such as trees across the road, that you will receive emergency instructions that the rally has been delayed X minutes.   From then until emergency instructions specify otherwise, you must add X minutes to all CAR ZERO times.   If a rally delay is in effect before the mid-point break, you likely will receive emergency instructions to reduce the duration of the mid-point break.

37.   BANNED EQUIPMENT

In participating vehicles, the following are not allowed:

If you have any doubts or questions, please contact the organizers.

38.   TECH INSPECT, REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

In order to complete Registration, your vehicle must pass Tech Inspect, where your vehicle will be examined for obvious safety hazards and required equipment.   Please be certain that your vehicle will pass such inspection.   Some examples of what we will be looking for:   worn out tires; loose projectiles in the cockpit; dilapidated suspension; malfunctioning lights; dilapidated safety belts; fuel or brake leaks.

This Tech Inspect cannot assure you that your car is safe-we expect you to assure that your car is in safe rallying condition, before you arrive.   This Tech Inspect will be done only to give us organizers some confidence that vehicles are not blatantly unsafe.   We certainly do not want to deny any vehicle's entry to the event, and we will be as flexible as possible: but we will appreciate if you do not test the extent of that flexibility. We will not accept excessive risks to competitor safety; public safety; this event's image and reputation; or SCCA's image and reputation.

The following equipment will be required. If you are flying-in for the event, and need assistance with above equipment, contact us.

At registration you will need to affirm vehicle registration, permission to use vehicle, vehicle liability insurance.

You will also need a functioning odometer to follow the course.   A timepiece will be necessary to know when to start each Section, etc.   Writing utensils and spare writing paper are always handy.   Flashlights and batteries certainly make sense.   Coastal mountains can be chilly and wet, even in August.   Stores, water fountains, or any signs of civilization are quite rare on The Road Not Taken.

39.   OBSERVATION CONTROL

There will be at least one Observation Control on this event.   It is the responsibility of the Observation Control crew to report to the organizers any illegal, dangerous, or unsportsmanlike conduct they observe.   Observation Control locations probably won't be identified, and require no action from you.   Illegal, dangerous, unsportsmanlike, or uncivilized conduct at any time will be severely untolerated.

40.   CLAIMS, PROTESTS, QUERIES

If there are any formal claims, protests, or queries, they will be handled as prescribed by SCCA regulations.   Basically, claims for other than mathematical errors must be submitted on appropriate forms, at appropriate times, with appropriate fees, which will be refunded if the claim is granted by the claims committee.   Detailed information will be available at registration and during scoring.

41.   WAYS TO BE DISQUALIFIED

SCCA regulations require that you be disqualified if cited or writtenly warned by law enforcement—or if judged guilty by the organizers—of the following: SCCA regulations require that you be disqualified, or otherwise penalized, for the following:

42.   NOVICE RALLY DRIVER TIPS (now includes The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything)

* The Road Not Taken will challenge your ability to consistently drive smoothly and steadily.   Though the assigned average speeds are not high, there are thousands of corners to challenge your ability to maintain a smooth, steady pace.   A hard-throttle/hard-brake technique will be more risky, cause you to work very hard—and most likely will make you slower.   Smooth driving is quicker, easier, and safer; and this rally will make you prove it—one way, or the other way.

* Most of The Road Not Taken route is on narrow road with ditches on each side.   In most cases, the ditch on one side is waaaay worse (hundreds of feet deep) than the standard type ditch on the other side.   If you have an "oopsie" and find yourself driving along in one of the standard ditches, remember that it is not the worst place to be: Before frantically jerking the wheel to quickly pop you out of that ditch, consider that whatever is on the other side of the road is awaiting you just a few feet away.   In other words, if you're driving in a ditch, slow down and ease out of it gently and carefully.

* Cars on loose surfaces tend to become unsettled when the throttle is lifted or brakes applied.   On the other hand, if your car goes wild on you, giving a little bit of throttle will probably calm it down a bit, so you can more easily get it back in line.

APPENDIX XYZZY: SCCA SANCTION EXCEPTIONS

GENERALS     SECTION SCCA              ARTICLE EXCEPTION                                        TOPIC
Section 5 Article 9 Pre-start contestant meeting.
Section 9 Article 9 F Routebook dispersal time.
Section 11 Article 21 B Time allowance increment.
Section 13 Article 23 B 1 Reference to dead-end, etc., roads.
Section 13 Article 22 C Intuitively obvious principal roads.
Section 13 Article 22 D Off-course stoppers.
Section 14 Article 16 C Format of Checkpoint signs.
Section 14 Article 16 H Checkpoint close times
Section 18 Article 23 A 1 b Instruction numbering.
Section 18 Article 23 A 4 e Mileage placement.
Section 18 Article 17 D 1 Distance between instructions.
Section 20 Article 17 C Time of posting measurement details.
Section 38 Article 13 C 2 Required equipment.
Section 39 Article 16 L Observation controls.




Twisty Roads Rally Group
116 N Elm St
Yamhill, OR 97148
(503) 662-3417
twistyroads@twistyroads.net
http://twistyroads.net