Volunteering
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Rallysport in Canada is a volunteer organized, volunteer driven pastime, from the leading organizers all the way down to the newest stage marshal. Without volunteers, there are no rally events. Simple as that. So, the WCRA truly appreciates the time and effort, the skills and abilities that volunteer workers bring to club activities. Furthermore, volunteering for an event is one of the fastest, cheapest ways to learn about rallying, meet future friends, and join the community on your way to eventually competing too!
Volunteering at a rally event is not always a glamorous affair; There are times when it can be tedious and boring, uncomfortable and even dangerous. There are other times when it can be action filled and supremely exciting! It is, however, always a great adventure, and a lot of fun. You meet new and interesting people, learn new skills, get to hang out with companions with similar interests, and are always appreciated by event organizers and especially the competitors: they are your true and loyal fans.
Rally volunteers come from very different backgrounds and join events for many different reasons. Some volunteers may have been pressed into service—they may have just been too slow to say “no!” Scooped up by an enthusiastic companion, they find themselves parked in the dark, in the middle of February trying to balance a clip board and timing clock on their knees, their stomach rumbling, their bladder full, they’re wondering how they ever got into this position. Then they hear an echo in the distance; the pops and bangs of a racing engine being wrung out to its rev limiter. And moments later a rally car comes screaming into view, sliding sideways past their eyes or even midair over a jump. If that roar of off-road automotive excitement appeals to you, read on.
Some volunteers are active competitors in rallying themselves. Rally cars may be resting in garages awaiting repairs, or disposable income earmarked for entry fees has evaporated. Drivers, co-drivers and service crews take opportunities to support events that they might otherwise enter. For other volunteers, working an event is an opportunity to learn about rallying from the inside out. People often start out working an event before deciding to become more involved in rallysport. Navigators and drivers entering a competition are far better informed about time controls, and rules and regulations, having worked an event. There are those volunteers who are no longer satisfied with spectating. They want to be closer to the action and more actively involved. Some volunteers are simply adventurous souls looking for a new experience. I’ve got some extra time; this looks interesting—what is this rally stuff about? Family members and significant others often show their support for their favourite rally enthusiast by volunteering for events. They may be “along for the ride” but working truly beats the boredom of waiting and lets them actively share in the adventure.
Since there are two different styles of rallysport in Canada, there are two different flavors of volunteering as well: Time Speed Distance Rally and Performance/Stage Rally.
Time Speed Distance Rally Volunteering
Time Speed Distance rallying is a navigational challenge that uses normal roadgoing vehicles without cages or fancy preparation, travelling at precise average speeds on open public roads and competing to arrive at exactly the correct time; not too slow OR too fast. The main volunteer role for a TSD rally is to be a “checkpoint marshal”. Since TSD rallies function like a long distance tour with the competitive “regularity” stages spread along the route between start and finish destinations, the volunteer checkpointer vehicles are also constantly on the move, leapfrogging ahead of the competing cars to time their progress along the way. Volunteering for a TSD rally is great if you enjoy driving the same back roads as the competitors, then hiding in sneaky spots along the side to catch them when they diverge from their target arrival times.
Performance or “Stage” Rally Volunteering.
These are the events like what you have probably seen on TV or WRC highlight reels: fully caged and prepared competition vehicles driving as fast as possible on closed roads. Performance rallies are headquartered in a single town or location, with the rally cars heading out to compete on nearby “special stages”, then returning to the service park for repairs between each leg of the event. When volunteering at Pacific Forest Rally or Big White Winter Rally, control crews and road marshals may stay put and or move only short distances within the course of the event. Volunteers also have the opportunity to interact with competitors and see the action from much closer than a regular spectator.
Whereas the cars in a TSD pass by a checkpoint without stopping, at a performance event, the cars start and end a stage, stopping at a timing control. As a volunteer at a start control, you are the marshal to count down each car to its start time on consecutive minutes, then watch them launch away from the line in a flurry of gravel, mud or snow. At a finish control you are operating the finish timing gear, with a front row view as each rally car roars past the flying finish trying to shave the last split seconds off their stage times. As a spectator marshal you are charged with ensuring that the viewing public stays a safe distance away from the closed road, with the opportunity to revel in the festive atmosphere of the crowd. As a road closure marshal, your job is to ensure that access points to the closed competition route are secure, and often you get to see rally cars sliding past from the best secluded viewpoints.