As far as I've understood they drive all of the stages twice (not sure about but at least once) before the rally and that's when the co-driver makes his notes... or improves the old ones, usually most of the stages are same as the previous year. Like corrected above the shakedown is completely different thing.

Also nowadays some of the stages are usually driven twice in the same day during the rally... which sucks.

Quote from deggis :

Also nowadays some of the stages are usually driven twice in the same day during the rally... which sucks.

Why? Whats the problem with driving the same stage twice in the same day? Isn't it more viewer-friendly?

Quote from hyntty :

Why? Whats the problem with driving the same stage twice in the same day? Isn't it more viewer-friendly?

Really only for those spectators who sit in the ditch whole day. For tv viewer it gives nothing. Just an example, which is more challenging for the driver, same 10 km stage driven twice or one 20 km stage?

Quote from deggis :

Really only for those spectators who sit in the ditch whole day. For tv viewer it gives nothing. Just an example, which is more challenging for the driver, same 10 km stage driven twice or one 20 km stage?

Well thats one way to look at it... Personally I think it's better to have less stages and drive the same stages over again. The drivers can improve their times and go faster (correct me if I'm wrong but I've always thought that was the general idea of motor racing ) then we can also see who's improved his time the most, and compare which drivers drove more on the limit (the first time). And it makes the drivers push a little bit harder because they know everyone has already driven the stage before and it should be familiar to them.

Quote from BenjiMC :

They in fact do a slow run of each stage some days or day before the rally to check their pace notes.

Yea, but c'mon, that, in no way, compares to 50 full-speed practice laps in any other motor sport...

deggis, I'd rather them run the stage in reverse, would create some variety, or have the same basic stage (reversed still) with a slight deviation in the course, provide easy viewing, and a different stage.

Quote from Stefani24 :

Stock car, like nascar
coz its always close and there can happen a crash that involves all cars at the last lap

A thing stock car (or indy) people call: Last Lap Syndrome

Quote from deggis :

As far as I've understood they drive all of the stages twice (not sure about but at least once) before the rally and that's when the co-driver makes his notes... or improves the old ones, usually most of the stages are same as the previous year. Like corrected above the shakedown is completely different thing.

Also nowadays some of the stages are usually driven twice in the same day during the rally... which sucks.

I thought the co-driver walked the track, or drove in a truck, with OTHER co-drivers?

WRC or SCORE Class 1 Unlimited. The latter mostly because it's the closest thing in the racing world to a truly no-rules racing class.

Quote from BlueFlame :

I thought the co-driver walked the track

I can see a tiny flaw in that plan

Classes using the Group A and Group N reglement like the VLN. Wide varity of cars and manufactors, quite easy to start in, not too fast, hence close racing.

Quote from BlueFlame :

I thought the co-driver walked the track, or drove in a truck, with OTHER co-drivers?

mm id say moto gp altho maybe world superbike i mean any racing where one of the competitors splits a bollox and chops half his finger off and still goes racing the next fortnight is good racing in my books

WRC because sure, the drivers know the track beforehand, but it still takes balls of steel to go blasting through the countryside and sideways round corners at 60mph.

Ipra

Quote from TiJay :

WRC because sure, the drivers know the track beforehand, but it still takes balls of steel to go blasting through the countryside and sideways round corners at 60mph.

Only at 60mph? More like sideways at ~100mph on a gravel road full of trees beside you (~2m away).

Quote from deggis :

Before the stage is run, I thought the co-drivers take a car and figure out what they think is possible, and write the pace notes, I have seen it before, I don't think they drive the stage with the Competition Car, but I am always wrong so.

Quote from BlueFlame :

Before the stage is run, I thought the co-drivers take a car and figure out what they think is possible, and write the pace notes, I have seen it before, I don't think they drive the stage with the Competition Car, but I am always wrong so.

Before the rally they drive the stages with normal road cars and the driver makes the notes as they go.

Quote from Blackout :

Before the rally they drive the stages with normal road cars and the driver makes the notes as they go.

But they don't run the course with the compition cars, just so people know.

Also, WRC is one of the few motorsports in the world where it is not uncommon to see someone power sliding around a gravel corner at 60 MPH with only 3 wheels and no windshield because he crashed and flipped over a mile earlier

Karting really it is the purest form of motorsport and the racing is really cheap compared to the competitevnes

I would say the WRC but it's not by definition racing

Well Race trucks then. Ridiculously heavy and powerful. Must be a lot of fun