Driver & Navigator Basics
Great Race is a team competition. Good communication, consistent routines, and trust between the driver and navigator matter just as much as the car.
A Simple Formula for a Successful Rally
Safety First
No score is worth taking an unnecessary risk. Obey traffic laws, communicate your intentions, and drive for the conditions.
Start on Time
Know your official starting or restart time and make sure your team's clock and procedure are ready.
Stay on Course
Following the correct route is more important than chasing a perfect second. A wrong turn can cost far more than a small timing error.
Stay on Time
Once you are safe, started correctly, and on course, focus on consistent driving and timing.
Develop Your Own Rally Language
Good teams develop a consistent way to communicate. Use the same terms for signs, turns, and road features so both people know exactly what is meant.
The driver should repeat important directions back to the navigator. A quick confirmation can prevent a wrong turn.
Tell the driver what sign, road, or intersection comes next before the navigator looks down to calculate or check timing.
Decide how your team describes curves, intersections, and landmarks, and use the same wording every time.
During timed competition, keep conversation focused on the rally. Save sightseeing and post-error analysis for a non-timed section.
There Are No Driver Errors or Navigator Errors
Treat mistakes as team problems. Once an error happens, both people need to focus on recovering rather than deciding who caused it.
Staying calm and communicating clearly will usually save more time than debating how the mistake happened.
Stay Organized
Cross off each instruction as soon as it is completed.
Keep the current instruction and the next instruction in mind.
Highlight “comes quick” and other special notes.
Transfer useful speed information between pages before starting.
Keep performance charts, pens, and timing equipment organized.
Consistency Matters
The more consistently the driver accelerates, brakes, turns, and holds speed, the more useful the team's performance charts become.
Practice together before the event so the driver and navigator learn the same routines they plan to use in competition.
Build the Routine Before Race Week
Rally School tutorials can help you understand the basics, while the Spring Rally gives your team a chance to practice communication, navigation, timing, and consistency before the main event.
The Best Rally Team Is a Prepared Team
Keep building your team’s routine with the resources below.