What Is Rallycross

Rallycross is short, multi-car racing on permanent circuits that mix tarmac and gravel, with one compulsory detour called the joker lap in each race. That joker lap, taken once and at a moment each driver chooses, is what makes rallycross feel different from ordinary circuit racing.

Mixed surfaces and standing starts

Motorsport UK describes rallycross as short multi-car races on permanent mixed-surface circuits combining tarmac and gravel. Rallycross is not stage rallying on a circuit: cars do not run one at a time against the clock, they race each other wheel to wheel. It also differs from autocross, which is a separate discipline with its own section in the Motorsport UK regulations.

The surface mix is the first thing a spectator notices. Grip changes from one part of the lap to the next, so drivers must brake, turn and put the power down differently on tarmac and on loose ground. The second thing is the start. Under Motorsport UK regulations, rallycross cars start from a standing start with engines running, and because the races are short, the run to the first corner often decides a great deal.

How the format and the joker lap work

A rallycross event is built from a series of short races. Motorsport UK's regulations refer to qualifying heats and finals, and the FIA's rallycross regulations list qualifying races, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals. The exact structure depends on the championship and the entry.

The joker lap is an alternative route that is longer in distance or time than the main route; Motorsport UK's beginners' guide describes it as usually slightly longer than the standard lap. Under Motorsport UK regulations, a joker lap may be used only at venues where the track licence authorises it. The key rules are:

• In Motorsport UK racing, one lap in each qualifying heat and final must be the joker lap. Under FIA regulations, drivers must complete one joker lap in each qualifying race, quarter-final, semi-final or final unless otherwise specified.
• Missing the joker lap in a Motorsport UK heat brings a 30-second penalty, and the FIA regulations also impose a 30-second time penalty on a driver who finishes without taking it.
• In a Motorsport UK final, a driver who does not take the joker lap, or who takes it more than once, is classified last in that final, ahead only of non-starters.
• At the exit of the joker lap, cars on the main track have priority.
• Under FIA regulations, using the joker lap in practice is optional.

Because every driver must take it once, the joker becomes a tactical choice. Taking it early can put a car into clear air; saving it can let a driver stay in a fight and hope to emerge ahead once rivals have used theirs. Spectators often cannot tell who is really leading until everyone has taken it.

Who runs rallycross

The sport is British by birth: the first rallycross event was held at Lydden Hill in Kent in 1967, staged for television. Today, rallycross in Britain is regulated by Motorsport UK, which licenses venues and competitors and publishes the rules for national events. Internationally, the FIA sets the sporting regulations, including those for its world championship. Rules, penalties and formats are revised from time to time, so check the current Motorsport UK regulations or the FIA's published rallycross regulations for the details that apply to a given event.

The easiest way to recognise rallycross is by its format: a standing start, a lap that switches between tarmac and gravel, and one compulsory joker lap per race. Watch where each driver takes that joker, and the race makes sense.