Individuals interested in participating in rallying are encouraged to join a local car club. Rallying is a sport that is very popular at the “grassroots” level of motorsports – i.e., car clubs. Many meetings or rallies for car enthusiasts and their vehicles are still referred to as rallies, even if all they involve is the task of getting to the location (usually on a trailer). Many of the early rallies were called trials, and a few still are, although the term now applies primarily to forms of professional motor sport that climb as steep and slippery hills as possible. Some common types are Regulated or Time-Speed-Distance rallies (also known as TSD rallies, testing the ability to stay on the course and time), Monte Carlo-style (Monte Carlo, Pan American, Pan Carlo, Continental) rallies (testing navigation and time), and various Gimmick rally types (testing logic and observation). There are several types of road rallies that test accuracy, navigation or problem solving. Road rallies were the original format, held on roads open to normal traffic, with the emphasis not on mere speed but on accurate timing and navigation, and vehicle reliability, often on difficult roads and over long distances.

The Escort RS Cosworth driven by British driver Malcolm Wilson on a stage rally The fact that these vehicles are in some cases closely related to road cars may be a factor in generating interest among spectators, especially in Europe, Asia and Oceania. From flat tarmac and mountain roads to rugged forest trails, from snow and ice to desert sand, each road is designed to provide a challenge for the teams and a test of vehicle performance and reliability. They are based on a straightforward speed competition on roads where no other vehicles are allowed. Stage rallies have been a specialized branch of the sport since the 1960s. There are two main forms: stage rallies and road rallies.

Typing speed test race