Dave, there are several different types of rallies. For the use of a GPS in a rally it would be a Time and Distance rally, where you need to calculate the speed needed to cover a distance between check points arriving at a prescribed time. Several variations to that have been created over the years. In the "day" we would use a wrist watch or a stop watch and Curta Calculator, or for us on a budget a Stevens rally calculator. Now there are Richta, Roadblock, and some more GPS driven systems, even smart phones can do many of the calculation, can map routes, and log in to events using rally apps. Some are completely virtual, without leaving home, no fun in that.
Others may not use time or distance as a factor, purely navigational. Some might give you a route to follow and you keep track of the mileage, using check points or landmarks, mixed in with gimmicks to alter the true course.
There have been multitudes of types: many were doable back in the 50-60s, but no longer ethical/legal such as the Hare and Hound. A hare would start off, using small bags of flour to mark the course, depending upon the interpretation of the splatter pattern, the "hounds" would follow, a mess that would not be cleaned up. Or the old paper plates with codes written on them nailed to telephone poles, directing participants to follow the sometimes bogus clues, lots would be left hanging for years. Local police do not look favorable on a bunch of cars wandering thru neighborhoods in the dark, so back roads are preferred.
Nowadays there aren't the number of rallies that there were 40 years ago. In the SF bay are there were weekly rallies, starting from the Rally Club in Sunnyvale, East Bay Rallymasters from Concord, and others, plus SCCA, Bay Area Sports cars, local chapters of car clubs, and NSCC (Northern California Sports Car Club). Also PCA did some great rallies for their members, a memorable one was a Halloween rally ending up in the cemetery in Los Gatos. Back then many of us we ran 2 or 3 a month, great cheap entertainment, driving the 356s mixed in with other "sports cars".
Now the biggest factor is to find people to help, man check points, and clean up any signage. With a total GPS driven rally, there are virtual check points, all electronic route instructions and with the latest rally inspired equipment it can be done by one person, electronic scoring, and even real time monitoring or the participants. However it isn't cheap, nor quick to put on. Although there are some Apps that use cellular networks, if available, coverage is not always good in remote areas.
I prefer an old school rally, but intrigued by the new era of digital and virtual rallies.
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