RALLY DRIVING

rally also spelled Rallye, automobile racing over a specified public route with a driver and navigator attempting to keep to a predetermined schedule between checkpoints. The course is generally unknown to contestants until the start of the race. Such racing began in 1907 with a Peking-to-Paris race of about 12,000 km (7,500 mi). The Monte-Carlo rally, with various starting points, began in 1911 and continued thereafter except for wartime interruptions. Rallies became very popular after World War II in Europe and elsewhere, and international competitions were instituted. Weekend rallies came to be common worldwide, ranging from those held by local clubs to events sponsored by larger organizations. The longest rally held regularly, at up to 6,234 km (3,874 mi), is the East African Safari, first run in 1953. The longest rally was the London-to-Sydney rally in 1977, about 31,107 km (19,239 mi).