Chihuahua, today; tomorrow, the Whole World.
A new concept in Cross Country competition, that will reach international rank with the World Cross Country Rally Championship, starts in Mexico. The race will join Ciudad Juárez with Chihuahua, Capital City of the Big State.
Everything is being prepared for 2004, when the World Cross Country Rally Cup will become a World Championship. By then ˇah, Chihuahua! Rally TT aspires to be a consolidated race and one of the obliged dates of the international calendar.
With such an aim, for the first edition of ˇah, Chihuahua! Rally TT, from the 1st to the 4th of May, the inspection of observers from the FIA has been requested as a first directed step to the inclusion of the race in the 2004 World Championship.
There are two participation types: Cross Country and Orientation Trial. The first one, according to international norm for Cross Country Rallies in Cars, Motorcycles and Quads. The second one, only for 4x4 vehicles equipped with GPS and Winch, like in the formula popularized by the Cup 180, although with an important innovation: the team is formed by only one car.
The Cross Country Rallies are carried out on daily stages with a maximum of 800 km (500 miles) of pure speed timed sections, eventually combined with regularity sections. They are run through dirt roads and tracks, at times of great technical difficulty, which makes it necessary to race in very tough cars with exceptional off-road qualities.
The route is secret, making it impossible for racers to practice and the only official route is the one that is described in the race’s Road-Book. In this Road-Book there are detailed schemes (changes in direction, road incidences, hazardous spots, nearby settlements and other references), total and partial distances and useful comments. Sometimes navigation data as GPS coordinates or directions are provided.
Admitted vehicles on the Cross Country Rally mode of the ˇah, Chihuahua! Rally TT are Motorcycles, Quads, and Cars (some African races also take Heavy Trucks).
Orientation Trial mode will have the same starting and finish line as in Rally mode. Both races will share checkpoints, although in this mode the route is not established, but contestants will necessarily have to go through the checkpoints and accomplish each stage in a maximum time.
The competition will consist of localization of waypoints given by GPS coordinates (Polaroid pictures will be taken as proof of achievement) and very difficult and technically demanding Trial Special Stages.
The great challenge is finally on track.
For more information enter: www.rallychihuahua.com
Thursday, May 1st 2003 Verifications and prologue
Sunday, May 4 2003 Third Stage