Car racing is usually about going as fast as possible on a set track — think of Formula 1, touring, and drag racing. But rally racing takes the race off the track and onto real world roads, with varying weather conditions, terrains, and challenges. The rally driver has never driven on the road before, but a navigator is in the car to give them all the upcoming details so they can drive as fast as possible in unknown territory. But just how fast do rally cars actually go during a race?
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The speed a rally car goes throughout the rally stage is extremely varied. According to Nasa Rally Sport, the rally cars are often going around 50 to 70 miles per hour on the winding parts of the track, which can include snow and ice, gravel, and massive jumps. But there are some straight sections where rally cars can reach speeds of over 100 mph — and many of the fastest rally cars of all time have reached top speeds well over 100 thanks to their torque-focused engines and strong suspension systems.
There are also areas of the stage where rally cars are in public open roads, known as transit routes, and they must abide by the traffic laws there — they can even get extreme penalties for speeding. All of this combined makes rally car speeds vary quite a bit throughout the race.
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