The Road-Book is a document in the form of a book that is provided by the organization where some of the most important information can be found; the outline (route) of the rally.. Among other information, it describes step by step through tulips (perfectly positioned through marked distances) that you will have to follow from the beginning to the end of the rally. The Road-Book provides a lot of visual information using sketches and photos, and a lot of written information.
If you see a road book for the first time you might get a wrong impression as to how to read the tulips. Each box is read from top to bottom (as the numbers indicate) but within each box you read from bottom up (the way the car approaches the diagram – the dot –) towards the arrow of the diagram.
In the different rows of cells (boxes) that are found in the road book there are other information to be found such as:
– The total distance in miles or kilometers traveled since the beginning of the section (previous schedule control).
– The partial distance from the point shown in the preceding tulip (distance between one box and the next).
– The information panels (road signs) that we will find on the road (crossed signs are not to be followed).
Below you can find photos of the above mentioned information:
Moreover, this information is usually accompanied by:
– Road maps in which the special stages are marked and the way the cars will be driving in each section.
– How the odometer has been calibrated to indicate the distances.
– Drawings and maps of the different places where you will need to be or pass by such as checks, assists and Parc Fermés, start and finish.
– Route-schedule with the order of the stages, sections and sectors, the starting time for each of the first participant and average speed and distance to be covered.
– Alternative routes to take if for some reason you cannot run on the original route of the rally (must be printed on a different paper colour from other sections).
– OK/Red Cross symbols to show the following vehicles in the event in case of accident or breakdown if you need medical assistance or if you are OK.
– Explanatory pages with symbols used in the road book.
This aforementioned information is mandatory for local Championship rallies in Spain, but year after year the organizers arrange to add more information to the road book trying to help the work of the co-driver. One of the most important information provided is to indicate the level of coverage of the major mobile carriers in each significant point of the route, or GPS coordinates of the representative points.