Official time
Also: Rally time, Official rally clock, Radio clock
The binding clock time of the rally. All controls and timing follow it, often via radio clock or GPS time.
The official time is the clock time that the whole rally runs on. All time controls, starts and timing refer to it. Your own clock only counts if it matches.
Where it comes from
Organisers usually use a radio clock or the time from GPS signals. In Germany the DCF77 time signal is widely used and many radio clocks receive it. The official time is often shown on a large clock at the start line or in the rally office. The regulations say which source applies.
Why you need it
If your clock is just two seconds off, you arrive two seconds off at every control. In regularity tests scored to the hundredth of a second, that adds up to a lot of penalty points.
How to get it right
- Sync your clocks with the official clock before the start.
- Check again at the lunch stop.
- With mechanical clocks, watch for drift over the day.
At the start of a test it is usually your own stopwatch that counts, not the clock time. You mainly need the official time for the time controls.